If anything happens I love you! (2020) Animated Short Film
This 11-minutes short film won itself an Academy Award in the Best Short Animated film category. In a concise graphic representation, the storytellers managed to capture the essence of emotions surrounding the loss of a young child. This emotional turmoil can make or break a family unit. The gamut of blaming, what-ifs, guilt and fault finding missions would eventually lead to a brick wall among the living but definitely not bring back the dead.
The death of a member of a family who has not lived his full potential, however, may invoke a myriad of responses. They say an addition to the family, especially the first-born, unites families. The sight of a newborn will make everyone all jello but strong enough to cement whatever minor frictions that may have been present in day-to-day dealings. It may make or break the bonds between the close relatives, especially parents, in the case of a young child.
This short film with no dialogue but a single song, 1950 by King Princess, tells the pain that a couple of parents endure when their pre-teen is killed in a random school shooting. The couple gradually grows apart with overpowering grief. All the while, their genuine emotions, feeling for each other and worries about each other are depicted by their shadows. When the door of their daughter's room, which they refuse to open all this while, suddenly opens, both parents enter the room to the sound of their daughter's favourite song. They reminisce about all the joyful times that they had together through a series of flashbacks. Finally, they shed their tears and reached a resolution.
The film highlights the problem of random shootings in the American public space, especially schools. Over the years, the interval between these types of shooting is getting shorter, and the types of weapons used are getting complex. It is no more pistols or hunting rifles. Instead, we are talking about assault rifles and semi-automatics. Pretty soon, the general public may be walking around with bazookas as it is their right to bear arms to protect themselves as permitted by the second amendment of the American Constitution.
So many Presidents have come and gone promising to put a stop to all this gun violence. Even though many countries, the UK and Australia included, are testimony that this is indeed possible with very tight regulation of weapons ownership, such a situation will never happen in the US. The gun lobbying groups hold the purse string to the political parties. Being the central capital of weapon provider for the whole world to fight each other to maintain American interest and sustain despotic regimes worldwide, it will bad for business to put an all right ban on guns.
Anti guns will continue doing their thing. Aggrieved parties will pour their heartfelt disappointments, and the world will light an occasional candle at shooting sights, but the stock owners of Smith & Wesson and Colt's Defence will continue run laughing all the way to the bank. And they justify their rights by saying, "People kill people, not guns!" But, what they do not understand is that people just get a bruised face, dented ego or at most a broken rib with physical might. A gun has only one mission, to cause severe damage to the victim with minimal effort of its user.
All the loving feelings wither over the years. A child may make or break, not only by what turns out of them but in wanting to give the best for them. Differing parenting approaches and domineering-type of parenting accentuates drift. You ask yourself, "Is this the same woman that I married? "You coax yourself telling, "No, these are just battle wounds traversing the journey of life!"
At the outset, it must be mentioned that this film is not for the faint-hearted or squirm at the sight of animal slaughter or of plain view of a surgical operating field. The scenes, however, are essential to driving home the message embedded behind the story. As the title suggests, the selling point of a biriyani dish is the flavour derived from the juices of the meat (flesh). Vegetarian biriyani is no biriyani at all. This kind of movie is not suitable for family viewing as some scenes are obviously of adult content.
Biriyani is quintessentially a Muslim dish popularised by the invading Muslim marauders. Some say it originated from Persia. The cooks found a novel way to feed a large army - slow cook meat, rice, vegetables and spices buried in the hot desert sands.
In the 7th century, when Islam was revealed to Beduin herders, the religion boasted of features way ahead of its time. Putting an end to female infanticide, the liberation of slaves and empowerment of women were considered revolutionary. Somewhere along the way, the rest of the world thinks that they had lost the plot. What gave? Its practitioners tend to imagine that it is patriarchal and discriminatory against its female members and put them behind as second-class citizens. At least, this is the message that the movie seems to convey.
The flesh that the title alludes to is the flesh that Man cannot live without. It refers to the pleasures of the flesh that Man would die for. The piece of flesh that an adolescent boy loses reinforces his entry into the toxic male-dominated society.
