IKIRU (Japanese) (1952)

“I can’t afford to hate people. I haven’t got that kind of time.”

Bow my head to the Master again. Akira Kurosawa’s ‘Ikiru’ is a moving and engrossing experience for me and a kind of film which makes deep impact for a long time. If ‘Rashomon’ and ‘Seven Samurai’ are the two giant pillars of Kurosawa accomplishment, ‘Ikiru’ is one of the finest breathing document of humanity ever made by him. Beyond all intellectual baggage he told the simple story in its fine sublimity proving it the best humanitarian film of his career. On the contrary this is quite unique Kurosawa film abstained from everything which made him famous in his long glorious career. No samurai! No Toshiro Mifune! No action or moving shots! No Shakespeare! Instead it’s a simple and too slow film about an ordinary man and perhaps the longest Kurosawa film with duration of around two and half hours and yet it manage to touch all the right chords at right place.

Much before we witness the protagonist we see the X ray photo of protagonist’s stomach cancer as film begins. Next we follow an old man Watanabe working diligently as chief of Public Affairs Department along with other useless bureaucratic employees avoiding their duties and passing their time in gossips. It’s during one of his visit to hospital check up; we witness the first brilliant scene of the film, with many to follows. At hospital he meets an unknown patient explaining him that if doctor tells one that it’s mild ulcer, he’s lying and next he starts explaining the exact symptoms of stomach cancer who won’t live longer than six months. We witness the expressions of shock and fear of death on the face of our protagonist closer to the camera who’s still unaware about his illness and yet much before his visit to Doctor, he knew damn well the most unfortunate truth of life. In the next frame he’s facing the doctor to know his diagnosis and the doctor responded him as suggested by stranger.

Back home he faces his unconcerned and selfish son Mitsuo and his wife who’re interested in his retirement money. Flashbacks of life’s journey meet the chilling unshared silence of death and its loneliness. He tries to set alarm as per routine before sleep and suddenly throws it furiously and thinking his remaining time left to life. As he’s trying to sleep, the camera pans on the wall showing his certificates of recognition for his distinguished civil service, seems so futile against sobbing old man in his bed. What a scene!

Next morning he left the home and office surprisingly. In a bar he meets a drunken writer with whom he shared his ill fate. It is also memorable scene where the writer said- “Misfortune teaches us the truth…we humans are so careless. We only realize how beautiful life is when we chance upon death. But few of us are actually able to face death; the worst ones know nothing of life till they die. You were a slave to your life, now you’re the master… Greed to live is not vice but virtue.” Next he shows him a beautiful metaphor of life and death in form of vending machine liberating silver ball. Along with writer friend he starts enjoying drinking, visiting night clubs and a company of women. But soon fade up with them all. The next day by chance he spares a day with a young employee girl of his office and helps her to fix her resignation.
The next day he meets the same girl in a restaurant; another soul stirring scene shows the final phase of human desire ends with fine metaphors of toy bunny and rebirth. As he finally realizes that he should live for larger cause, no matter how small cause is. He surprisingly returns to his office and ultimately devotes rest of his life to build a park in underprivileged locality against all bureaucratic odds and hurdles. I envy the last day of his life. So content is he with his life- sitting on swing, singing a song under falling snow waiting to embrace his death.

For the old man the achievement of life not lies in his fellow collegues’ comment in his absence that he didn’t miss a single day of work in his office for thirty years nor does it lie in his Government Certificates but in small and kind gesture of humanity that makes him feel happy, justifying the utility of his existence. Takashi Shimura is permanent entry in my favorite screen character along with Carlo Batisti of Vittorio De Sica’s ‘Umberto D.’ co-incidentally released the same year. Like Batisti, his face expresses volumes of expressions and Kurosawa captured all of them with all not to miss close ups.

Despite its sadness, ‘Ikiru’ is ultimately not just a film where death of protagonist becomes just routine emotional purgation for the audience like many of its popular clone films. Kurosawa and Shimura gave it valuable height by making it one of the most positive film about life. Kurosawa gave a brilliant message for every living being- To achieve anything abstract like satisfaction, love or happiness in the most inner space of one’s soul; one has to suffer in life. Just like all the moods and shades of life, suffering too is the united part of life and not contradictory. A selfless suffering returns the immense happiness difficult to measure compared to any sort of momentary happiness. I don’t get the point why Master stretched the last one hour too long with nonlinear flashback running parallel to the static scene; is he tried to show in those multiple perspectives and repercussions post Watanabe’s death or pointing fingers towards the corrupt degenerative bureaucracy of postwar Japan of those days?

