Unleashing unabated feminine powers!

Cruella (2021)

We were introduced to Cruella de Vil in Disney's '101 Dalmations' (1996). At that time, it appeared as a comedy a weirdo lady with a funny flamboyant sense of dressing and two fumbling henchmen with their disastrous attempt at dognapping dalmations for their skin.

This 2021 offering is a prequel of sorts, tracing Cruella (as her previous alter-ego Estella) to her birth, her subsequent loss of her mother and growing up in the streets of London as a petty thief. Estella was born with a half depigmented scalp of hair. Brought up by her single mother, he harboured ambitions of being a fashion designer. Fate had other plans. Her mother died while meeting someone in a big mansion, and Estella had to run for her life. 

The story then goes on to show how Estella starts off as a cleaning lady in a high-end boutique, impressing a particular cranky fashionista Baroness von Hellman and being employed as her assistant in typical rags to riches story. After discovering that the Baroness is her mother's killer, Estella morphs into her alter-ego, Cruella de Vil, a vengeful no-holds-barred perpetrator of evil. 

One particular highlight of this offering is its background music score. It is a repository of pop songs of the 70s, the timeline when this story is set. London, at that time, was at the tail-end of its place as the world's fashion centre. So, it is pretty logical to cast London as its location for a fashion crazed malicious supervillainess.

It is a far cry for the wholesome family offering that Disney intended in 1961 and 1996. In 1961, the animated Perdita and Pongo were talking dalmations trying to save their litter from Cruella. Both versions were more like romantic comedies. Perhaps, in the 21st century, there is no fun in life anymore, and romance has vanished. Life carries a dark undertone with a sombre soundtrack in the background.

Just watch 'Jerry Springer Show'. It kind of shows the thinking of an Average Joe. Nothing is sacred; nothing is taboo. There is nothing to look forward to in life anymore. The mysterious things that used to remain unmentioned in public spaces are no more. There is neither anything sacred nor sacrilegious anymore. There is no filter. One says what he feels and does what he wants. There are no biological differences anymore.

The patient, all-embracing, calm Mother Earth is supposed to reflect feminine beauty. What we see in Cruella, especially between her and her nemesis, Baroness von Hellman, is an example of what happens to unabated feminine power when it is unleashed with no restraints. There can only be mayhem and Hell on Earth.

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

A study into psychopaths!

Paanch (2003)
Written and Directed by Anurag Kashyap

It is funny that a movie that never had a formal theatrical or home-video release went to win international screening, went on to be screened in multiple international film festivals. It was Anurag Kashyap's directorial debut, but all the kerfuffle surrounding the issues with the censorship board actually skyrocketed his career. He went on to make many more films and was in line for many accolades, including 'Knight of Order of Arts and Letters' from the French Government in 2013.

'Paanch's tiff with certification had to do its graphic depiction of violence and drug abuse by early 2000's standard. It is based on actual events. A motley crew of five friends of convenience occasionally perform in a band. They spend most of the time wasted, on booze and drugs. Luke, the domineering de-facto leader of the group, provides accommodation and has a tight psychological and arm-twisting control over the others. The other three guys (Joy, Pondy and Moorgi) are college drop-outs, and another member (Shuili) is a promiscuous girl who sings in their band.

During one of their rare performances, an agent takes notice. He promises a record deal, but the band had come up with the money for his services. Luke conspires with his other friend to stage a kidnapping and demand ransom from the father. The plan falls flat when Luke kills his friend. Then they try to rob the father. Again, another murder; the father gets murdered. Both killings were by Luke. To their disappointment, the agent ran away with their 'hard-earned' money.

The next half of the movie tells about police investigations, the killing of policemen, as well as their escape from the law and outmanoeuvring of each other to escape with the balance of their loot.

A fascinating depiction of how a domineering character can outwit and impose their will on others. Even though we like to say that decisions made in any civilised association is mutual consensus, in reality, the dominant always pounce the timid. Even though the decision finally reached is what the majority wants, the dominant will easily steamroll their ideas with the power of persuasion, coercion or fear, sometimes of the unknown. Their persona is so strong that they can influence the majority.

The Luke character is obviously a psychopath who has no remorse and no empathy in fulfilling his goals. It caught me wondering. Psychopathic tendencies are born within an individual. It is not a learnt exercise.

Science has tried to identify psychopaths amongst us. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is a psychological assessment tool that has been used by the US criminal justice system to differentiate personality disorders from true psychopaths. The trouble is that it is said to be against many hardcore criminals who had apparently repented and turned over a new leave. As psychopaths are devoid of normal human emotions, remorseless, cold, impulsive and cannot be reformed. Theoretically, they have to rot in a cell for life with no chance for release or parole. The case of a Robert Dixon is referred to. 