The story starts with Khateeja, who is stuck in a loveless marriage. She views herself just as a piece of vessel for her husband release of carnal desires. That is all. She holds no say in the extended family (her husband's family). Her mother-in-law hates her and already has plans for her son's re-marriage, even though they have an adolescent son.
Khateeja is summoned to her mother's home to attend to her mother, who, according to the caretaker, is becoming increasingly difficult to handle. Khateeja's mother is down with depression after her fisherman husband went missing at sea and her son, who went to the Middle East, never contacted her. It is soon realised that Khateeja's brother is involved in Islamic militant activities and is hunted down by the police. Things become bad afterwards. The mother is ostracised, ousted from her home and is excommunicated from the local Muslim community for bringing shame to the fold. Khateeja's mother-in-law uses that opportunity to persuade her son to send Khateeja a triple talaq text message. With the hit of the 'send' button, Khateeja loses everything: her son, husband, belongings, and self-respect. Furthermore, she and her mother have to endure constant harassment and sexual advances from the police.
Khateeja and her mother later end up finding a safe place in a madrasah in Tamil Nadu. Even though the place was divine-sanctioned and all, many unsavoury things were happening under everybody's nose. Asylum seekers were working part-time as call girls. She becomes friendly with a timid but kind imam. Long story short, Khateeja joins the flesh business, ends up pregnant, has a miscarriage, and for the last hurrah, she gets back at all the people that wronged her one way or another throughout her life in her own cruel and disgusting way.
Interspersed through the film are TV talk show snippets of politicians and social workers dissecting the problems plaguing the Muslim community in India and suggesting solutions to repair their image and probably fit back into India's plural society. For example, they pinpoint the lack of educational opportunities for girls and their early marriage as needing mending. Yet, they actually have the capacity and self-confidence to do things independently, as shown by many of the characters. It is just that the social mores expect them to play second fiddle to the preset hierarchical order.
The Family Man (Miniseries, Season 1,2; 2019-21) Amazon Prime
I would not have given a damn to this web series if not for the adverse publicity it garnered after the release of its trailer for the second season. Many people and leaders from the ruling party from the state of Tamil Nadu were up in arms and wanted the show to be banned. But, as they say in showbiz lingo, any news is good news. All that hoopla just piqued the interest of even those remotely interested in the turmoil perpetrated on India by its neighbours. Suddenly everybody took an interest and have become experts on India's strategic defence. Its detractors, however, say that it is India's uninvited meddling of their affairs that is at fault. But, perhaps, it is not so straightforward.
India, much like Israel, is surrounded by neighbours who try to correct their cognitive dissonance by shoving down their narrow and destructive ideologies across their borders. However, practising passive resistance or turning the other cheeks will not this time, hence the preventive defensive measures.
TASC is a fictitious branch of India's National Investigation Agency (NIA). Its main objective is (like Minority Report) to whiff off any potential threats and nip it off at the bud. It does its work via its telecommunication intelligence and contacts. The protagonist of the story, Srikanth Tiwari, leads this highly sensitive and secretive agency. Even Srikanth's family thinks that he is just a paper-pushing civil servant who appears busier than he actually is. Srikanth has a wife, a teacher, and two teenage children. The stories of the two seasons comprise Srikanth's manoeuvering his roles of a high-level espionage and a family man without these two functions overlapping.
Season One narrates TASC's supervision of three captured ISIS terrorists. It reveals a twisted plan involving ISI of Pakistan and a grand scheme to cause significant damage to India. Srikanth has to handle his children's teenage angst, his wife's possible infidelity, and the demand for further affluence in life on his home front.
It is the second season that captured everybody hearts. After achieving only half success in trying to avert a major chemical poisoning of New Delhi where 80 over citizens perished (but 1 million over were saved), Tewari leaves the force to join the private sector. After a gruelling exercise trying to fit into the new age labour force, he is relieved when his boss calls him back. Apparently, the baddies from Season 1, an ex-Major from the Pakistani and an ISIS terrorist, have joined forces with the remnants of what sounds like LTTE to plan a major assassination attempt on Indian PM, which she is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan PM for talks.