By all means a film one must watch before die.

PS- An interesting anecdote about how Hrishida inspired to make ‘Anand’?

While visiting Cannes Film Festival for the first time with the entry of ‘Do Bigha Zameen’, Director Bimal Roy and writer-editor Hrishikesh Mukherjee met Satyajit Ray who was surprised to see them. He insisted both of them to watch Kurosawa’s ‘Ikiru’ and the rest is the history. Hrishida is one of my all-time admirable Indian directors and ‘Anand’ is surely well made Indian adaptation but the focal point of the original is lost in too dark and emotional second half.

YOJIMBO (Japanese) (1961)

A Samurai drifter named Sanjuro visits a lawless town divided between two opposing gangs. By playing smart bystander he pitted one gang against the other, to get rid the village of both. But matters start taking different turn when he helps freeing a woman killing six. Unosuke, the man obsessed with a revolver slaughters rival gang members sniffing the truth he severely injures Sanjuro. He escapes and recovers in a temple but he must face Unosuke. Would his skill and wit be any match with a revolver? Kurosawa’s this classic gave birth to the first installment of Sergio Leone-Clint Eastwood’s most famous spaghetti western ‘A Fistful of Dollars’. Along with the main plot, there’re many frames clearly lifted from this original.

Toshiro Mifune once again brought to screen his exciting presence as Sanjuro keeping the fun and action part of his Samurai act in ‘Seven Samurai’ as Kakuchiyo. Kurosawa’s long Hollywood inspiration of John Ford’s western is felt in execution of some of the scenes but his technical flair of using slow motion for dramatic flair running parallel to engaging action, multiple camera angles for same action, use of natural weather to enhance mood and feel etc. are inspirational for many great directors. Like true Japanese Samurai, he was hard task master and the mad perfectionist who spent endless hours and efforts to achieve the effects as per his vision. His excellence is surely a legacy unparalleled that live forever.

Ratings-8.5/10

THRONE OF BLOOD (Japanese) (1957)

One of the brilliant and breathtaking screen adaptation of Macbeth by Akira Kurosawa in his signature Samurai tradition. Valiant captain Washizu blinded by ambition, driven by his wife Asaji’s instigation and spirit’s prediction murdered the warlord Tsuzuki, seize the kingdom and then starts the psychological damnation full of inescapable guilt, paranoia, betrayal, bloodshed leading it to the final ruin. Kurosawa almost faithfully kept the essence of Bard’s one of the great tragedy in all key scenes- prophecy by haunted spirit, Lady Asaji’s ear poisoning, Miki’s frightening ghost image at celebration party, Lady Asaji’s attempt to wash the bloodstain of her hands and absolutely awesome climax where finally as per the prediction of the spirit, the cobweb forest literally begins to move and comes to Cobweb Castle determining the doomsday of the protagonist.

Great directors breed great collaboration with their favorite actors where both contribute and correspond something unparallel to world cinema. Toshiro Mifun’s collaboration with Kurosawa turned him into an iconic star status of Japanese cinema. Undoubtedly he’s amazing actor with his gifted dramatic and hysterical expressions which he carried as Samurai. His extraordinary death scene stuck with arrows all over body is truly unforgettable image. The grand epical visuals captured on canvas with natural light are always aesthetic treat for any Kurosawa fans. The haunting atmospheric elements of mist, thunderstorm and heavy rain in B&W frames shows his penchant for expressionistic shots. “For me shooting only means getting something to edit”, said the auteur.

Ratings- Does it need when Kurosawa combines Shakespeare?

NISHANT (1975)

Benegal extended the feudal oppression plot of his debut ‘Ankur’ in larger canvas. The film tells the story of a feudal Andhra Pradesh village of 1945 where an oppressive zamindar and his good for nothing three sons exploits underprivileged peasants. It’s dark and lawless portrayal where landlord father and sons exploit the peasants’ women at night as if their own property. A newly arrived school master’s wife was kidnapped and raped by landlord’s sons and was kept as mistress. Helpless and frustrated school master fails to get support of any villager to get justice. Gradually along with a priest he builds the slow unrest and in a dramatic turn uncontrollable mass revolt against the tyrant and his family.

But unlike impressive ‘Ankur’ the film lacks Benegal’s control on many things. The personal story of earlier film builds the drama with conflict and contemplative contrast but here it’s all missing so terribly. The plot is weak, narration is slow, stretching and repetitive, melodrama and performances seem rather too filmy and commercial. There’s many loopholes including the chaotic ending. He failed to get sublime performance from all the actors and almost repeated their characters- Shabana is again an exploited woman, Sadhu Mehar again as exploited innocent drunkard and so is the rest.

