High on Sweet Melancholy

A collection of my favorite evergreen Bollywood melancholies....

Humoresque

Classical meets Jazz in this astoundingly enjoyable interpretation of Dvorák's classical piece by the one and only Art Tatum. Feel the awesomeness!

Mon Oncle

Mon oncle
France
1958
116 Min
Color
1.37:1
French
DIR Jacques Tati
PROD Louis Dolivet, Jacques Tati
SCR Jacques Tati, Jacques Lagrange, Jean L'Hôte
DP Jean Bourgoin
CAST Jacques Tati, Jean-Pierre Zola, Adrienne Servantie, Lucien Frégis, Betty Schneider, J.F. Martial, Dominique Marie, Yvonne Arnaud, Adélaïde Danieli, Alain Becourt, Régis Fontenay
ED Suzanne Baron
MUSIC Alain Romans, Frank Barcellini
SOUND Jacques Carrère
My Rating : 4/5


Mon Oncle is the second Tati film in which his character Mr. Hulot appears. In Mr Hulot's Holiday(the first film) we are introduced to this character but nothing much can be gathered about his background and lifestyle. In this film the Hulot character is further developed.

Mr. Hulot, the gentleman with a peculiar gait appears in the beginning, moving through an old Parisian locality. He happens to displace a brick from a broken wall and is shown placing it back in its original position. Through this scene Tati makes an important distinction between Hulot and some other bumblers like Chaplin's tramp. Mr. Hulot is the type of person who moves around carefully and doesn't want to disturb anyone or anything(even a brick). His measured footsteps and attentive gaze emphasize this nature. Irrespective of all these preparations, Hulot tends to mess up.

Hulot bumbles, not because he is clumsy but because things around him seem to be impractical. The crisscross mosaic tiles in the garden of his sister are difficult for any normal person to walk and Hulot simply emphasizes this. He isn't very fluent with technology and hence creates a mess in the kitchen. But again, the fault appears to be in those machines rather than Hulot. He makes use of the arm chair in the house for sleeping by simply turning it upside down. This causes plenty of ire in his brother in law but one can't help smiling at the resourcefulness or plain naivety of Hulot. All these and several other scenes make the Hulot character an extremely believable one. We can relate with him and his discomfort with the surroundings. In fact, all the other characters who are more comfortable with technology appear to be crazy.

Hulot at the same time is a very human and lovable guy. He loves spending time with his nephew. He takes him to the more rustic neighborhood where the kid gets to play with children of his age. They play mischief on strangers, eat street food, and generally lead a carefree existence. The child hence bonds well with his uncle and finds his own ultra modern house as well his parents disinteresting, much to the chagrin of his own father. Hulot tries a couple of jobs with the help of his brother in law's(childs father)recommendations but all efforts seem to be in vain. Eventually Hulot is sent to the suburbs in the quest of a job.

At the end Hulot goes away but the father seems to learn a thing or two from him. He is shown bonding with his son for the first time and the child is overjoyed even though his Uncle has just left them. The film ends just like it begins with dogs running and playing around in the streets. He seems to tell us that whether it is dogs or humans, we need to enjoy life rather than get trapped in our own creations. The movie does get tedious at times since the humour is subtler and more dynamic but a little bit of patience is recommended as you will end up discovering some of the best moments ever captured on camera.

Pitfall

PITFALL
OTOSHIANA
Japan
1962
97 Min
Black and White
1.33:1
Japanese
DIR Hiroshi Teshigahara
PROD Tadashi Ono
SCR Kôbô Abe
DP Hiroshi Segawa
CAST Hisashi Igawa, Kunie Tanaka, Hideo Kanze, Kazuo Miyahara, Sumie Sasaki, Kanichi Omiya, Kei Satô, Sen Yano, Ton Shimada, Shigeru Matsuo, Kikuo Kaneuchi
ED Fusako Morimichi
SOUND Kenji Mori, Junosuke Okuyama
My Rating : 5/5


This movie is tough to review because it essentially is supposed to be vague and strangely that is the strongest reason for anyone to watch it. Another way to describe this movie is that its a kind of a murder mystery in which the suspense is the motive of the crime and thankfully, it remains unsolved. Then, it is also a comic ghost story where the ghosts want to know why they died? If these plot descriptions aren’t good enough to intrigue you then you are probably dead as well.

