Inception

My first reaction having watched Inception was "Damn, I have to watch it again.". And I did. And I was happy watching it the second time around because I was able to confirm my theory ( or should I say interpretation??? ) about Inception. I am now more confident.

Inception is a typical Christopher Nolan film. There are parallel events taking place and different scenes keep jumping into each other. Having said that, Inception is probably the most linear film Nolan has made till date [unlike Memento, The Prestige, Batman Begins, etc]. Inception's strength is its story. It is about a thief, Dom Cobb, skilled at extracting ideas from the subconscious through dreams. He is given his toughest job till date… to plant an idea into the subconscious, Inception. The plot is so overwhelming and complex that it leaves little for the characters to develop and grow on the audience. Clearly, the story takes the cake and the novel idea of "dreams within dreams" is the killer. I will first talk about some technical aspects, before giving away my interpretation of Inception.



As far as characters are concerned, there are only two that stand out. One is Dom Cobb, enacted splendidly by Leonardo DiCaprio. And the other is Marion Cotillard's Mal. DiCaprio brings intensity to Cobb, who is guilty of his past and desperate to get back to his children. Cotillard is confused, melodramatic and haunting [and yeah, good looking as well]. The other character, whom we get to understand well, is Cillian Murphy's Fischer. Michael Caine, in spite of playing a cameo, makes his presence felt.

Background music by Hans Zimmer takes Inception to an altogether new level. It is easy to oversee its contribution to tension in the climax as all the kicks synchronize. Another simple scene is where Cobb, having accomplished his task, walks out of the airport in the climax. The only thing that conveys a sense of relief is the background music (of course even DiCaprio's acting is a contributing factor). The editing, as is in any Nolan film, is slick. And thanks to good cinematography, Inception is visually stunning. And yeah... the most talked about sequence is the one with anti-gravity stunts. Those stunts are highly gripping.

Nolan is a wonderful writer and there are some really intelligent dialogues. I can't hold off citing one of them. During the planning phase, the Inception team discusses logistic barriers for performing Inception. As they keep tossing one hurdle after another, Saito says how he can buy everything out to accomplish the task.

Eames: We need at least a good ten hours.
Saito: Sydney to Los Angeles. One of the longest flights in the world. He makes it every two weeks.
Cobb: He must be flying privately.
Saito: Not if there was unexpected maintenance with his plane...
Arthur: It would have to be a 747.
Cobb: Why is that?
Arthur: Because on a 747 the pilot is up top, and the first class cabin is in the nose, so no one would walk through. But you'd have to buy out the entire cabin. And the first class flight attendant.
Saito: I bought the airline.
[Everyone looks at him incredulously]
Saito:(awkward) It seemed neater.
Cobb: Looks like we have our ten hours.

In another scene, as a kiss does not help, Ariadne questions Arthur "They're still looking at us.". And Arthur quips "It was worth a shot". Inception is filled with wonderful dialogues and these are just samples.

With that, I will now give away my interpretation of Inception. The main point of contention stems from the very last shot where the top wobbles, but does not fall. So, there are two ways to interpret Inception: (a) One is to say that everything was a dream and (b) the other is to say that Cobb really gets back to his kids. I belong to the fraternity that wants to believe that Cobb got back to his kids in reality.



Let me say why. First is the kids. Cobb never sees the faces of his kids in his dreams. One explanation could be that he is guilty of having been separated from his kids and the fear that he might not be able to see their faces again. The kids' faces are revealed only when Cobb reunites with them in the end. The kids do seem grown up in the last scene in comparison to their projections Cobb has in his dreams. The second is the thing about the wedding ring. Cobb is wearing the wedding ring in only one particular scene: the scene where Mal commits suicide on their wedding anniversary. In all other scenes, including the time Cobb and Mal spend in limbo, Cobb does not wear the wedding ring. Effectively, Cobb's projection of himself does not wear the wedding ring. This confirms that there is a notion of reality in the film and that not everything is a dream. The third is the top itself. In one of the earlier parts of the movie, the top stops spinning and falls down. When Nolan shows the top spinning in the dream, the top spins with smoothness and hardly wobbles. In the very last shot, just before the darkness, we can see that top wobbles( as if it were about to fall ).