The storytellers took the liberty to take parts of what happened in history more than 30 years ago to retrofit it to the storyline. A clandestine Sri Lanka Tamil militant group in the Northern part of the island, akin to LTTE, is decimated by the Government Army led by General Rupatunga. The rebel leaders, however, escape; two to the UK and one to Tamil Nadu. Many years later, the rebel leaders in exile managed to get recognition for an independent Tamil country, within Sri Lanka, from many foreign countries.
India and Sri Lanka are at peace. The Prime Minister agrees to capture and return the rebel who is hiding in Chennai. Unfortunately, he is accidentally killed in the ambush. This angers the rebel leaders in the UK. One of them teams up with the ex-Pakistan army from Season 1 and an ISIS terrorist to assassinate the Indian PM, who has an uncanny resemblance to West Bengal CM, Mamta Banerjee, who will be meeting his Sri Lankan counterpart in Chennai for bilateral talk. The dormant rebels and sympathisers all rally up for this big event.
Chellam Sir
Twitter's favourite meme trigger.
This is where Tewari and his team come in with their expertise to avert the crime. They team up with the Tamil Nadu police for this mission. Unlike most Bollywood and Hindi productions, this show does not look at the Tamilians condescendingly or make fun of their accents or mannerism. If anything, it tries to avert stereotyping of the South of India into one homogenous piece of culture.
Meanwhile, Srikanth's domestic problems escalate. When the top is shaky, the bottom crumbles. His children go wayward. His 15 years girl befriends an older boy who is actually an ally of ISIS.
A lovable character worthy of mention is that of a retired NIA agent, Chellam. HE is Srikanth's contact in Chennai about the Sri Lankan Tamil rebels. He appears in disguises and camouflage and is described as the most paranoid person in the world. Fans are already talking about spin-offs based on his work experience, or possibly he could be a double-crosser! Srikanth's sidekick blended well into his role. His nemesis, the lean, mean fighting machine in Raji, is a shift from the usual larger-than-life portrayal of a female Indian actress.
Raji as the emotionally-drained rebel Samatha Akkineni
So, what was all the controversy about the show? Nothing actually. After viewing the trailer, many thought it would be harping on the historical events that occurred during the 1990s when LTTE was hunted down by Sri Lankan Singhala Government. The State of Tamil Nadu, bonded with Northern Sri Lanka via a common language, Tamil, were sympathetic to the rebel cause. They provided asylum and a base for their activities. The Indian Central Government, however, were o the same page with the Lankan government for peace on the island. The rebels saw that as encouraging the Lankan army to basically carry out genocide. That culminated in Rajiv Gandhi's assassination by a suicide squad during a political rally.
As it always happens, people who know the least make the loudest noise. People demand a ban without viewing a performance or reading a book. In their simple minds, if everybody else says so, it must be right. In the eyes of the learned, it is the Kruger-Dunning effect in its full glory.
[P.S. The state powers in Tamil Nadu are getting hot under their collars about this series as the state is trying to get the seven people sentenced for life pardoned for Rajiv Gandhi's assassination commuted by the Indian President after spending 30 years behind bars. The powers that be are fearful that the public sentiment may be rekindled of a time when their leader was blown away with plastic-bomb impregnated garland.]
At a time when tranquillity is a distant memory and race politics is rearing its ugly head, it is only appropriate that we re-evaluate our stand on what it is to be a Malaysian. Does it encompass only the majority of people of a particular ethnicity who dominate most fields, as determined by the country's social engineering policies? Does it refer to the earliest occupants of the country? Does being a Malaysian mean being a Muslim only? What happened to all the people who sacrificed their hearts and minds for the nation all this while? Their “blood, toil, tears and sweat” mean nothing?
To the pea-brained who insists that Malaysia is only for Malay-Muslims and the rest are most temporary occupants of the land who should be thankful for their temporary occupation, read this.
The Dass legacy: Soldering on
By Adrian David
June 14, 2021, New Straits Times.
Flying Officer (Rtd) David Samuel Dass in his Royal Air Force uniform during War War I. - Pic courtesy of Brig-Gen Dr Alexander Amaradran Dass
KUALA LUMPUR: "No one is a man, until he has been a soldier."