The Face of Another

THE FACE OF ANOTHER
TANIN NO KAO
Japan
1966
124 Min
Black and White
1.33:1
Japanese
DIR Hiroshi Teshigahara
SCR Kôbô Abe
DP Hiroshi Segawa
CAST Tatsuya Nakadai, Machiko Kyô, Mikijiro Hira, Kishida, Miki Irie, Eiji Okada, Minoru Chiaki
ED Yoshi Sugihara
MUSIC Tôru Takemitsu
SOUND Junosuke Okuyama
My Rating : 4/5


The movie gave me an impression that too many ideas were being crammed into the two hours and somehow the movie lost its charm towards the end. But nevertheless, the movie has its merits and maybe Teshigahara was the only person who could have attempted to do justice to this complex plot. There are times when you are fascinated by the visuals, the caustic humour, the facial expressions and the intriguing dialogue between the characters but unfortunately all these good points seem to have their limitations in the medium of cinema and you can almost feel that Teshigahara desperately tries to do justice to the story but falls short in the end.

Blood is Dry

BLOOD IS DRY
CHI WA KAWAITERU
Japan
1960
87 Min
Black and White
Japanese
DIR Yoshishige Yoshida
PROD Takeshi Sasaki
SCR Yoshishige Yoshida
DP Toichiro Narushima
CAST Keiji Sada, Kaneko Iwasaki, Shinichirô Mikami, Mari Yoshimura, Yuuko Kashiwagi, Masao Oda, Asao Sano
ED Yoshi Sugihara
MUSIC Hikaru Hayashi
SOUND Toshio Tanaka
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)



Blood is Dry is one of those rare films from the new wave era that rise above mere rebellion against tradition and use of novel camera techniques to tell us a story that is socially relevant and hard hitting. It is also an indicator of how quickly the Japanese emerged out of the post war scenario and started highlighting problems of the modern era.
The most interesting part of this movie though is the reinterpretation of the protagonists of the classic novel “Don Quixote” by Miguel De Cervantes. For those who haven’t read this book, Don Quixote was Cervantes’ attempt to ridicule the countless stories of chivalry of knight errants that were extremely popular in the romantic era of literature. Don Quixote is hence a naive idealist who wants to live the adventures of his favorite knight errants in an era where they were irrelevant. Sancho Panza is a good for nothing and stupid sycophant who follows Don Quixote as his squire in this pointless exercise of living a dream which he believes would help him get riches and recognition.
In this movie Kiguchi is a modern day Don Quixote and Ikuyo is Sancho Panza. Just like Don Quixote, Kiguchi is an idealist who believes in his ability to make a difference to society because he thinks people trust him. Ikuyo, a good hearted but naive co-worker save’s Kiguchi from an attempt to suicide due to a mass lay off of employees and tags along with him when he recognizes the impact that Kiguchi’s suicide attempt has had on his popularity due to an ad campaign. Kiguchi is utilised by Nonaka(an ad executive) in the ad campaign that helps her company’s sales to sky rocket. But to her dismay Kiguchi isn’t a puppet as she had thought him to be. He takes his popularity too seriously and decides to work on his own for the betterment of the people of Japan. This does not go down well with the paparazzi and they try to defame him and his wife in every possible way by raising a scandal. Kiguchi refuses to give up though and in the end goes down as a real hero. It is ironical though that the person who was till recently the face of an insurance company has no value in the end and hence he comes down crashing to the ground like the huge advertisement board in the end.
This film is a critique on the modern society that doesn’t value people who truly want to do something for the world. Such people are scorned, ridiculed and defamed until they have to take the ultimate step. These people are ironically hailed as martyrs in death but very soon they are forgotten in this consumerist world where you are valued only if you “sell”.

Chaudhvin Ka Chand

FULL MOON
CHAUDHVIN KA CHAND
India
1960
169 Min
Color, Black and White
Hindi, Urdu
DIR M. Sadiq
PROD Guru Dutt
SCR Tabish Sultanpuri, Saghir Usmani
DP Nariman A. Irani
CAST Waheeda Rehman, Guru Dutt, Rehman, Minoo Mumtaz, Johnny Walker, Murntaz Begum, Praveen Paul, Naazi
ED Y.G. Chawhan
MUSIC Ravi
My Rating : 5/5