My take is that Nolan intentionally cut the last shot a little early in order to spur debate and discussion. Nolan has succeeded in exactly doing that and drawing the crowds to theaters for a second viewing. And that is a testimony that Inception is a spectacular film. It hardly allows the viewer to wink. To me, Inception is a film that kindles the mind, but not the heart. Almost a classic!!

[My cubicle mates have done a thorough analysis of Inception. Lots of trivia and information about Inception is available here.]

Rashomon

Having watched Seven Samurai, I was pretty clear that the next movie to watch would be one by Akira Kurosawa. I picked Rashomon and thoroughly enjoyed watching it. In comparison with Seven Samurai, Rashomon is much smaller in scale and grandeur. In spite of that, it is a riveting watch. I watched it on a late Saturday evening. Tired after a hectic day, my intention was to just get a glimpse of the first few minutes and doze off. But the suspense was building up so wonderfully that I ended up watching it completely with my eyes burning.



I don't have to repeat that Rashomon's strength is its screenplay. The same event is recounted by four people and each version is widely different from the rest. A samurai, his wife, a bandit and a woodcutter provide their versions of a rape and the subsequent murder in a jungle. Since each narrator is a stakeholder in the event, his or her version is clouded by ego, fear and self-interest. As a result, each version diverges from the truth and at various points each version contradicts the rest [The woodcutter's version is the least biased]. I read a lot of reviews concluding that Rashomon is about "subjectivity of truth" or "perception of truth". In my opinion, these terms take the philosophy of Rashomon a little too far. To me, this film is simply about how an individual's account of an event can be influenced by his emotions.

Digressing a little bit, I recall that back in 2004, I watched a tamil movie, Virumandi, that left me gaping for its unique narrative. I also happened to watch Vantage point that had a similar narrative style. For a long time, I did not know that this style had a term, eponymous of Rashomon. Since I had watched two movies with similar narrative style, I was reasonably used to it while watching Rashomon. I am sure people would have jumped out of their seats when they first watched it back in the fifties.

Talking about cast, there are only eight actors, including Toshiro Mifune and Takashi Shimura. Toshiro Mifune excels once again as he conveys a range of emotions: anger, fear, lust, relief, confusion, suspicion, excitement, etc. To a large extent, Mifune's Tajomaru is similar to his Kikuchiyo from Seven Samurai. He is boorish, fierce and athletic. The rest of the cast also does very well. There is one particular scene where Masayuki Mori, as the samurai husband, stands out. And that is during the wife's narration where his expressions are filled with derision. That scene does leave an impression.

Rashomon has excellent cinematography and background music. A simple scene is case in point here. Takashi Shimura walks through the dense jungles amidst huge overshadowing trees on a bright afternoon. While watching the movie, one can easily forget that this stroll runs for a full two minutes without any drama. The heavy background music combined with arresting visuals keeps the viewer engrossed as he knows that something is brooding out there. As an editor, Akira Kurosawa has stitched the visuals and sound perfectly. One scene that highlights the quality of editing is towards the very end when the priest holds the weeping infant [Ahh... here is one guy who is not credited in the cast]. The drop in pitch in each cry of the infant perfectly syncs with its movements. I wonder how they captured the sound so perfectly, or was it the magic of editing?? Considering the days when it was shot, even the make-up looks realistic. Most of the men have sported natural beard and the hairpieces almost look natural.

To conclude, this film is Kurosawa's yet another timeless classic, which will be best remembered for "Rashomon Effect".

Seven Samurai (Shichinin no samurai)

I have no idea about the Japanese language. But, two weeks ago, I watched a dated black and white japanese film. It was first released almost six decades ago (1954, to be precise). Obviously, for someone used to watching movies in the twenty first century, the lack of colorful photography was a deterrent and the sound was really jarring and lacking in effects. But, if the movie could hold my attention for a full 207 minutes, then it had to be something special. That is what 'Seven Samurai' truly is.... a timeless classic!!!.

The basic plot is just one line, and nothing more. A sixteenth century japanese village hires seven samurai to fight a group of bandits about to loot its farmers. So, how do you spin such a thin plot into a good story?? Hire a good scriptwriter. And Akira Kurosawa is a master. Now that you have a good script, how do you make a movie that is exciting and moving?? Rope in a good director. And Akira Kurosawa is a genius.



