Fanaa and French Revolution. Yup, they got nothing in common!

OK, this is actually about all the people who hated Fanaa because it was unrealistic. You know, Fanaa. The movie whose one-line summary is "A blind girl and a terrorist fall in love." And it's a summary known basically to everyone who went to see it. This is not going to be a slice of real life, kitchen-sink drama, and you know exactly in advance what it's going to be. That's right, an epic, angstorrific melodrama, like so many other Bollywood movies. You've been warned. This is the genre it's in. It's like going to see MI3 and complaining there is too much action or some slasher flick and complaining about the violence. You can complain if the romance or the action or the horror is badly done, but you have to look at the movie within the confines of its genre.

( Fanaa and genre )

In other, completely unrelated news, I've been reading the essay aliterati recommended on Robespierre by Hilary Mantel. I think I have a bit of a girl-crush on her now. That site has a lot of thoughtful essays and they are not all about the French Revolution either. There is a fascinating one about saintly fasts in the context of anorexia. Btw, Hilary Mantel is a novelist who wrote the best novel about the French Revolution I've read, called A Place of greater Safety which is the interconnecting stories of Danton, Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins (if the book has a main character, it's him). According to aliterati, she started the book in love with Camille and ended it in love with Robespierre but it was too late to re-write. I am not complaining since there are plenty of books about Robespierre and Danton and not that many about Camille.

And to go on a tangent, I remember reading Carlyle's The French Revolution and thinking how differently the historians used to write. Because I mentioned Camille, here is how Carlyle introduces him:

A fellow of infinite shrewdness, wit, nay humour; one of the sprightliest clearest souls in all these millions. Thou poor Camille, say of thee what they may, it were but falsehood to pretend one did not almost love thee, thou headlong lightly-sparkling man!

Or this description of Robespierre (whom he clearly wasn't fond of, sorry aliterati): With a strict painful mind, an understanding small but clear and ready, he grew in favour with official persons, who could foresee in him an excellent man of business, happily quite free from genius. Ouch.

Or on Danton: The great heart of Danton is weary of it. Danton is gone to native Arcis, for a little breathing time of peace: Away, black Arachne-webs, thou world of Fury, Terror, and Suspicion; welcome, thou everlasting Mother, with thy spring greenness, thy kind household loves and memories; true art thou, were all else untrue! The great Titan walks silent, by the banks of the murmuring Aube, in young native haunts that knew him when a boy; wonders what the end of these things may be.

Can you imagine a modern historian writing so? But I actually rather like it. It makes for a hell of an entertaining read, if nothing else.

And of course, the Georgians were struck by the 'romantic,' just the way we are. Just see this: Camille's young beautiful Wife, who had made him rich not in money alone, hovers round the Luxembourg, like a disembodied spirit, day and night. Camille's stolen letters to her still exist; stained with the mark of his tears. (Apercus sur Camille Desmoulins in Vieux Cordelier, Paris, 1825, pp. 1-29.) The citation at the end is rather anticlimactic :) (I did read some of them, as well as his other stuff, and he was quite a good writer. Understandably angsty and self-pitying in the letters to Lucile that Carlyle mentions though).

Of course, whatever Carlyle's historical biases, he was an immensely readable writer.

And thus ends this digression from anything...

Fanaa and French Revolution. Yup, they got nothing in common!

OK, this is actually about all the people who hated Fanaa because it was unrealistic. You know, Fanaa. The movie whose one-line summary is "A blind girl and a terrorist fall in love." And it's a summary known basically to everyone who went to see it. This is not going to be a slice of real life, kitchen-sink drama, and you know exactly in advance what it's going to be. That's right, an epic, angstorrific melodrama, like so many other Bollywood movies. You've been warned. This is the genre it's in. It's like going to see MI3 and complaining there is too much action or some slasher flick and complaining about the violence. You can complain if the romance or the action or the horror is badly done, but you have to look at the movie within the confines of its genre.

( Fanaa and genre )

In other, completely unrelated news, I've been reading the essay aliterati recommended on Robespierre by Hilary Mantel. I think I have a bit of a girl-crush on her now. That site has a lot of thoughtful essays and they are not all about the French Revolution either. There is a fascinating one about saintly fasts in the context of anorexia. Btw, Hilary Mantel is a novelist who wrote the best novel about the French Revolution I've read, called A Place of greater Safety which is the interconnecting stories of Danton, Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins (if the book has a main character, it's him). According to aliterati, she started the book in love with Camille and ended it in love with Robespierre but it was too late to re-write. I am not complaining since there are plenty of books about Robespierre and Danton and not that many about Camille.