Fallon was prompted to study his brain after his mother,
Jenny told him his ancestry was full of alleged murderers.

Scientists have been using PET scans, and functional MRIs have been used to highlight reduced neural activity surrounding the empathy appreciation part of the brain. The amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex and insula were scrutinised. Their connectivity was found to be decreased during emotional provocations. The scientist in one of these studies, to his dismay, discovered his brain pattern also mimicked that of a psychopath! His interview with family members suggested he may have been domineering, impulsive and very obsessive about cleanliness. Looking back into family tree generations previously, he has had murderers amongst them and ancestors who had been hanged from crimes. 

[P.S. By today's standards, the level of violence and the depiction of alcohol, drugs and tobacco usage in this film can be said to be child's play. A different time with a more guarded view of what should be permissible for public consumption.]

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

Hate that sinking feeling!

American History X (1998)
Director: Tony Kaye

That is the problem with affirmative action. The powers that be only end up angering the party they deprive and making laggards of the community they are trying to help. Even though affirmative action's noble intention is to help to give a push to the disadvantaged and help them get a headstart in life, it just ends up creating a generation of snowflakes who feel entitled.

Social studies in the late 19th and 20th centuries in the USA suggest that the Afro-Americans actually fared better in terms of economics and academic achievement before special privileges were set aside for them. According to Prof Thomas Sowell, the Civil Liberties Rights of the mid-60s actually put the blacks more backward than the rest of the society and their predecessors. 

On the other hand, race-based affirmative actions also anger the societies from whom privileges are seemingly cut. They would think that their life is not so hunky-dory either; why should they sacrifice for others? When the going gets tough, it is only natural for humans to reminisce about the good old times. The longing for the good old days can be powerful when life turns for the worse. In desperation, they may resort to their primal defences - pure brute force.

This animosity between factions is not something new. In modern times, however, the schisms are pronounced, and steps toward this end are shoved down our throats practically every day directly to our own personal devices. On top of that, the woke generation makes it their life ambition to make our ancestors pay for the 'so-called' misdeeds. They call everyone to bring down monuments or anything that reminds us of our past, ignoring all the progress it brought us. History is for us to learn, not to repeat or erase.

Thanks to DA, I came to be introduced to this surprisingly underrated movie about the skinhead movement in the USA. Somehow, it missed my radar when it was released. Ed Norton, who appeared as the main character, even got an Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

It starts with Derek, an active member of a white supremacist group, getting his car robbed. He manages to stop the thieves, two black men, one escaped. He shoots one at point-blank and kills another by crushing his skull. He is incarcerated for his crime.

His younger teenage brother, Danny, who witnesses the whole bloodbath, is emotionally disturbed. He performs poorly in school. Danny is also drawn into the skinhead movement; after all, his brother is hailed as a hero in the local community for his 'brave' deed.

In prison, Derek has an epiphany of sorts. He realises the hypocrisy of fellow members of the neo-Nazi movement and gets the acquaintance of a black inmate. When he comes out of jail, he is a changed man. Derek wants to cut himself from the skinheads. He realises that it is too late as Danny is sucked into it too. The old scores needed to be settled. One can always check out but can never leave as the story goes!

Hate is a powerful tool used by self-serving individuals and groups to fulfil their own interests. We fail to appreciate that hate is not only contagious, but it consumes the people around us. It is an emotion that only we can control. We should use it wisely. For a start, let us all hate things that ruin our personal development. Hate that lazy feeling that tells us to continue sleeping when we should be out exercising or the short-cuts that our minds tell us to take at work when we should be conscientiously thorough, not cutting corners. 

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

Instigators, aplenty!

Malik (Malayalam, 2021)
Written and Directed by Mahesh Narayanan

The recent Pew survey on religious and cultural attitudes revealed that most Indians respected each other's religion and took pride in their Indian identity. The only sore point was that they showed reluctance to having a person of a different faith as their neighbour. This point must have been exploited by politicians to usurp and stay in power. They try to create animosity between neighbours of other beliefs, use the arm of administrative and policing machinery at their disposal, and continue the legacy left behind by their colonial masters, divide and rule.

On the evolutionary scale, it is natural to go from homogeneity to heterogeneity, not backward. But no, not the leaders (and the press too), that is bad for business. The socialist and the generation who have been suckered into the woke culture will not rest till society collapse is complete and anarchy is the flavour of the day.

'Malik' tells the tale of a closely-knit Muslim and Christian community living by the coastal region of Kerala. In this small fishing village of Ramadapally, there is a mosque and a giant statue of Jesus (a miniature replica of 'Jesus The Redeemer' in Sao Paolo). They respect each other, and life goes on in harmony.