Although the plot is simple, the writers have given 'Seven Samurai' enough depth with many sub-plots and details. This is especially true with the war scenes that contain a lot of detail. The different strategies adopted by the samurai to fight the bandits forms most of the second half. This includes defending the village, by constructing barricades along three sides of the village and a moat along the other, and attacking the bandits one at a time. The samurai not only train the villagers, but also exhort them into fighting off the bandits. While battle forms the second half, the first half focuses on the penurious state of the farmers and also on the recruitment of the seven samurai.

Among the crowd of actors, Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune clearly stand out. Takashi plays Kanbe, a warm hearted samurai who is the first to offer help to the villagers. He is instrumental in building the rest of the team and is also the one who is the war strategist. Toshiro Mifune plays Kikuchiyo, a ruffian who is the last samurai to be inducted into the team. While Takashi plays Kanbe with a calm demeanor, Toshiro's Kikuchiyo is fierce and boorish. The primary themes in 'Seven Samurai' are the pathetic state of affairs with the farmers and the build up to the battle. With such serious themes, it is Kikuchiyo who provides the necessary relief with his funny mannerisms and antics. The background music is heavy and is apt in generating the battle mood.


Akira kurosawa must have taken great pains to make this fiction look authentic. The movie was definitely not shot indoors and the battleground comes alive in the second half. There are no extra-ordinary stunts and hence all the combat scenes are credible. Another notable technique in 'Seven Samurai' is the use of weather to heighten the mood of a situation. It is sunny when the plight of farmers is highlighted in the early parts of the movie. There is a heavy wind when Kanbe exhorts a group of frightened farmers to pick up their spears and prepare for battle. It is foggy when the team waits for Kyuzo, who leaves the boundary to bring the first gun [another intent of using the fog was probably to depict dawn]. And yeah, it rains cats and dogs in the final showdown, accentuating the struggle during a battle.

There are many sub-plots that make 'Seven Samurai' interesting. The camaraderie among the warriors is enjoyable. There is also a love story as the youngest samurai, Katsushiro, falls for the village girl, Shino. Another major thread is the way people from two different ranks of the society come to terms with each other. It is very clear that the farmers belong to the lower echelons of society and the samurai belong to the prestigious warrior class. The farmers, who are initially hesitant to welcome the samurai, gradually learn to honor their guests. Similarly, misgivings of the farmers are rationalized to the samurai during Kikuchiyo's emotional outburst [and Toshiro Mifune excels here]. Some fundamentals of war are also explained to the viewer, as part of discussions that Kanbe has with his fellow samurai. A combination of all these sub-plots makes 'Seven Samurai' a very moving motion picture.

There is one minor nit in this film. Given that this movie runs for more than three and half hours, I think there is one sub-plot that could have been avoided [at least to reduce its running time]. When the farmers come to a neighboring city to hire samurai, they dwell with beggars. The beggars constantly ridicule the farmers and their destitution. While this highlights the farmers' poverty, the beggars' screen space could have been reduced. But, in the overall scheme of things, this nit is hardly noticeable.

The most striking part of this film is the climax. And by climax, I do not mean the final battle showdown, but the very end where Kanbe mentions, "The winners are those farmers, not us". This is the most touching and moving portion of 'Seven Samurai' and makes a huge impact on the viewer. It is deeply saddening to see the cold treatment being meted out to the three surviving samurai. Akira Kurosawa concludes 'Seven Samurai' by showcasing the forgotten heroes.



As I said... this classic is timeless!!!

The Secret in Their Eyes (El secreto de sus ojos)`

Let me first confess that I am no expert in movie-making or writing reviews. But the winner of 'Best Foreign Language Film' at the 82nd Academy Awards is simply one of the best movies I have watched till date. Such was "El secreto de sus ojos"'s impact that it completely blew me off when I watched it and the movie kept running in my head for the next two days. As my colleague mentioned, watching El secreto is one of those rare experiences where you continue to stare at the screen even after the credits have started rolling. Simply put, this is story telling at its best.

In El secreto, the director, Campanella, has crafted a crime drama with romantic elements. The movie revolves around the lead pair where the relationship is mutual suppression of love. Ricardo Darin, as Benjamin Esposito, is a justice agent and the charming Soledad Villamil, as Irene Hastings, is his boss who hails from the upper class. With their mannerisms, body language and eyes, all the lead actors perform exceedingly well. Francella deserves a special mention as he plays Sandoval, the mousy character that enlivens an otherwise serious crime drama. The suspense kept me engrossed and by the time the mystery was solved, I was literally gaping at the screen. In one word, this movie is a Masterpiece.