And to go on a tangent, I remember reading Carlyle's The French Revolution and thinking how differently the historians used to write. Because I mentioned Camille, here is how Carlyle introduces him:

A fellow of infinite shrewdness, wit, nay humour; one of the sprightliest clearest souls in all these millions. Thou poor Camille, say of thee what they may, it were but falsehood to pretend one did not almost love thee, thou headlong lightly-sparkling man!

Or this description of Robespierre (whom he clearly wasn't fond of, sorry aliterati): With a strict painful mind, an understanding small but clear and ready, he grew in favour with official persons, who could foresee in him an excellent man of business, happily quite free from genius. Ouch.

Or on Danton: The great heart of Danton is weary of it. Danton is gone to native Arcis, for a little breathing time of peace: Away, black Arachne-webs, thou world of Fury, Terror, and Suspicion; welcome, thou everlasting Mother, with thy spring greenness, thy kind household loves and memories; true art thou, were all else untrue! The great Titan walks silent, by the banks of the murmuring Aube, in young native haunts that knew him when a boy; wonders what the end of these things may be.

Can you imagine a modern historian writing so? But I actually rather like it. It makes for a hell of an entertaining read, if nothing else.

And of course, the Georgians were struck by the 'romantic,' just the way we are. Just see this: Camille's young beautiful Wife, who had made him rich not in money alone, hovers round the Luxembourg, like a disembodied spirit, day and night. Camille's stolen letters to her still exist; stained with the mark of his tears. (Apercus sur Camille Desmoulins in Vieux Cordelier, Paris, 1825, pp. 1-29.) The citation at the end is rather anticlimactic :) (I did read some of them, as well as his other stuff, and he was quite a good writer. Understandably angsty and self-pitying in the letters to Lucile that Carlyle mentions though).

Of course, whatever Carlyle's historical biases, he was an immensely readable writer.

And thus ends this digression from anything...

Fanaa and French Revolution. Yup, they got nothing in common!

OK, this is actually about all the people who hated Fanaa because it was unrealistic. You know, Fanaa. The movie whose one-line summary is "A blind girl and a terrorist fall in love." And it's a summary known basically to everyone who went to see it. This is not going to be a slice of real life, kitchen-sink drama, and you know exactly in advance what it's going to be. That's right, an epic, angstorrific melodrama, like so many other Bollywood movies. You've been warned. This is the genre it's in. It's like going to see MI3 and complaining there is too much action or some slasher flick and complaining about the violence. You can complain if the romance or the action or the horror is badly done, but you have to look at the movie within the confines of its genre.

( Fanaa and genre )

In other, completely unrelated news, I've been reading the essay aliterati recommended on Robespierre by Hilary Mantel. I think I have a bit of a girl-crush on her now. That site has a lot of thoughtful essays and they are not all about the French Revolution either. There is a fascinating one about saintly fasts in the context of anorexia. Btw, Hilary Mantel is a novelist who wrote the best novel about the French Revolution I've read, called A Place of greater Safety which is the interconnecting stories of Danton, Robespierre and Camille Desmoulins (if the book has a main character, it's him). According to aliterati, she started the book in love with Camille and ended it in love with Robespierre but it was too late to re-write. I am not complaining since there are plenty of books about Robespierre and Danton and not that many about Camille.

And to go on a tangent, I remember reading Carlyle's The French Revolution and thinking how differently the historians used to write. Because I mentioned Camille, here is how Carlyle introduces him:

A fellow of infinite shrewdness, wit, nay humour; one of the sprightliest clearest souls in all these millions. Thou poor Camille, say of thee what they may, it were but falsehood to pretend one did not almost love thee, thou headlong lightly-sparkling man!

Or this description of Robespierre (whom he clearly wasn't fond of, sorry aliterati): With a strict painful mind, an understanding small but clear and ready, he grew in favour with official persons, who could foresee in him an excellent man of business, happily quite free from genius. Ouch.

Or on Danton: The great heart of Danton is weary of it. Danton is gone to native Arcis, for a little breathing time of peace: Away, black Arachne-webs, thou world of Fury, Terror, and Suspicion; welcome, thou everlasting Mother, with thy spring greenness, thy kind household loves and memories; true art thou, were all else untrue! The great Titan walks silent, by the banks of the murmuring Aube, in young native haunts that knew him when a boy; wonders what the end of these things may be.

Can you imagine a modern historian writing so? But I actually rather like it. It makes for a hell of an entertaining read, if nothing else.

