No hope for humanity

No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka (2013, Documentary)

Director: Callum Macrae

One of our lecturers (RS) back in university told us that the more we tried to hide something, the more people would want to see. And at that time, he was referring to the then sudden urge to preserve modesty or at least put a show of, by university students after 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution. Once it is bare open, people would lose interest. Words of wisdom, come to think of it!

I decided to watch this award winning documentary which was aired last before the CHOGM meeting and Sri Lanka was to head the association that carries no real power but to remind (haunt) Britain of their glorious past! It only came to my attention after reading about its ban in Malaysia and the ongoing court case where the organiser of a public screening is charged. 

Just when you thought there was hope in humanity, comes this graphically disturbing images of people systematically eliminating a certain ethnic population of their own citizens. On one side there is a group demanding autonomy of the area they live and on the other, the people in power claim to hunt for perpetrators who take up arms for their course. The bottom line is that civilians are left dying left, right and centre.

The world is in a quandary. The Government denies any acts of wrongdoing contravening any international law. They claim that LTTE held their own people hostage and kill those who deflect. LTTE, who are guardians of the ethnic Tamil, and international UN workers categorically accuse the ruling government of drawing Tamils to areas deemed 'No Fire Zone' just to shell them to smithereens.

This rather graphically distressing film provide forensically certified photographic evidence of genocide in the land described by Arthur C. Clarke as the most beautiful land on earth. People are zeroed into safe zones and hospitals and are repeatedly bombed till there is no place to run.

 

Go ahead, watch it and spoil your whole day. It can happen anywhere. No race is immune from these. They say that the best of man comes in the worst of situations. I suppose a mob like situation, all humanity values go down the drain. The animalistic blood dirty preying fangs of survival which is deep seated in the DNA of us which survived through the prehistoric times comes into interplay!

Lena Hendry

A peaceful world?

Hakuchi (白痴, Japanese, The Idiot; 1951)

Director: Akira Kurosawa

It is said that the original print of the movie of 265 minutes long is in the possession of some rich old man's collection and even Kurosawa's son had not laid eyes on. The abridged version is 165 minutes long and adapted from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's story of the same name. Dostoyesky's version is supposed to parallel the controversial saga between Jesus Christ and the lady desired by many, Mary Magdalene. In the course of the film, I came to know about the story of 'Lady of Camellias' by Alexander Dumas. 

No, no, it is not the story of a village idiot who gets pushed around only to prove his mettle at the end! It is a story of symbolism to say that life is more peaceful if our senses are numbed or its sensitivity is reduced by disease or medication, at least that what I gathered. Life would be a much peaceful place if our inner desires are suppressed.

Kameda returns to Hokkaido after being discharged from his army post in Okinawa. He was treated for epilepsy and appears to be apathetic to people. He is, however, forever obliging to people's need and going the extra mile to please them. He meets a fellow passenger on the train, Akama, and they build a friendship. 

In keeping with the Dostoyesky's story, Kurosawa set his film in icy cold Hokkaido in heights of winter. In the course of the film, we are introduced to more characters. We notice that Akama's mother, probably deaf or maybe demented, is quite contented with life and things around here even though her son is a rascal and is ridiculing her. 

A family friend's daughter, Akayo, takes a fancy on Kameda. The problem is both Akama and Kameda fall for Taeko Nasu, a lady of questionable reputation. To complicate matters, Kameda also feels for Akayo. He, being branded 'The Idiot', is not assertive and does not want to hurt anybody's feelings. 

The final showdown of all four in the climax is the testimony of the greatness of the director's skill in grabbing our undivided attention. 