This film was a follow up to the box office disaster called Kaagaz Ke Phool. Guru Dutt desperately needed a hit to save himself from bankruptcy and decided to make Chaudhvin Ka Chand which was intended to be a commercial film. He decided to stay away from the directors chair because he was quite disillusioned after the failure of his previous venture. His involvement as a producer and a film maker remains pretty evident in this film though and he decides to let Mohammad Sadiq direct this film. His decision turns out to be an excellent one as M Sadiq delivers this masterpiece of a movie called Chaudhvin Ka Chand that was not only a huge hit but also a brilliant cinematic achievement.
The main strength of Chaudhvin Ka Chand is its story which is like a parable that is equally Shakespearean and Wodehousean in its approach. On the face of it, the film is a love triangle but the fun part of it is that one of the members of the triangle is completely unaware of this. Nawab (played admirably by Rehman) comes from a rich feudal class family, who is a youngster looking out for beautiful girls in Lucknow’s market place. One fine day he happens to catch sight of a beautiful girl(Waheeda Rehman) buying bangles. The momentary glimpse of her face when she lifts her veil is enough for Nawab to get completely besotted by her. Nawab with the help of his close friend Shaiza (the dependably funny, Johnny Walker) tries desperately to search for this girl but the local culture and the purdah system make this seemingly simple task, extremely difficult for him. In the meantime, his other loyal friend Aslam (Guru Dutt) is in town and to keep the honor of his friendship decides to marry a girl recommended to the Nawab who is being forced by his mother to get married before her pilgrimage to Mecca. This act of friendship by Aslam turns out to be a huge disaster and he decides to sacrifice his marriage for the sake of his friend but when Nawab realizes his friends noble intentions, he is embarrassed beyond repair and decides to take the ultimate step to save his friends marriage.
The story may read like a tragedy but actually is full of mirth, music, culture, friendship and celebration. The bonhomie between the three lead actors is worth savoring in today’s world where friendship has lost its traditional charm and romanticism. “Chaudhvin Ka Chand” is not surprisingly Waheeda Rehman who looks stunning in her traditional Luckhnavi avatar. This review cannot end without mentioning the contribution of music director Ravi and lyricist Shakeel Badayuni that make this film a truly magical and enjoyable experience.

Humanity and Paper Balloons

HUMANITY AND PAPER BALLOONS
NINJO KAMI FUSEN
Japan
1937
86 Min
Black and White
1.33:1
Japanese
DIR Sadao Yamanaka
SCR Shintarô Mimura
DP Akira Mimura
CAST Chojuro Kawarasaki, Kanemon Nakamura, Tsuruzo Nakamura, Choemon Bando
MUSIC Tadashi Ota
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)


Poetry is a dying art form mainly because good poetry generally made people think and interpret unlike the vulgar and crass, in-your-face forms of expression that people are being fed upon today. Humanity and Paper Balloons is not just a movie but rather its poetry in cinematic form.
The movie leaves a lot of food for thought for the viewer; so much so that I was glaring at the blank screen for several minutes after this movie ended. The part about demystifying the Samurai is only a small part of what this film explores. This movie touches upon unemployment, poverty, greed, lechery, violence and so many other ills that have plagued humanity over the years and will continue to do so in the future. The periodic setting of this movie is only a backdrop that strangely emphasizes the contemporariness of the plot. Whether it is the hairdresser, the ronin, the landlord, the tenants, the hoodlums or even the elderly arrogant samurai; all are characters that we have quite possibly seen in contemporary life or in other movies with different names. The point that Yamanaka seem’s to be making most strongly in this film is about the fact that humanity, just like the paper balloon at the end of the movie, has slipped from the hands of innocence and has been lying in the gutter for times immemorial. There is hence no pride in looking back at our history or reminiscing upon our traditions simply because they aren’t as holy as we think they are. Those people were just as corrupt as we are today. The movie also seems to be a critique upon the nations who were trying to rake up their past in order to lead their respective countries to war in the hope of a glory that was lost.
The most harrowing reality that this movie portrays in the end through the suicides is that self respecting people are killing themselves in todays world where the greedy, sycophants and rebellious fanatics have become the protectors and champions of the human race.

A Woman Under the Influence

A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
United States
1974
155 Min
Color
1.85:1
English
DIR John Cassavetes
PROD Sam Shaw
SCR John Cassavetes
CAST Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Fred Draper, Lady Rowlands, Katherine Cassavetes, Matthew Laborteaux, Matthew Cassel, Christina Grisanti, O.G. Dunn, Mario Gallo, Eddie Shaw
ED David Armstrong, Sheila Viseltear
MUSIC Bo Harwood
SOUND Bo Harwood
My Rating : 4/5