With ‘Nishant’ Benegal brought Amrish Puri to screen as an archetypal tyrant face of evil whose presence remained mandatory in all Benegal films till his death. Benegal made him a man you love to hate. He’s found most impressive in Benegal’s ‘Suraj ka Saatwan Ghoda’- one of my favorite Benegal films along with ‘Bhumika’. ‘Nishant’ has fine cast of Shabana Azmi, Girish Karnad, Naseer, Anant Nag, Mohan Agashe Satyadeb Dubey and introduced Smita Patil but Benegal made all of them so flat. In his debut ‘Ankur’, there’re less characters and all of them have shades of grey unlike this second film where every one is either too black or too white which made less room for character development.

One of the weakest Benegal film for me.

Ratings-5/10

ANKUR (1973)

In his ‘Our Films their Films’, Satyajit Ray commented about four films and the filmmakers of Indian parellel cinama. One of them is debut film of Indian parallel cinema’s great contributor- Shyam Benegal, the other three are Sathyu’s ‘Garam Hawa’, Shahani’s ‘Mayadarpan’ and Mani Kaul’s ‘Duvidha’. Benegal wrote the story of the film almost a decade ago when he was in college. An underprivileged young woman conceived the child (the seedling) of his feudal oppressor which ended with an exclamation of open ending. The film not only remains the seedling of the plot but also as one of the seedling of Indian parallel cinema.

Benegal didn’t have depth of Ray but he has fine sense of directness of narration and detailing in his cinema with the strong team which could envy any of his contemporary art filmmaker. Dialogue and script help by Pt. Satyadev Dubey, camerawork by Govind Nihalani, Music by Vanraj Bhatiya and fine company of Film Institute and NSD’s talented actors. Benegal managed to get the best of them in many of his films in the first decade of his career. Its debut film of Shabana Azmi too and she won the National Award that year for her sublime act. However she looks quite urban but faithfully expressed some of the complex and subtle emotions; too difficult to carry for a fresher. Watch the heartfelt cry with hidden guilt of betrayal when sees her husband back. Anant Nag is not a refined actor like Naseer and Om but he completely fits into frames as a weak, coward, arrogant city man who surrenders his career to his patriarchal landlord father. He’s the misfit and good for nothing man who’s trying to look after his feudal field and killing time sleeping, smoking cigarettes, listening gramophone, reading magazines, roaming and ogling at local untouchable maid in an isolated farm.

Benegal ended the film with a punch hard to resist. He brought the fate and psychology of the characters in the climax- the selfish landlord who’s trying to hide his guilt and sin with oppressive violence on innocent deaf and dumb underprivileged man, a suspicious housewife noticing witnessing her husband’s real face, a pregnant woman running to save her husband and above all the impressive last frame where the kid throws a stone to landlord’s glass window before the screen turning into red and fades out.
Indeed a seedling of Indian Parallel Cinema.

Ratings-8.5/10

GARAM HAWA (1973)

M S Sathyu’s ‘Garam Hawa’ is arguably the best and moving Indian film ever made on the subject of 1947 partition. The condition of a partition torn Indian Muslim is never shown with such restrained and convincing manner in any other Indian film so far. Without being preachy or didactic anywhere he narrated the most painful tragic chapter of Indian history focusing on a Muslim family of Agra in the time of partition. An aging shoe factory owner Salim Mirza is the face of Indian Muslim who has unshakable faith in God and reluctant to live and die in Agra-his homeland after partition. But slowly one by one all of his family members either leave the homeland or the world. And amid all this time of communal frenzy and identity crisis he’s facing terrible loss not only in business but also the most personal one when his beloved daughter Amina being ditched twice by her prospective grooms commits suicide. Ultimately heartbroken Mirza makes up his mind to leave his native town in a horse cart. The movie ends with the optimistic ending.

Sathyu’s minute observation and depth is found in many subjects. Whether it’s Indian Muslim’s displaced dilemma at partition time or the face of the volatile time which gave birth to discriminating reality of minority and majority narrowing social consciousness; Sathyu with his restrained command eschew any sort of unnecessary ingredients of political stand, melodrama, song or gloomy violent portrayal. Infact there’re lot of light moments, portraying quite deaf grandma and off course the secret romance on terrace. The authentic portrayal and characterization of extended joint Muslim family and brilliant framing of Agra’s internal streets incuding Agra Fort and Taj also deserve praise.