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/riflerangeboy/

A tour promo

Journey to Italy (1954)
Director: Roberto Rosselini
Continuing in her 'outcast' years in Italian neo-realism, Ingrid Bergman continues with another movie which essentially showcases what Naples has to offer to tourist - the villas, museums, the morbid past history and lazy pace of life. In this setting, Katherine and Alex (Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders), a British couple married for 8 years, drive to Naples to dispose off a deceased relative's property. We can see that they are undergoing a rough patch in their relationship. Their going to Italy and taking a long journey is their attempt at reconciliation and rekindling the spark. It obviously does not seem to be working. This uppity couple arrive in their Bentley driving through the country roads complaining about the bugs and unruly drivers.
While waiting for a potential buyer, they mix with the upper crust of society, the rich, bourgeois and royalties. All that relaxing does not mend their relationship. On the contrary, it just invokes more hatred, jealousy and annoyance with each other.
They try separate itinerary for each other; Alex goes to Island of Capri, Katherine visits various museums. All in vain. Alex is a cynical critic whilst Katherine is a hopeless romantic.
When all attempts fail, they decide on a divorce. As they plan to return home, they are caught in a religious street procession. Miraculously (divine intervention or otherwise), as Katherine is caught in a stampede. Alex who goes to her rescue and both realise that the flame is still there.
 Rosselini's movies that he did with Bergman has these undertones that mirror their sordid relationship which was admonished by the general public. Even though his five films with her never reached the accolades achieved by his earlier films (Rome, Open City, 1945 and Paisa, 1946), his later films nevertheless never lost its artistic value. Pandit Jawarhalal, impressed with Rosselini's filmmaking of involving the lay people, invited him over to India to make a film on India. His attempt was cut short after Rosselini, whilst married to Bergman, created an international controversy by seducing a married Indian filmmaker's wife (Sonali Das Gupta). It also effectively ended his union with Bergman.

The letter that ignited the greatest love story between two individuals at the peak of their careers.

Dear Mr. Rossellini,
I saw your films Open City and Paisan, and enjoyed them very much. If you need a Swedish actress who speaks English very well, who has not forgotten her German, who is not very understandable in French, and who in Italian knows only "ti amo", I am ready to come and make a film with you.
Ingrid Bergman

Former dustman's salvaged WW1 archive

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/10719406/Former-dustmans-salvaged-WW1-archive.html?frame=2861435

A former dustman has amassed one of the Britain's best collections of First World War photographs after spending decades rescuing them from rubbish tips and bins.

The caption on the back of this photo reads: Soldiers from the Scottish Regiment, taken in Flanders just as the men were waking up. Picture: MERCURY PRESS

Bob Smethurst spent 36 years working as a refuse collector and began saving the remarkable pictures during the 1970s. A German soldier from the 2nd Battalion - 236 at the Somme

Picture: MERCURY PRESS caption

He believes as soldiers from the conflict grew old and passed away a lot of their remarkable pictures and memorabilia was often thrown out especially in the 1970s and 1980s. Over three decades Mr Smethurst made it his mission to try and save anything he spotted which otherwise could have been lost forever.

Oxfordshire Hussars, Yeomanry Regiment. Taken in France. "This is John's old horse" written on back of photo.Picture: MERCURY PRESS

Mr Smethurst, from Sussex, now has more than 5,000 photographs capturing everything from the horror of the trenches to haunting images of young friends smiling together before battle.

Trenches with fallen British soldiers. Picture probably taken by German soldiers around 1916.

Picture: MERCURY PRESS

As well as being an amazing national record of the 1914-18 conflict, his collection could also be worth thousands as just one picture can sell for as much as £30 to collectors.A German Field Artillery 15 cm field gun Picture: MERCURY PRESS

I found the majority of the photographs on the 'dust' during the 70s and 80s when those who fought in World War I were probably passing away. Probably the boys working today will find them from World War II." A London Scottish soldier in Zillebek, Belgium. Picture: MERCURY PRESS

"In the early days we used to carry the bins on our shoulders. Therefore, when we emptied the bins you used to see the paperwork coming out, and the photographs. You didn't find them all the time because the only time you were aware of some was when they started to be mashed up."

Pictured here is a Royal Engineer in a 'home' made winter coat - probably a goat - taken in the winter of 1914/15 before winter coats were issued to soldiersPicture: MERCURY PRESS

"I've got photographs from the trenches, photographs from Commonwealth Indian regiments and pictures from the Germans."