Cassavetes’ A Woman Under the Influence seals my belief in the uniqueness of his film making. Very few film makers can really boast of having a unique style and Cassavetes is one among them.
Once again in this movie we are impressed by first and foremost the docu-drama style of Cassavetes which makes the films appear extremely realistic. This coupled with the supreme performances of Rowlands and Falk make the film almost a voyeur like experience. This obviously has its merits as the viewer is astounded by the realism but along with it there is one major drawback and that is that the viewer doesn’t like things to appear unexplained in such a film. The major point that remained unexplained(or atleast not evident to me) was the reason for Rowlands mental deterioration. She seems to have a good stable family support which is generally very reassuring for a housewife. The only thing that she seems to probably lack is a friend but in her “Five points” she has considered her husband to be everything for her so one wonders what exactly is the trigger for her mental deterioration. One may argue that the film is not about the reason for the deterioration but rather the way a family must deal with it which is well appreciated, but unfortunately, Cassavetes' docu-drama style leaves you wanting those explanations. There was too much time spent in the movie depicting Rowland’s insanity which created many intensely dramatic moments that were probably not necessary. This movie in fact reminds me of Polanski’s Repulsion which probably dealt with the process of insanity better than this movie but then that film has other drawbacks which I have explained in a separate review.
In conclusion, I would say that this movie is definitely worth watching for the two lead performances and for experiencing the uniqueness of Cassavetes’ style of film making which although has certain drawbacks, is still an experience that we rarely get in movies these days.

Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice

FLAVOR OF GREEN TEA OVER RICE
OCHAZUKE NO AJI
Japan
1952
115 Min
Black and White
1.37:1
Japanese
DIR Yasujiro Ozu
SCR Kogo Noda, Yasujiro Ozu
DP Yuuharu Utsata
CAST Shin Saburi, Michiyo Kogure, Koji Tsuruta, Chikage Awashima, Keiko Tsushima
ED Yoshiyasu Hamamura
MUSIC Ichirô Saitôse
My Rating : 5/5


I am back to writing reviews and yet again, it happens to be an Ozu film. I guess it is because his films are so simple to comprehend and analyze that I can’t help but write at least a few words about them.
This is a fairly simple story about a married couple that somehow doesn’t seem to get along. The wife has higher expectations from her husband who unlike her prefers things that are intimate,private,familiar and relaxed. Hence he prefers travelling by train in a third class, prefers a cheaper cigarette brand to something expensive and most importantly he is satisfied with the taste of green tea over rice. In short the husband is a simple, down to earth person who wants to have quality over quantity which unfortunately the wife doesn’t seem to appreciate. The wife has a niece who is eligible for marriage but she isn’t very keen to marry having observed her aunt’s unhappy married life. By the end of the movie though, the wife understands her husband’s preference when he is about to leave abroad and in one extended supper scene, love blossoms between the couple. This scene like many others, emphasizes the genius of Ozu who seems to understand the primal instincts of human beings better than most directors. The aunt’s new found happiness in married life impresses the niece and the film ends on a hopeful note that she is now ready to get married.
We often come across movies with complex plots and avant-garde productions but all these pale in comparison to Ozu’s simplicity which like this films title is the staple food that one can’t do without.

Yearning

YEARNING
MIDARERU
Japan
1964
98 Min
Black and White
Japanese
DIR Mikio Naruse
EXEC Sanezumi Fujimoto
PROD Mikio Naruse
DP Jun Yasumoto
CAST Hideko Takamine, Yuzo Kayama, Mitsuko Kusabue, Yumi Shirakawa, Mie Hama
ED Eiji Ooi
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)


Yearning explores the relationship between two characters that reaches such complex emotional levels that you will remain astounded by the fact that Naruse has actually done it! It would be a travesty to try and describe this great movie in words and hence I would leave this to the master director himself. All I can do in this review is highlight some things that I think, work in this movie’s favor.
First of all, this is a trademark Naruse movie because although this is a family story, Naruse has achieved it in his own style. The acting is very natural(unlike the formality in Ozu films) which works in its favour. The casting is perfect and almost every character that mattered is well developed. In fact, the character of Takamine’s brother in law is delightfully well written and executed. The editing is so good that the movie feels like a neatly trimmed piece of origami which is a rare feature for a film that dwells on emotions. Finally, the most important factor is Hideko Takamine. She has probably delivered a career defining role in this movie which required tremendous skill to say the least. May her soul rest in peace.