As their catch dwindles, they have to supplement their income by carrying contraband stuff in their boats. A business rivalry then develops between factions. The main character, Ali Ikka and his sidekick David managed to get the lion's share of the loot through creative out-manoeuvring. Ali marries David's sister, but David and Ali split ways when David wanted to baptise Ali's child whilst Ali wanted to bring the child up as a Muslim. 

The tsunami, which hit the shores, disproportionately affected the Christians more than the Muslims. Politicians and police utilise this division to their advantage. Riots, police shootings, gang-related violence and pandemonium are the apparent sequelae.

Unity is something quite fragile. It should be able to stand the hard knocks and gales that come by. On top of that, parties with self-interests find this the Achilles tendon to destroy a society. To destroy is easy, but to build, a Herculian task!

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

A hijabed punk rock band?

We are Lady Parts (Season1, E1-6; 2021)
Written and Directed: Nida Mansoor

Early Western philosophers used to look down on music and musical instruments. They considered it a lower-class activity. Nevertheless, they appreciated the harmonics and mathematical intervals that were needed to make music. Al-Kindi and other Islamic scholars also included harmonics and music in their curriculum. The 4-stringed oud was a popular instrument during the Golden Age of Islam. They realised there was a close relationship between poems and music and their emotional effect on the soul. Al Farabi, the philosophical giant of Islamic Civilisation, often referred to as the Second Teacher (after Aristotle), wrote about music therapy and the therapeutic effect of music on the soul. 

A Moor and a Christian playing lute together
in 13th-century Spain

One can easily imagine a young villager from Western Europe, the remnant of the Western Roman Empire, which in the 11th century was experiencing the Dark Ages, longing to be where the action was. The happening place to be at that time was the Islamic cities that had chic coffee bars, melodious oud music accompaniment and spoken poetry.

Despite the positive publicity of music and Islam, even at that time, certain groups opposed the widespread use of music. They viewed music as an intoxicant, only valuable for seeking pleasure. On the other hand, in Central Asia and India, Sufis utilised music and poetry to express the greatness of God. It became a medium to display their piety, praise the greatness of the Divine Being and spread His gospel.

Oud

Fast forward to the 21st century. The most dominant and assertive denomination of Islam insists that music is haram. They insist that it deviates its followers from fulfilling God's path to a meaningful life that would ensure bliss in the afterworld. Nobody dares to pick a bone with these leaders, and the hunt to clamp indulgence in music continues.

Against this background, a bevvy of girls from the conservative side of London decides to start a punk band clandestinely. In this situational comedy, living under the hawkish eyes of friends and neighbours who take it as their God-given duty to ensure fellow practitioners of the religion do not go astray, they are used to being told off that the behaviour is not accepted.

Against this backdrop, the four-piece band, with their manager, put together a workable band amidst all the challenges hurled upon them. There were the judgemental eyes of the community, the internal family issues, love problems, their daytime jobs, prejudice and the stage fright that the lead guitar player had to overcome before they finally make a successful debut performance.

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

How to tackle a taboo subject?

30 days in September

Screenplay: Mahesh Dattani

Thanks to MEV for the introduction.

The dilemma is this. For how long will the family look the other way, knowing jolly well that a sinful act that had been committed? People around the family knew about it all along but decided not to squeal, not even bat an eyelid.  Are they complicit in the infamy? Is maintaining harmony between members and the status quo in the equilibrium more important than defending the vulnerable?

People say it happened at a different time when the dynamics were different. They say sometimes people do the stupidest of things when they are weak. They should not be vilified for the rest of their lives. They say, “why don't you move on, already?”. His deeds overshadow the creases in his personal life. You have to safeguard yourself. You do not want blood in your hands if his family institution falls aground. Is that something you would like to wish upon them?

Nobody is bothered about the victim. Should she take some blame for the act? After all, she is old enough to be in control of her faculties. Why did she drag it on? She could have said no at any time.

A 2019 play in Washington DC.

People forget it is not about liking it. It is about control and exertion of power by the dominant other.  With age and power comes specific responsibilities. Doing the right or honourable thing is being one. One cannot forever claim temporary emotional frailty as an excuse. With great powers come great responsibility. The higher the perch, the heavier the fall and the more damaging the aftermath. There is no get-out-of-jail-free card for this.

This must be a narrative often uttered behind closed doors in many families. Many family scandals are often swept under the proverbial carpet for fear of bringing shame to the family. 