Indian Sikh soldiers - probably photographed just after they had been captured by the GermansPicture: MERCURY PRESS

Mr Smethurst said his collection also included memorabilia such as medals, letters and even a handkerchief with a bullet hole in it had been found in the rubbish.Picture: MERCURY PRESS

He said: "I have a long photograph like the kind that would have been in a frame hanging on a wall of a complete squadron of the Royal Flying Corps - it was just lying on the landfill."Picture: MERCURY PRESS

He said: "I have a long photograph like the kind that would have been in a frame hanging on a wall of a complete squadron of the Royal Flying Corps - it was just lying on the landfill."

Picture: MERCURY PRESS

Mr Smethurst said the treasure of his collection was a series of photographs of the London Scottish regiment, which fought a battle at Messines in 1914. No other photos of the regiment were previously known to exist. A portrait of the London Scottish soldier who took the pictures of his regiment. Picture: MERCURY PRESS

When he discovered his first letter, Mr Smethurst said: "I looked at it, I thought it was interesting - this was the first world war. "Once I've undone it, I found out the chap was killed in action. This was his last letter. I thought well hang on a minute, you can't throw that sort of stuff away."

Picture: MERCURY PRESS

A photograph of Sidney Bell, Royal Fusiliers, CIty of London Regiment - the back reads 'badly wounded' Picture: MERCURY PRESS

A British Tank - photo taken on April 5 1918. Picture: MERCURY PRESS

A portrait of soldier and his wounds taken at Crowborough Place Red Cross Hospital

Picture: MERCURY PRESS

A solider posing with a British tank. Picture: MERCURY PRESS

London Scottish Soldiers en route to Abbeville

Picture: MERCURY PRESS

A letter home from a soldier

Picture: MERCURY PRESS

Bob Smethurst with some of his extensive collection

Picture: MERCURY PRESS

In the genre of comical suspense!

Naan Avan Illai (நான் அவனில்லை, I am not him, Tamil; 1974)

The Movie was in  Black & White, though!

Director: K Balachander
Gemini Ganesan had always played second fiddle in the limelight of the Tamil silver screen in the 60s. This king of romance (Kathal Mannan), both on and off screen, had always been overshadowed by thespians of that time, MGR with do-gooder holier than thou propaganda film actor and the over the top character  actor in Sivaji Ganesan. Gemini Ganesan had mostly acted in roles as a sacrificing love struck man for the sake of family or circumstantial situations.

If MGR could play double roles in scores of films as identical twins separated at twins and get away with it and Sivaji could give an absolutely stunning depiction of nine roles which signified nine values of human in 'Navarathiri', the filmmakers would have thought, "Why not cast him in a role a cheating lover in multiple roles?"

The story was actually a play in Marathi made in 1962. 

The whole story happens in a court room over a few days as the witnesses are called in one by one to unfold their side of the story. GG, as Nanjil Nambi, a simple but articulate seemingly God fearing (Hindu God) nationalistic appearing man from lower rung of society is put to the dock charged for cheating. Nanjil dismisses his court appoint lawyer and opts to defend himself. 

Albert Asirvatham (Asokan), a coffin maker takes the stand. He alleges that Nanjil is actually his long lost brother of 15 years by the name of David Asirvatham. He tells of his brother of being a rolling stone, never staying in one place. He accuses him of leaving his mute wife and two sons. Nanjil ridicules Albert and denies.

Then comes a Rao  from Delhi who tells of a certain Brahmin Government official who cheated him of Rp 15,000 whom he gave as an understanding of bribe to secure a project. Details of the events of the transaction is told in flashbacks as the testimony of the rest of the witnesses. Nanjil denies by asking him embarrassing questions which put the witness in a precarious position.

The presiding judge (Poornam Viswanathan), a North Indian Muslim, has a daughter (Lakshmi) who was also conned of some money when she met a suave Urdu speaking Casanova, Akbar Ali, on a train journey. And she knows it is GG. [Flashback: GG dressed in Northen Indian Muslim attire and mannerisms]

Then comes a matching agency agent (M.N. Rajam) who is called in to testify the accusation a Telugu lady who married GG and was cheated of her jewelry. A Malayalee also comes of being conned by a Shatru Menon- GG again.