This is one adage the Dass family firmly believes in - for four of them have collectively clocked an impressive 110 years of service for the nation.
Their foray with the armed forces began with their patriarch - Flying Officer (Rtd) David Samuel Dass who had served with Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War I .
Then, David's son Warrant Officer II (Rtd) William David Dass continued the family's tradition with the Malaysian Army.
In later years, William's sons Maritime First-Admiral (Rtd) Christopher Ravindran Dass and Brigadier-General Dr Alexander Amaradran Dass donned the uniform.
Dr Alexander, who is due to retire on May 4 next year upon reaching 60, was promoted to a 'one-star' general recently and is serving as the maxillofacial surgeon and department head at the 94th Armed Forces Hospital at Terendak Camp in Malacca.
Warrant Officer II (Rtd) William David Dass flanked by his sons Capt Christopher Ravindran Dass (right) and Colonel Dr Alexander Amaradran Dass after laying a wreath on Warrior’s Day at the cenotaph in Penang in 2011. - Pic courtesy of Brig-Gen Dr Alexander Amaradran Dass
He is just among a handful of medical specialists in the discipline with the Armed Forces.
Dr Alexander told The New Straits Times that it was the wishes of his grandfather David to have at least one 'son' in each generation of their family, to serve with the armed forces.
"There was no force and we took it upon ourselves to put our foot forward, when the nation really needed able-bodied youths during the difficult and trying years," said Dr Alexander, who hopes his nephews or grandchildren would continue with the tradition.
Recalling David's service, Dr Alexander said his grandfather had served with the RAF's 63rd Squadron as an officer from 1916 to 1920.
"He saw action in the Mediterranean and against the Turkish Army in Mesopotamia (Iraq).
"His foray earned him the British WW I 'Victory Medal' and a 'British War Medal'.
"David opted out of service after his stint with the RAF and went into business, before moving to Malaya in 1930," said Dr Alexander, who is married to Khasturi Bhai Muniswaran, a former CIMB banking executive.
William had joined the Police Volunteer Reserve as a 16-year-old.
In 1954, he became a Junior Civil Liaison Officer (JCLO) and was posted with the First battalion Royal Malay Regiment based at the Lintang Camp in Sungai Siput, Perak.
"He was tasked with gathering information on the movement of the Communist Party of Malaya's (CPM) movement in the area.
"Dad often related to me his encounters with the CPM terrorists deep in the jungles of Malaya.
"Among his tales were how he had to sleep with the bodies of his dead comrades, until they were safely retrieved to be given a burial with honours," said Dr Alexander.
In 1955, William was among those from the Royal Armour Regiment who were deployed during the 'Baling Talks' in Kedah, between the Malayan government and CPM leader Chin Peng.
During the First Emergency period of 1948-1960, William was tasked with tracking down and monitoring the movements of another CPM leader, C.T. Perumal.
In 1962, William was chosen to serve under the United Nations peace-keeping mission in Bukavu, Congo.
In 1970, William also served as the chief staff assistant to the Malaysian defence adviser at the high commission in London, Britain.
He retired as a Warrant Officer II, after 29 years of service in 1980.
Dr Alexander said his elder brother Christopher had initially joined the Royal Malaysian Navy in 1980 and rose to become a commander.
Warrant Officer II (Rtd) William David Dass (second from left) with his fellow comrades and British expatriate children in Congo in 1962. - Pic courtesy of Brig-Gen Dr Alexander Amaradran Dass
"In 2005, he was among the pioneer batch of officers and men in the newly established Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA), starting off as a captain.
"He went on to serve as commandant of the MMEA Academy in Kuantan, Pahang before retiring in 2019 after almost 40 years of service," said Dr Alexander, who had completed Form Five at the Penang Free School in 1979.
A few years later, he earned a Public Service Department scholarship to pursue a bachelor of dental surgery degree at the University of Punjab in Lahore, Pakistan.
He was cited on the Dean's list and was the first Malaysian to win a gold medal there, for his excellent results upon graduation in 1991.