The most remarkable part of the film is Salim Mirza played by Balraj Sahni, one of the gentleman actor of his time. Undoubtedly this is his career best performance came in the ending part of his career. What a natural and restraint actor!!! In fact never ever I’ve seen any actor acts so effortlessly natural in his character on Indian screen. In most of the scenes Sathyu kept the camera steadily focused on the expressions of Sahni’s face which speaks louder than words. One has to watch his other two gem of performance in Bimal Roy’s Neo-Realistic ‘Do Bigha Zameen’ and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s one of the most personal favorite ‘Anuradha’. The most sentimental part of the film is the portrayal of father-daughter relation nicely supported by Mina Siddharth Kak. The film has almost gathered many IPTA artists- actors including Sahni, A K Hangal and many others, Kaifi Aazmi who penned the screenplay (based on short story by Ismat Chugtai) and sharp dialogues in impeccable Urdu along with Shama Zaidi who later works with Benegal in most of his projects.

Few scenes stays in memory for long- the grandma revisiting haveli in doli reminiscing her past prior to her death, second time heartbroken Amina trying to see herself with red bridal sari in mirror prior to suicide and above all the last where poignant Mirza leaves the town in the horse cart. Its pity to Indian Cinema that such a masterpiece is still unavailable in VCD/DVD till day.
Thanks a ton to dearest community buddy Abhishek Prasad for sharing the link of this long unavailable masterpiece.

Ratings- 10/10

PS- In July 2003 exactly thirty years after release of the film, M S Sathyu in an interview published in Times of India (unavailable on net), said as follows about his film:

The film was a watermark in my career. It’s hard to say why it has the sort of cult appeal it does. Perhaps it is because it is a social comment but stops short of being a political propaganda. Perhaps because it is about assimilation and not division. I feel a sense of achievement because the film is moving but not a melodrama.

Garam Hawa took a lot out of my friend Balraj, one of the best actors India has produced. He had suffered a personal tragedy a year before the film, his daughter had killed herself. Like Salim Mirza in the film, Balraj was very close to his daughter. In the movie she commits suicide too. I shot the father-daughter sequences in the manner of Balraj Sahni’s relationship with his daughter: cruel of me but that makes the relationship very touching in the film. Balraj gave a consummate performance-controlled, very effective, just like the film itself.

Source- The Most Memorable Films of the World (From the diaries of the film societies)
By H. N. Narhari Rao (Prism Books Pvt. Ltd. Banglore)

AKALER SANDHANE (Bengali) (1980)

Is the movie camera the most apt instrument to record reality?

It’s not a close ended question to answer simply with ‘yes’ or ‘no’. It demands broad explanation and introspection. Here is a brilliant film which not only tries to answer the question with fine critical eye but also shows us the ironical and penetrating truth of relations between cinema and reality in Indian society. Mrinal Sen’s this critically acclaimed masterpiece is ‘the best film within film’ intermixing different layers of reality. A film unit landed to a remote Bengali village to shoot a film on Great famine of 1943. It was one of the darkest phase of Bengal which killed more than fifty lakh people. The film unit is led by an idealistic art filmmaker who wanted to make a film with social commitment, but there are many impediments. One of the heroines left the film with her tantrums, a strange thing happened while filming one of the scene and then the search of heroine in village created hatred for the film unit since she has to play a role of a lady who sells her skin to survive. Ultimately agitated by villagers and advised by an old headmaster, the director and the film unit have to pack up and leave the village. For the director, the fantasy to capture the reality ended and he has to shoot his dream project in make believe and artificial world of studio.

Sen with his self indulgent and experimental style narrated the contrast and gap between the world of privileged and underprivileged and their binary opposed world of reality. For urban film crew, the famine lies in those journalistic photographs full of skeleton like faces and figures but for the rooted villagers it’s part of their worst existential reality. Sen who’s preoccupied with theme of famine and ruined buildings brilliantly used both of them in this film. There’s many sparks of irony too. Make believe reality of cinema transformed the reality of a local woman named Durga and the reality bites to the film crew especially the director and heroine. One of the village folk said quite satirically, “They came to take pictures of famine and sparks off another famine.” But the brilliant explanation come in the end from the saner old headmaster.

The film has fine company of restrained Bengali actors like Dhritiman Chatterjee who plays the director, Dipankar Dey, Radhamohan Bhattacharya in a small but significant role of old headmaster and off course Smita Patil as a sensible heroine. The film received National Awards for Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay and prestigious silver bear at Berlin Festival. Sen was surprised for getting award for screenplay, as he confessed once that almost 60% of the film was improvised and written on location.

Undoubtedly one of the Best Bengali film and the masterpiece by Mrinal Sen.

Ratings-10/10