The Life of Oharu

THE LIFE OF OHARU
SAIKAKU ICHIDAI ONNA
Japan
1952
148 Min
Black and White
1.37:1
Japanese
DIR Kenji Mizoguchi
EXEC Isamu Yoshiji
PROD Hideo Koi, Kenji Mizoguchi
SCR Saikaku Ihara, Kenji Mizoguchi, Yoshikata Yoda
DP Yoshimi Hirano, Yoshimi Kono
CAST Kinuyo Tanaka, Tsukie Matsuura, Ichiro Sugai, Toshirô Mifune, Toshiaki Konoe, Kiyoko Tsuji, Hisako Yamane, Jukichi Uno, Eitarô Shindô, Akira Oizumi, Takashi Shimura
MUSIC Ichirô Saitô
My Rating : 3/5



With The Life of Oharu, I believe that I have watched three of Mizoguchi’s most important films (the other two being Sansho the Bailiff and Ugetsu). The other two movies I did not review mainly because I wanted to check out all the three of his important works before coming to a judgement.
The Life of Oharu like the other two movies is a period drama and a tragedy (Ugetsu ofcourse has a horror element as well, which I believe, works in its favor, making it the best of the lot). The movie traces the life of a woman in 17th century Japan who during her life loses her first love due to class differences, becomes a local ruler’s concubine and is discarded after she gives him the heir to his throne, becomes a courtesan, enters into a happy but short lived marital life, tries to become a buddhist nun but her past haunts her and she is driven back into prostitution. Finally she becomes a bhikshu taking alms in the name of buddha. There are a few more events in the life of the protagonist that not surprisingly end in tragedy.
The conclusion that I can draw from this movie is that Mizoguchi is very good at tragedies. He knows how to create scenes that will emphasise the tragedy of his protagonists and if you are a sensitive person, will also make you cry. His mise-en-scène’s are brilliant and his shooting style is probably a complete antithesis to that of Ozu’s. His art direction is superb and hence his period drama’s are the most genuine looking. People who love watching tragedies hence no doubt love Mizoguchi. Unfortunately, I noticed that there were very few memorable scenes in this movie unlike tragedies like Guru Dutt’s Pyaasa or Kaagaz Ke Phool and even Naruse’s Floating Clouds which make them truly great in my book. The depth that these tragedies reach are much more profound than the surface treatment that Mizoguchi offers in his films. The only scene that I really liked, and hoped that there could be more scenes like this, was the one in which the protagonist describes the statues of buddha’s disciples as looking very familiar to the people she has met in her life. The profound irony in this scene is the most memorable aspect of this movie. The rest of the film has scenes that just try to hammer the sense of tragedy into the viewer’s mind and although momentarily effective, are hardly memorable.

The End of Summer

THE END OF SUMMER
KOHAYAGAWA-KE NO AKI
Japan
1961
103 Min
Color
1.33:1
Japanese
DIR Yasujiro Ozu
PROD Sanezumi Fujimoto, Tadahiro Teramoto, Masakatsu Kaneko
SCR Yasujiro Ozu, Kogo Noda
DP Asakazu Nakai
CAST Ganjiro Nakamura, Setsuko Hara, Yoko Tsukasa, Michiyo Aratama, Keiji Kobayashi, Masahiko Shimazu, Hisaya Morishige, Chieko Naniwa, Reiko Dan, Chishu Ryu, Haruko Sugimura, Daisuke Kato
ED Koichi Iwashita
MUSIC Toshiro Mayuzumi
My Rating : 2/5


This movie was quite a strange experience for me. It almost felt like someone had tampered with an Ozu film and inserted some montages and contrasting background score to mess it up. If this was Ozu’s attempt at black comedy then it was terrible one in my opinion. Furthermore, the movie lacked focus due to which the viewer is left confused regarding the subject matter of this movie. The movie dwells on a character (Hara’s father)which the viewer would have never expected to be shown in so much detail. Setsuko Hara on the other hand is missing after the first two scenes and we are wondering where she has gone until she makes short appearances till the end of the movie. We are so used to watching Hara in important roles that this unnatural cameo comes as a shock to us especially since the film begins with her.
The most impressive part of the film is Ozu’s characteristic humour that he uses very effectively until he decides to give us a tight slap at the end and leave us wondering whether we really deserved it. The curtains come down on the movie with an eerie background score and you are left wondering what exactly Ozu wishes to convey to us by doing that since the visuals are telling a totally different story.
Ozu has tried to surprise us is this movie which unfortunately feels like an experiment that went terribly wrong.

The Thunder of the Mountain

THE THUNDER OF THE MOUNTAIN
YAMA NO OTO
Japan
1954
96 Min
Black and White
1.37:1
Japanese
DIR Mikio Naruse
PROD Sanezumi Fujimoto
SCR Yoko Mizuki
DP Masao Tamai
CAST Setsuko Hara, So Yamamura, Ken Uehara, Yôko Sugi
MUSIC Ichirô Saitô
My Rating : 2/5