Upon his return, Dr Alexander was seconded to the Ministry of Health and served at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah for about two years.
"In 1993, I chanced upon the opportunity to serve with the Armed Forces Royal Medical Corps as a dental officer.
"I accepted a commission as a captain and was duly posted to the 2nd Battalion Royal Ranger Regiment at the Tambun Camp in Ipoh, Perak," he said.
Five years later, he attended a staff officer's course in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan and won the commandant's prize for his thesis on total quality management.
"In 2000, I was offered to purse a four-year post-graduate degree in oral maxillofacial surgery at University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
"In late 2005, I was the facial trauma surgeon with the Armed Forces team despatched on a humanitarian mission to the earthquake mission in Battagram, Pakistan," he said.
In 2009, he was the Malaysian Medical Commander (MMU-7) with the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (Minurso), tasked with assisting and treating military observers and land mine victims.
"Part of my job entailed me to undergo an airborne course to complete the compulsory eight static-fall parachute jumps off an aeroplane.
"With Terendak Camp as the home of the Army's 10th Para Brigade, my 14 years there helped me to better understand the stress and strain of the soldiers," said Dr Alexander, who earned the unique maroon beret worn by elite commandos who are a key element of the Armed Forces' Rapid Deployment Force.
Brigadier-General Dr Alexander Amaradran Dass with his wife Khasturi Bhai Muniswaran. - Pic courtesy of Brig-Gen Dr Alexander Amaradran Dass
He added that to earn the maroon beret, he had to undergo a myriad of strenuous exercises and trainings for about two solid months.
"These included the 'Pegasus' survival exercises which were tough ordeals both in the jungles and at sea.
"My first airborne jump over 2,000 feet in 2007 was truly an exhilarating experience, as I managed to avoid hitting the ground like a sack of potatoes," he said.
Dr Alexander was also exposed to joint military exercises with Indonesia, Australia and the United States' armed forces, apart from the regular combat exercises with the 10th Para Brigade.
"Having the opportunity to train with foreign armies was always a unique experience as it allowed me to share and exchange knowledge with them.
"It also certainly strengthened our camaraderie," said Dr Alexander, who has special interests in dental implantology, laser and facial trauma.
Owing to his vast experience, Dr Alexander was roped in to initiate diploma courses for dental staff assistants at the Armed Forces Medical Institute in Malacca, as well as ensuring that the 94th Terendak Hospital was of an international-class medical facility to adequately for soldiers.
He paid tribute to the gallant officers and men of the Armed Forces who toiled to safeguard the sovereignty of the nation.
To improve his communication and leadership skills, Dr Alexander is actively involved in Toastmasters International.
"I owe an incredible debt of gratitude to the Armed Forces leadership for their confidence and trust in me to fulfil my responsibilities as a doctor and an officer.
"I am privileged and fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to further my studies and career. I have no regrets donning the uniform as it had provided abundant opportunities and possibilities to advance myself. I realise that this country of ours is a land of prosperity and generosity, of strength and unity, of opportunity and work," he said.
After riding high with the first two seasons of 'Master of None', Aziz Ansari got entangled with a nasty sexual assault claim that took much of the bejesus out of him. Maybe because of that, this season is not much about Aziz Ansari and his co-creator Alan Yang. If the earlier seasons were light comedies looking at the lives of first-generation immigrants and their interaction with their parents, this one is anything but funny.
Aziz only appears as a co-star in two instances. Viewing the first episode itself, I had a certain deja vu feeling that I had seen all that before. Then it clicked. It reminded me so much of Ingmar Bergman painfully slow 1973 miniseries, 'Scenes from a Marriage'.
This season centres around Denise (Lena Waithe), one of Dev's (Ansari) close friends. We know previously that she is a lesbian. She is now a thriving author living in the quiet countryside with her partner, Alicia. They seem to be a picture of bliss. The relationship slowly crumbles as Alicia becomes one-tracked mind to conceive through a donor. She becomes pregnant but unfortunately has a miscarriage. You can see the cracks as they appear in their seemingly rock-steady union. They divorce. A couple of years later, they meet up and reminisce about the life they had and of life on the whole.