Next, a trustee of a temple, accuses GG of masquerading as a holy man, Hari Hara Das,  and scooted off with her daughter and the temple jewelry. The daughter, later appears as a cabaret dancer, disillusioned with life after being duped and raped in the holy shrines!

Then comes in an Anglo-Indian widow, Mrs Kingsley, who swore that GG is indeed her new husband, Jack Solomon. Kannama, the histrionic lady from the slump, appears to vouch that GG is indeed her husband, alive and living with her all the while!

The case became more convoluted as the investigators could not identify GG's mother tongue. One smart alec suggested that upon intense provocation, jolt or pain, he would scream in his mother tongue. Even that felt flat - He yelled an undecipherable word which turned out to be Chinese. There is slight comedy relief brought by a couple in the public gallery. The wife spends all her time listening to trials with her bored husband. Thengai Sreenivasan comes as a mysterious witness, Johnny Walker, who turned out to be GG's accomplice. 

He narrated a story which was reminiscent of the 'Madu Tiga' where all of GG's wives coming together to trash out the truth! The judge passed a judgement of guilty with 7 years of imprisonment.
As he is led out of the court house, GG is stabbed by his brother Albert Asirvatham. Only then the viewers realise GG's true identity as he crosses his chest in a crucifix and dies. So GG is David Asirvatham after all and is a pathological liar.
We saw Gemini in the roles of a) a bumpkin, b) Brahmin Govt servant, c) Urdu poet,  d) a Telugu man, e) a Malayalee naval officer, f) a pious holy man, g) an Anglo-Indian gentleman and 2 others. I think missed two, 9 altogether!
At a time when lip sync and voice overs were unheard off, GG excelled in his rendition of dialogue in various intonations and dialects. Maybe I am biased, they were some overlaps in mannerisms of the different roles.
For a person who started his career in a villain's role, he had no qualms of assuming the role of an antihero at time in Tamil movies where a hero is either good or bad! Here the hero assumed the role of an anti-hero quite convincingly.
N.B. The 2007 remake by new generation of actors was a big hit! 

Economics: Amma's style

Back home in RRF, money was always hard to come by. Many a times we, as children, wished that those frequent squabbles of our parents over money (lack of) never arises. As part of economising and savings, Amma used to ink down a monthly budget for the family. Sundry goods were always enlisted and bought in advance from a particular shop, with cash of course. Amma made it a point never to buy on credit as she believed that it would always spiral out of control. She learnt her lesson well, thanks to her father who singlehandedly burnt off his whole family fortune in a single generation!

When I look at the budget that she had penned, it would appear as money was just enough. No place for unexpected misfortune or malady. Of course, she would supplement her income through her sewing skills. Pretty soon she carved a name for herself amongst the occupants of RRF. When the coffer started welling, never overflowing, she would give out loans to pathetically poor and uninitiated inhabitants of RRF who turned out to bad paymasters and I would be summoned to be the debt collector!

Her bank was gold. With the little savings, she would buy gold ornaments. To me, it appeared like a waste of resources, paying for the workmanship and risk of theft and I would express my displeasure and absurdity of displaying openly her
wealth for prying eyes and jewel thieves to see. Well, she looked at it differently. It was her status symbol, to be put in high esteem by her neighbours and friends. In case of emergency, she would quietly board the LSS green bus to pawn her priced jewel at a particular pawn shop near Prangin Bus Station. She is not dependant on anybody for alms. Periodically she would peruse the pawn chit to make sure that she does not miss the pawn expiry date. When the tide is high, she would proudly redeem her jewel, otherwise it would be another 6 months' lease. Hold behold, the day she missed the pawn expiry date. Everyone in the house would be in the line of fire for no obvious reason.