This is my third Naruse after Floating Clouds and When a Woman Ascends the Stairs, both of which I found extremely impressive. Expectations were hence pretty high from this film which unfortunately turned out to be a disappointment. I have been watching a lot of Ozu recently and I couldn’t help comparing this film with Ozu’s but at the same time when I tried to judge this movie independently it left me wanting several things.
Firstly, the character of Setsuko Hara was something that I couldn’t understand. She appeared to be a good wife and daughter in law who is dedicated to her family but disappointed by her husband. She has childish enthusiasm in her which doesn’t go down well with her husband who probably doesn’t find her sexually attractive resulting in his search for greener pastures. Hara remains stoic for a long time and we are developing respect for her strength of character and hope that better sense will prevail and the husband will eventually come back for her. Instead we are in for a rude shock when we discover that Hara is pregnant and gets herself an abortion because her husband doesn’t want the child. Eventually she simply decides to leave her husband who on the other hand is only refered to as being repentant although the last time we have see him there is nothing that suggests any repentence. So does Hara gain a high moral ground or do we sympathise with her character? Hardly so, in my opinion.
The father in law is another character who remains a mystery. He seems to love his daughter in law even more than his own daughter but refuses to confront his son on his manners. In fact, we wonder if he has something more than a fatherly relationship with Hara but again this remains a mystery. He decides to let Hara get away from his son in the end as if he has taken a path breaking decision and in the final scene we are simply left confused regarding what exactly the old man is driving at.
The old man’s wife and daughter are characters that are hardly developed. The daughter is jealous of Hara but at the same time doesn’t show any real animosity towards her and seems to get along well. The old man’s wife is a character that is almost a prop and hardly serves any purpose. Then comes Hara’s unfaithful husband himself. He is again a character who remains remorseless in the end and probably is happy that Hara has left him. It makes us wonder what the fuss is all about. His flame is shown in one sequence which I personally found pretty pointless and so is her friend and a receptionist. I also wondered what business the father and son were exactly conducting in that office of theirs.
Eventually all that happened was that the movie left me confused. Neither did I know what to appreciate about it nor could i feel any sympathy towards the characters. Overall the movie was a disappointment.

Early Summer

EARLY SUMMER
BAKUSHÛ
Japan
1951
125 Min
Black and White
1.33:1
Japanese
DIR Yasujiro Ozu
PROD Takeshi Yamamoto
DP Yuharu Atsuta
CAST Setsuko Hara, Chishu Ryu, Chikage Awashima, Kuniko Miyake, Ichiro Sagai, Chieko Higashiyama, Haruko Sugimura, Hiroshi Nihonyanagi, Kuniko Igawa, Seiji Miyaguchi, Shuji Sano, Zen Murase, Isao Shirosawa, Kazuyo Ito, Tami Yamamoto
ED Yoshiyasu Hamamura
MUSIC Senji Ito
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)


I am glad to have spent my Sunday morning on this classic by Ozu. I was trying to think of something as delectable as this movie and could find nothing in comparison. This is probably because not only did I watch this movie but also tasted, smelt and touched it. It may sound weird but I could experience this movie with all my senses which is probably the greatest compliment for a director, not that Ozu needs any from me.
I wont get into the nitty-grittys of the plot of this movie but allow my camera to dwell on those quiet meditative moments which Ozu shares with his audience. The shot of a balloon floating up in the sky and the old couple thinking of the child who might be crying for having lost it, clouds scattered in the sky, birds chirping in their cages, characters sitting peacefully and gazing into the expanse thinking of something or the other or simply relaxing and enjoying nature. The shot of empty corridors of a house, a walk on the beach, a quiet smoke, a marriage procession and countless other observations that need no voice overs, dialogues or flashbacks. We know what the characters are thinking, we are enjoying supper with them, we share their joys and griefs; in short, we are part of the story. Ozu knew that the most peaceful yet powerful moments of life are those that are spent in quiet meditations and observations which every person can relate with. It is these moments that he shares with his audience and enraptures them in his world or rather “our” world.
Another observation that I made in this movie is the skill with which Ozu makes use of humour. There are moments in this movie that will make you laugh from the bottom of your heart which is a rare experience; It is a good-natured laughter which isn’t insulting or lewd but simply good wholesome fun. I was also impressed by the deftness with which Ozu makes use of the child actors. These children appear as real as children can be and provide a nice touch of innocent humour.
I will end this review with Setsuko Hara. Her disarming smile even in the face of adversity is probably the greatest inspiration for the audience. It effectively conveys Ozu’s philosophy: We have been happy. We have had a good life. Lets not demand too much from it and enjoy whatever pleasure we can derive from it.