This is a heavy drama that may be a disappointment to those who expected short, light-hearted jokes and life from the perspective of an immigrant to a first-world nation. Here, difficult questions are asked again, but more about relationships and the journey of life itself. It may strike as philosophical as it asks about our impulsive decisions and how much we are ever not satisfied with whichever path the path takes us. Perhaps, we really do not know what we want. When society predetermined how life should be lived, what mores were acceptable and stated our individuals, it was easier. As our targets were set, we just had to proceed without much thought while enjoying the scenery along the journey. But, ever since individualism crept in, we were let to our devices, trying to keep with the fickled trend, carrying more than we can chew on our plates whilst meeting all the challenges alone. Loneliness makes the trip seem longer and more arduous.
It is not easy to change society. The people of the top of the perch want to continue having their nice view undisturbed. Those in the middle rung wish to have continued access to the top and maintain their gateway to positions whilst asserting dominance upon the plebians under their feet. The plebians, well, they are a pathetic lot. They bicker amongst themselves to be king, imagining the changes in their lives upon springboarding to the top.
The minions' blinded voracious appetite is not the only impeding factor that prevents them from reaching the top. The kingmakers also send in their instigators and moles to derail any flicker of progress.
The Civil War was not started by the Northerners because of altruistic intentions, because they could not stomach seeing black slaves being treated worse than animals. It was economics, stupid. The Union just wanted to liberate the slaves and pack them off to Africa, specifically Liberia, not treat them as an equal inhabitant of the USA. The slaves were emancipated, but nobody wanted to go anywhere. So they stayed back but were harassed of their liberties by the Klan members and bound by the Jim Crow laws.
Rainbow Coalition logo
Despite the restrictive living conditions that they were exposed to, some sociologists saw marked improvement in their living standards. As slavery was outlawed the world over, fellow African formers from the Carribeans and South Americans looked up to their American counterparts as role models. This era also saw intellectuals like Booker T Washington (1856-1915), born into slavery, who rose to become an intellectual and advisor to President Theodore Roosevelt. He established Tuskegee Institute (later University) in Alabama. Washington believed that the way to advance is to be pally with the ruling establishment, concentrate on education, learn valuable trades, and investing in their own businesses. This, he believed, would eventually lead to equal political and civil rights.
However, his nemesis, W E D Du Bois (1868-1963), a Ph D in history scholar, disagreed. He abhorred segregation and demanded equal rights for all blacks. Du Bois believed that racism is an inevitable effect of capitalism. He became a card-carrying member of the Communist Party, but his work spearheaded the subsequent black civil rights movement.
The 1920s America also saw the Harlem Renaissance when African American culture, manifesting in literature, music, stage performance, and art, became mainstream.
Despite Washington and Du Bois' efforts, lynching and inequality continued.
In the mid-20th century, other black leaders came to the fore with different strategies. Dr Martin Luther King advocated his passive, non-violent movement. Some took a militant stance. Elijah Muhammad and his 'Nation of Islam' united blacks under the Islamic religion were asking for a separate nation. Malcolm-X broke away from the 'Nation of Islam' and concentrated on social improvement efforts. The 'Black Panther Party' screamed for a revolution.
Fred Hampton (1948-1969)
In 1968, the Illinois Chapter of the 'Black Panther Party' piqued the FBI's radar, notably J Edgar Hoover. Its charismatic leader, Fred Hampton, was getting popular. He found a place in the hearts of the poor via the party's breakfast programme to feed the poor kids. Medical clinics were set up to meet their medical needs. He even tried to unite various fringe societies through his Rainbow coalition. Not only did he reached out to blacks, but his party also formed allegiances with Latino immigrants 'Young Lords', black gangs of Chicago and the group called 'Young Patriots', of poor white Confederate-supporting workers who came from the Southern states of the USA.
It was a time when Chicago was easily the most divided cities in the world. Police brutality was rife, and the mayor's support base was uneasy with the migration of poor blacks, Latinos and even 'white trash' into their neighbourhood. However, cooperation between these newcomers and the scream of political revolutions did not augur well for the local white population who had lived there for generations.