This bold play by Mahesh Dattani is an attempt to discuss the touchy subject of child sexual abuse. Mala has problems committing herself to a relationship, and she attributes it to her uncle, who had sexually abused her when she was young. Her mother, despite knowing this all along, decided to turn a blind eye. Mala grows up a bitter lady despising her mother for her inactivity. The conflict becomes more complicated as Mala's mother decides not to confront the issue head-on but instead plunge into religion, hoping that divinity will solve everything. This further infuriates Mala. Meanwhile, there is a young boy who is all head over heels in love with Mala.

A powerful play about a taboo subject and how it distorts one's psyche. 

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

The clash of art, science and faith

Stalker (Russian, 1979)
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Now, what is the purpose of the arts? Are they there to entertain, to create an alternate universe for us to unwind from the real world. The world we live in is no pleasure cruise; hence an outlet is necessary to imagine something parallel reality in which we could star? Or is it a conduit for us to introspect what is in front of us, assess and make a better version of ourselves? 

Judging from how all the powers-that-be are fighting against each other to the last breath wanting to control the media, the arts are definitely a powerful tool in skewing the masses' minds towards a particular direction. Hollywood, CCP and the mainstream media want to push us in one order, whilst the other, in opposition to the powers-that-be, would draw to another. That is until the opposition comes to power. Their roles and choices will reverse.

I recently got introduced to the legendary Russian moviemaker and film theorist Andrei Tarkovsky. He is known for making extremely slow-moving movies that may immerse certain movie connoisseurs into the story's crux whilst being excruciatingly painful to the average Joe, who is too tired to appreciate the nuances of filmmaking. He uses natural sounds and lighting to give a more significant impact to his cinematography.

The story is usually pregnant with dream-like scenes that stay in viewers' minds for a mighty long time. It carries with it much metaphysical meaning that may mean different things to different people. This is the very thing that got Tarkovsky into trouble with the Soviet authorities. After 'Stalker', which took swipes at communism indirectly by talking about faith, Tarkovsky decided to emigrate. He made Italy and later Sweden his home.

The movie starts with the sound of vibrating furniture in response chugging of a passing train. He looks at his sleeping wife and the tween daughter napping between them. He quietly gets dressed to leave, but his wife awakens. She goes on a rant about how her life is miserable and how irresponsible of him to join the expedition. We gather that he had just been released from prison. He goes anyway.

The man is a tour guide, also locally referred to as a stalker, who brings tourists clandestinely to a high-security restricted part of the now closing-down town called 'The Zone'. 'The Zone' is said to have had alien visitations or may have been hit by a meteor, but has some special powers, especially in 'The Room'. That day, Stalker is supposed to take 'The Writer' and 'The Professor' to the 'The Zone'.

The rest of the story, which is supposed to be science fiction, tries to discover what goes through the minds of the three characters as they travel deep into 'The Zone' in search of 'The Room'. Stalker is the only person who has the know-how to wriggle around 'The Zone' because he follows certain rituals and believes in certain superstitions. He needs the money.

'Writer' has hit a low point in his writing. He hopes that by getting into 'The Room', his creative juices will start flowing all over again. 'Professor' wants to see, explore and debunk the myths surrounding 'The Room'. Later we discover that he plans to destroy it.

At the end of the show, it appears that this story is an allegory to faith and religion. It tries to pitch art and science versus faith. Many religious symbols can be picked up, for example, a thorn crown. The Stalker, who holds his faith dearly, in the end, finds resolution to all the quandaries that mired in his life - a handicapped child and an unhappy wife. 'Writer' and 'Professor' still carry on life without purpose, getting no benefit from visiting 'The Room'.

'Stalker' turned out to be a troubled film for Tarkovsky and his team. He had significant creative differences with his cinematographic editor. A large portion of his film reels was damaged because they needed special developing techniques. The area they were shooting is said to be a toxic wasteland, probably with radioactive materials, that gave cancer to Tarkovsky and his wife.

[P.S. Russia's filmmaking skills took a great leap forward when Nikita Krushchev took over the realms from Stalin in 1953. Reversing Stalin's xenophobic policies, he opened cultural exchange with many countries. India, the Soviet's ardent admirer, had a healthy joint development of its movies. Raj Kapoor's 'Mere Naam Joker' was an example of a Russian actress playing a significant role. 'Awaara', made in 1956, is said to be Russia's all-time favourite Indian film. Shri 420 comes a close second. 

Many Russians can still be heard to be humming to the tune 'Awara Hoon'. For the record, "Awara Hoon' is based on a Turkish folk song. There is a report of an unsuspecting Raj Kapoor once mobbed by a bevvy of Moscow girls. The star-struck girls stopped his cab and pulled him out of the taxi for a meaningful star-fan moment.]

Raj Kapoor in Moscow in 1967.
He was uprooted from his taxi when someone identified him as a Bollywood star!

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