This, I think is the economic dynamics in most South Indian low middle class wage earning family in Malaysia a generation ago. The family on the outward may look patriarchal but deep down when it comes on to dollars and cents and the daily running of household, the duty falls on the wife. Answerable to the head family, in spite of the meagre income, she somehow stinges here and there to ensure non collapse of the family economics. She could use her ingenuity and living skills towards this end. She would sing the song of melancholy and hopelessness even in the best of times. Come dire straits, she would somehow needle out here and there out of thin air!

So, it all boils down to management. And that applies to all fields that we indulge or given the responsibility to take care.

In a lush equatorial country like ours with rain in abundance throughout the year with rainfall of close to 100 inches a year, we still have to keep up with embarrassing headlines of water shortages and water rationing hogging our newspaper. That why it is a water management board is there in the first place - to manage water and ensure supply during dry spell, not just cut water supply of non payers or just put up water disruption notices. You cannot blame in on the rain, the lack of it, contamination or
simply God. Period.

The disgraced lip-synchronising duo of Milli Vinilli

The honour in sacrifice

Anuradha (Hindi, 1960)

Never knew the existence of this hit till of late. This 1960 national award film was not, however, a big grosser at the box office as it deals with a topic that draws least interest from the audience at large. It is a soft drama with minimal glitz and razzmatazz that most viewers of Hindi movies look for.

Back in 1994, when I was walking aimlessly in the streets of Edinburgh, poof jumped in front, a jubilant varsity mate who had successfully completed his post graduate examinations. As he had an extra ticket for his convocation, he naturally invited me.

Forgot all the regalia of ceremonies that you had seen in your life. His convocation was held a lecture hall of The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The royal tone of the event was set by the band of kilt donning Scotsmen playing their majestic bagpipes. After the initial formalities, the President of the College gave what I thought then was the mother of all convocation speeches. Of course later came Steve Jobs' Stanford speech!
He said something to the effect of that the scroll that he is out to give out was not only going out to the doctors who had given their 100% dedication to their work but to tens or scores of people behind his success. He specifically mentioned the sacrifices that the family/wife/children made to ensure that the candidates had a peace of mind to study; to making all that mugs of coffee and so on. (Maybe in the modern Malaysia, this 'chore' would have been delegated too the live-in maid. The question of what is work and what is dutiful act of love is a full topic altogether!) In essence, behind every candidate's successful completion stood an army of people's sacrifice. This in essence is the take home message of the movie.

Leela Naidu, again appears as a demure wife who stands behind her husband but this time her patience almost boils over!
Anuradha Rai (Leela Naidu) is a renowned singer who falls for a doctor, Dr Nirmal Chaudhry (Balraj Sahni, a Humphrey Bogart look alike all the way to the facial mole, minus the chain smoking), after her fall during a performance. Love blossom despite paternal objection. She even rejects a family friend's (Deepak who is also a great fan) proposal. They get married without her father's blessings. Dr Nirmal, with his life long ambition to serve the poor moves in to a village. He leads a simple live treating his patients within his capacity.
This story is told in flashback.10 years on, they have a daughter, living a simple life in the village. Anuradha music career is just a distant memory. Nirmal is engrossed in his work and the romanticism of that they had during courting is sorely missed by her.
Sometime later, Anuradha's father patches up with them.
One day, Deepak (Anu's fan and friend) gets involved in motor vehicle accident as he and a girlfriend (Seema) drive around in the countryside. Dr Nirmal treats them to health.
Deepak's presence rekindles Anu's old musical ambitions. Ignited by Deepak's persuasions, she considers leaving her ever busy husband with his work to pursue her musical dreams. Meanwhile, Seema's family doctor visits Seema to discover Nirmal excellent work and service albeit his limited resources. The older doctor, over dinner, sings praises of Anu over her sacrifices for Nirmal's successes and should be the sole beneficiary of all accolades.
After realising that her sacrifice is actually an honour where many needy patients benefit, she changes her plan to leave Nirmal! She stays on in the village!

Pandit Ravi Shankar gives a rare rendition of his music in a Hindi film here.