Tokyo Story

TOKYO STORY
TÔKYÔ MONOGATARI
Japan
1953
136 Min
Black and White
1.33:1
Japanese
DIR Yasujiro Ozu
PROD Takeshi Yamamoto
SCR Kogo Noda, Yasujiro Ozu
DP Yuharu Atsuta
CAST Chishu Ryu, Chieko Higashiyama, Setsuko Hara, So Yamamura, Kyoko Kagawa, Haruko Sugimura, Nobuo Nakamura, Kuniko Miyake
ED Yoshiyasu Hamamura
MUSIC Kojun Saito
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)



I had been reluctant to watch this movie for quite some time mainly because of the predictable story line and the countless adaptations of the same in Hindi cinema, but thankfully I watched this and learnt an important lesson; A masterpiece will remain a masterpiece and no adaptation can ever come close to the essence of the original.
The movie feels like a wistful breeze with Ozu’s characteristic stationary camera shots and remarkable continuity. Ozu’s minimalistic style effectively conveys the essence of the movie, leaving out all the melodrama which I have seen in most of the adaptations. Most importantly, the movie is firmly rooted in realism with its backdrop of postwar Japan and the efforts of the common people to come to terms with the new industrialized nation, trying to forget their past and moving ahead in life. The characters are very convincing. I was especially pleased to see that the daughter in laws of the old couple were the most warmhearted creatures in the movie. The children although less sensitive, aren’t exactly vicious but have simply become extremely rational in their approach towards life which as the old man himself points out, isn’t so easy anymore. The movie is hence not about children disrespecting or not loving their parents but simply about the changes that have taken place in family values in the modern world due to various socio-economic reasons which although disappointing, are a fact of life that has to be accepted. The old man highlights this fact in the end when he says that he will have to get used to the loneliness because life, in spite of all its hardships and changes, must go on and so it has.

Pyaasa

THIRST
PYAASA
India
1957
146 Min
Black and White
Hindi
DIR Guru Dutt
PROD Guru Dutt
SCR Abrar Alvi
DP V.K. Murthy
CAST Guru Dutt, Mala Sinha, Rehman, Waheeda Rehman
ED Y.G. Chawhan
MUSIC Sachin Dev Burman
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)

Pyaasa is a landmark film, not only for the film maker but also for Indian and world cinema. Here was a commercial movie director trying something that was beyond just entertainment. He refused to give up the Bollywood structure of film making because he believed in reaching the common audience rather than make films for the art houses. Songs and lyrics are hence an important element of this movie that the viewer must not ignore. This film was different from the subjects explored by socialist cinema pioneers like Raj Kapoor and Bimal Roy. Unlike them Guru Dutt was concerned with the plight of the individual who tried to tread a path less taken.
Pyaasa is a movie that does just that. The protagonist of this movie happens to be an Urdu poet who unlike the fashionable romantic poets, wrote revolutionary style poems that highlighted the malaise of society. His poems are naturally rejected by all publishers but the poet refuses to change his style. Through the struggle of a poet, the film has depicted most of the ills that plagued the young republic. The film is full of villains, who until recently were only the colonial oppressors. The world according to Guru Dutt was not worth living in, and this view point must have been largely rejected by the society as being too cynical.
Commercially Pyaasa generated decent profits and that is probably the reason why Guru Dutt decided to go ahead with another strong and almost personal subject that was Kaagaz Ke Phool which turned out to be a huge box office disaster. Although commercially unsuccessful these two films are two of the finest films ever made in the history of cinema. Pyaasa in particular is widely regarded as an institution in itself. I have attended film making workshops where this film has been literally dissected scene by scene for its merits in screenplay,acting, continuity,editing, shots and almost all aspects of direction. Sahir Ludhianvi’s lyrics are the thoughts of the poet in this movie which combined with S.D Burman’s music and rendered most memorably by Mohd Rafi and Hemant Kumar, are the soul of this movie. Like most Guru Dutt films, this movie has several memorable moments that will remain etched in the minds of viewers forever.
Pyaasa is a mirror showing the ugly face of this world, that unfortunately, will never be cleansed.

Kaagaz Ke Phool

PAPER FLOWERS
KAAGAZ KE PHOOL
India
1959
148 Min
Black and White
2.35:1
Hindi
DIR Guru Dutt
PROD Guru Dutt
SCR Abrar Alvi, Kaifi Azmi
DP V.K. Murthy
CAST Waheeda Rehman, Guru Dutt, Kumari Naaz, Johnny Walker, Mahesh Kaul
ED Y.G. Chawhan
MUSIC Sachin Dev Burman
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)