With the FBI's cooperation, the Chicago police planted a mole in the Black Panthers Party to monitor the party's activities and subsequently kill Fred Hampton. This movie is the story of the whole operation through the eyes of the police informant, William O'Neal.
Fred Hampton is portrayed like Jesus, the Messiah, the revolutionary who united a motley crew of marginalised people against a mighty but despotic Roman regime. But, unfortunately, Pontius Pilate and his sycophants saw Christ as a troublemaker instead. And Judas, like O'Neal, doublecrossed Jesus by being a follower for a meagre sum of money. Like Judas too, in the latter part of his life, O'Neal is said to have committed suicide for the sell-out. This, he is said to have done after his 'bare-it-all interview with the PBS channel. Others like to believe the 'accident' was 'arranged' by the FBI for his exposé.
The issues, all the while, have been the same by all movements - demand for good education, decent housing, adequate medical coverage, fair trials and an end to police brutality. It is pretty much the same ring even today.
Note the Confederate flag and Black Panther logo in the background on the same platform.
One screams of White Supremacy and the other of Black Consciousness.
[When black, white and brown banded together to make life better for communities in need via
The Rainbow Coalition, the power elite got so frightened, they had to kill it.]
Woman in the Window (2021) Woman in the Window (1944)
After watching the 2021 version, which was entirely predictable, with a lot of screaming and display of feminine gusto, I also decided to view the 1944 one. I knew in the mind of minds that the older one, which has the classic black-and-white collection of nuances of acting and beautiful dialogue, will be a head-turner. I was not wrong.
There have been many rip-offs of Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 'Rear Window'. If Steven Spielberg was taken to court for making 2007 'Disturbia', I wonder what they say about this. If in 1954, James Stewart was homebound after picking up a fracture while photographing, here in 2021, a psychologist, Dr Anna Fox (Amy Adams), is confined to the four walls of her apartment complex due to a bad case of agoraphobia.
We later learn that she had lost her daughter and husband in a nasty car accident during a winter retreat. She is the lone survivor, testing out a new medicine that may give side effects of hallucinations. She spends time watching old movies and looking out at the apartment across the road. So when she calls the police to report a murder in the apartment across, she is not taken seriously. Furthermore, the said murdered turned up in person! But, as expected, the absolute truth prevails, and after a blood bath, everything gets resolved.
The 1944 version is more of my kind of movie. It is a film noir of a simple plot that has had many copycat films that followed. The sensuality and femme fatale attraction are apparent even when both main characters are fully clothed in formal party attires. However, it is the mesmerising dialogue and the musical score that are the secrets.
A psychology Professor (Edward G Robinson) meets up with his friends in a gentlemen's club after sending off his kids and wife for a summer vacation. In the club, Professor and his friends, a doctor and a prosecutor, chat about a portrait of a woman displayed at a window outside the club. They sigh of declining vitality and reminiscing what their old self would have done if they were to meet in person the beautiful model posing for the picture.
As luck would have it, the friends leave the club and the good professor exits; hold behold, it is indeed the model as mentioned earlier (Joan Bennet). They struck a conversation, and they go for a drink, and they land up in her apartment. But, unfortunately, a man furiously turns up at the apartment in the dead of night and attacks the professor. In self-defence, aided b the model, the professor kills him with a pair of scissors.
The angry man was a bigshot and the model, his mistress. The next part of the story is about how they dispose of the dead body. The professor learns about the progress of the case, on the sly, from his prosecutor friend. Next, the bigshot's bodyguard tries to blackmail the model, threatening to tell the police that she is somehow involved with the deceased. Again, the professor is pulled into the fiasco.
Verdict: Woman in the Window (2021) is crap compared to its predecessor and namesake. The 1944 edition won, hands down.
Bennet's hairstyle is said to have been styled after Hedy Lamarr's.
Hedy Lamarr. Once hailed as the prettiest woman in the world.
Lamarr's features were the prototype for Disney's Snow White.
However, she was no mere eye candy but a full-fledged scientist
who is considered the inventor of the frequency-hopping method,
which is still used by many communication protocols,