Up until now, I have hardly given away any details about the movie itself. If you are planning to watch this classic, then I would recommend you to read no further as I now intend to talk about particular scenes [read it as 'spoilers'] that stand out in El Secreto. Check out the trailer with english sub-titles below.



So, what is this movie all about?? Now, for a casual viewer, El secreto seems like a good crime drama. But the main plot is the suppressed love between Esposito and Irene. The criminal investigation of rape and murder of Liliana, while running parallel to the main plot, forms the background of their love story. And make no mistake, this movie is really about the eyes (and the secrets within). It is Gomez's eyes in Liliana's albums that leads Esposito to suspect Gomez. And it is Gomez's eyes that Irene catches before inciting and consequently incriminating him. It is the intense look in Morales' eyes at the railway station that convinces Esposito to re-open the case an year later [and Esposito even mentions this to Irene in the very next scene..... yes, the scene where Irene is disappointed with Esposito for him not having responded to her feelings] And the love Esposito and Irene have for each other is all there in the eyes to see. Darin's [playing Esposito] eyes not only express his immense love for Irene, but also the restraint in expressing it [most likely due to the differences in class in society and hierarchy at the workplace]. On the other hand, Irene drops hints about her feelings for Esposito and she does this not only with words, but also with her eyes. As I said, it is all there in the eyes for us to see. In fact, El secreto itself begins with a close up shot of Irene's eyes.

As someone who cannot speak a single word in Spanish, I do not even remotely qualify to comment about the dialogues. I watched El secreto with english sub-titles. But for the sub-titles, I am not sure what I would have made of the movie. Its dialogues are the strength of El secreto. I can only guess that I lost some flavor around dialogues in the translation from Spanish to English. Check out this line from Morales when he says "I don't know if it is a memory.... or a memory of a memory I am left with.".... it is so subtle, yet powerful. It just hits you then and there that this guy's life has "frozen in time". Another set of interesting dialogues feature in the scene where Esposito and Sandoval are censured by the senior judge at the justice office. It doesn't get any more sarcastic than when the judge asks Esposito .... "Es?? Espo?? Esposi???". And one can't miss the innocent looking Sandoval, who is watching all this pretty much like a stranger. Another gem is the scene in a pub where Esposito asks a drunk Sandoval to be his accomplice. What sounds like a soliloquy is actually a blackmail.

Having spoken so much about dialogues, I can tell you that in one of the best scenes in the movie, not even a single word is uttered. It is the one in the elevator. Three people and a loaded gun in a lift is all it takes for Campanella to tacitly convey the fear, the threat and to a larger extent the political situation that Argentina was in, during the seventies. So much silence... yet so many things conveyed!!!

And yeah.... the long shot that runs for a full five minutes is really amazing if you wonder how it was accomplished. What starts off with a bird's eye view of a football stadium, later zooms into the crowd and narrows down on Esposito. This follows a hand-held camera movement where Gomez is chased, run down by a footballer and nabbed by the police.... all this in a single shot. Brilliant!!!

I guess it all depends how each scene is written and envisioned.... including how a character reacts... what element is highlighted.. and even the sequence of events. As a writer and director, Campanella has crafted El secreto very well and all the subtle mannerisms and dialogues have taken the movie to an altogether new level. To me, there were two scenes that were a little graphic. The first one is where Liliana's physically abused deadbody is shown. And the second one is a close up shot in the scene where Irene instigates Gomez in the court to incriminate him. I feel both the scenes could have done away with the graphic shots. Coming back to the positives, the movie excels in the departments of screenplay, dialogues, acting, cinematography and background music. And in the climax, justice prevails and love triumphs over fear.

Of all the movies that contested at the 82nd Academy awards, I have watched only three as of this writing. The first one I watched was 'Avatar' (in 3D of course). 'El Secreto de sus ojos' was the second and 'The Hurt Locker' was the third. To me, 'El secreto' was the most entertaining and complete movie among the three. I would rate it better than Avatar and The Hurt Locker. I know "It's complicated" to compare the three movies because I am not comparing apples with apples. But, like Esposito says towards the end, "I don't care".... whatever they may be, they are all movies after all.