It is sad that I took so long to watch this movie. Unfortunately, like the movie, Guru Dutt has been more or less forgotten by the people. He is highly revered by film makers in India and his films are often taught to film making students but amongst the common people he is just a figure from the past.
Paper Flowers is pretty much Guru Dutt’s own story and reflects a time in his life when he must have been already on the road to disaster. The movie reeks with emotions and is beautifully shot in black and white. In many ways this movie could be compared to Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard which is equally tragic in its portrayal of forgotten artists. Dutt has effectively captured the loneliness and despair of the forgotten director through shadows, the empty studios, the montages, the protagonists reduction to poverty and most importantly, S.D Burman’s moving music.
There are too many memorable moments in this movie but I would like to point out one particular scene that beautifully depicts the essence of this movie. The protagonists feet appear walking on a wet beach leaving footprints, but almost immediately they are washed away by the waves. It is moments like these that define Guru Dutt’s greatness. In a single scene he has conveyed the fleeting nature of success and the fact that nothing is permanent in this world. The title of the movie refers to the fact that stardom is like a garden of paper flowers which only appears beautiful but in essence is lifeless and odorless paper.

The Insect Woman

THE INSECT WOMAN
NIPPON KONCHUKI
Japan
1963
123 Min
Black and White
2.35:1
Japanese
DIR Shohei Imamura
SCR Keiji Hasebe, Shohei Imamura
DP Shinsaku Himeda
CAST Keiko Aizawa, Masumi Harukawa, Sachiko Hidari, Emiko Azuma, Daizaburo Hirata, Seizaburo Kawazu, Teruko Kishi, Tanie Kitabayashi, Kazuo Kitamura, Asao Koike, Masakazu Kuwayama
ED Mutsuo Tanji
MUSIC Toshiro Mayuzumi
My Rating : 4/5

This is my second Imamura movie after The Pornographers which was a kind of a revelation to me. Imamura continues to amaze me in this movie which is truly a difficult experience. Stylistically, this movie is superb. It makes use of still images, montages,singing and voice overs in a unique manner apart from the realistic form of camera work and screenplay which had also impressed me in The Pornographers.
The movie is about the struggle of a woman in post war Japan and takes place over a period of 50 years. It showcases the decadence of morality and the greed for money. Religion has become a source of psychological relief for people who confess their sins before a group of strangers to be absolved and continue to sin again. All the people are lecherous and greedy. In fact there is a constant running joke about the protagonist being a devil. Giving birth to bastards seems to be the protagonists family tradition. The movie is so unabashed in its display of immorality that some sequences are difficult to digest and border on the outrageous (a la Godard’s Weekend).
Even though the movie shows immorality, there is no penance at the end. The protagonist is remorseless and refuses to give up her way of life in this hell on earth where humans crawl like insects and this is brilliantly conveyed through the montage of an insect crawling at the beginning of the movie and the protagonist similarly moving on her bare feet at the end

Samurai Rebellion

SAMURAI REBELLION
Japan
1967
121 Min
Black and White
2.35:1
Japanese
DIR Masaki Kobayashi
SCR Shinobu Hashimoto
DP Kazuo Yamada
CAST Toshirô Mifune, Yoko Tsukasa, Go Kato, Shigeru Koyama, Masao Mishima, Isao Yamagata, Tatsuyoshi Ehara, Tatsuo Matsumura
PROD DES Yoshiro Muraki
MUSIC Tôru Takemitsu
My Rating : 5/5 (Great Movie)

I think Kobayashi could have been a freedom fighter if he wasn’t a filmmaker. Rebellion against injustice is a concept that seems to have been close to Kobayashi’s heart and Samurai Rebellion does full justice to it. This movie is similar to Harakiri in many ways but one, and that is that in Samurai Rebellion we empathise with the protagonist’s anger, much more than in Harakiri. Mifune’s anger is so pronounced that when he is demolishing enemies we seem to join him in his effort. Mifune doesn’t die easily like most of Kobayashi’s protagonists who test the levels of human endurance and even in death appear unvanquished.
A special mention of Nakadai’s character in this movie which has a significantly short screen presence and would almost appear to be wasted but strangely he has one of the most interesting characters I have ever seen in cinema. He is Mifune’s friend and also a person who seems to read into people’s actions much better than anyone else. He advices Mifune, not directly but through little nuggets of wisdom that seem to impress Mifune, like this one:
Push and you step back.
Push, you step back farther.
But at the last moment you change from defense to offense.
You never attack. You wait till your opponent tires and quits.
Mifune gets talkative only in his presence and shares his deepest feelings with him; and through him, with the audience. In the end the two friends face off against each other in a fight similar to the one in Harakiri except that here there is no sense of triumph but only defeat.
Nakadai and Mifune have acted together in several movies but this movie appears to me their best collaboration.