And of course, the Georgians were struck by the 'romantic,' just the way we are. Just see this: Camille's young beautiful Wife, who had made him rich not in money alone, hovers round the Luxembourg, like a disembodied spirit, day and night. Camille's stolen letters to her still exist; stained with the mark of his tears. (Apercus sur Camille Desmoulins in Vieux Cordelier, Paris, 1825, pp. 1-29.) The citation at the end is rather anticlimactic :) (I did read some of them, as well as his other stuff, and he was quite a good writer. Understandably angsty and self-pitying in the letters to Lucile that Carlyle mentions though).

Of course, whatever Carlyle's historical biases, he was an immensely readable writer.

And thus ends this digression from anything...

KANK cornucopia and a bit of other Bolly eye candy

This is an eye candy post. Pure and simple.

There is a new SRK pic from KANK which is quite appropriate considering it's World Cup. Also, it's insanely hot. And I also have capture stills from the KANK promo and larger versions of the SRK-related promo caps courtesy of srk.org. I still can't believe BW is making a movie about falling in love with other people. After marriage.

And I stole from thelana a gorgeous Kajol pic (because Kajol!!!) and the poster for the Indian reimagining of Othello (Omkara) which sounds fantastic.

( Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Yummy Angst )

( Omkara. Shakepearean Angst )

( Kajol. No angst )

KANK cornucopia and a bit of other Bolly eye candy

This is an eye candy post. Pure and simple.

There is a new SRK pic from KANK which is quite appropriate considering it's World Cup. Also, it's insanely hot. And I also have capture stills from the KANK promo and larger versions of the SRK-related promo caps courtesy of srk.org. I still can't believe BW is making a movie about falling in love with other people. After marriage.

And I stole from thelana a gorgeous Kajol pic (because Kajol!!!) and the poster for the Indian reimagining of Othello (Omkara) which sounds fantastic.

( Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Yummy Angst )

( Omkara. Shakepearean Angst )

( Kajol. No angst )

KANK cornucopia and a bit of other Bolly eye candy

This is an eye candy post. Pure and simple.

There is a new SRK pic from KANK which is quite appropriate considering it's World Cup. Also, it's insanely hot. And I also have capture stills from the KANK promo and larger versions of the SRK-related promo caps courtesy of srk.org. I still can't believe BW is making a movie about falling in love with other people. After marriage.

And I stole from thelana a gorgeous Kajol pic (because Kajol!!!) and the poster for the Indian reimagining of Othello (Omkara) which sounds fantastic.

( Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna. Yummy Angst )

( Omkara. Shakepearean Angst )

( Kajol. No angst )

My, my, rather florid...revolutionary OTPs of doom

Because I mentioned Camille Desmoulins in a previous post, in the context of Carlyle siting a letter of his to his wife, I've actually found the translated text on-line. It makes for a fascinating reading, mix of very personal and very political, romantic and (since I hesitate to call a man who is going to be exectuted whiny because...good cause for complaint) self-pitying.

Also, interestingly enough, people apparently OTP them: http://www.angelfire.com/ca6/frenchrevolution89/desmoulins.html

Well, they certainly had plenty of drama: Apparently Camille collapsed when he heard that Lucile, who stood outside the prison everyday so that he could see her, was to be arrested on trumped-up charges of leading a prison revolt. "They're going to kill my wife!" (they did, btw). And on the scaffold he gave a lock of Lucile's hair, which he had kept in a locket around his neck to the executioner asking him to give it to Lucile's mother. No wonder the Victorians ate it all up with a spoon. This is so totally Bollywood!

( goodbye life, my soul, my share of divinity on earth )

OMG, there is actually a movie about them, a French TV drama with a rather unwieldy title of: Les Amours sous la révolution: La passion de Camille et Lucile Desmoulins. Maybe I could get my hands on it and then aliterati could bring her Saint-Just one (that I just found out was the one I saw when I was a kid and ended up drooling over Saint-Just, heeee), and we could make a night of really obscure movies about secondary French revolutionary figures. Heeeee.

My, my, rather florid...revolutionary OTPs of doom

Because I mentioned Camille Desmoulins in a previous post, in the context of Carlyle siting a letter of his to his wife, I've actually found the translated text on-line. It makes for a fascinating reading, mix of very personal and very political, romantic and (since I hesitate to call a man who is going to be exectuted whiny because...good cause for complaint) self-pitying.

Also, interestingly enough, people apparently OTP them: http://www.angelfire.com/ca6/frenchrevolution89/desmoulins.html

Well, they certainly had plenty of drama: Apparently Camille collapsed when he heard that Lucile, who stood outside the prison everyday so that he could see her, was to be arrested on trumped-up charges of leading a prison revolt. "They're going to kill my wife!" (they did, btw). And on the scaffold he gave a lock of Lucile's hair, which he had kept in a locket around his neck to the executioner asking him to give it to Lucile's mother. No wonder the Victorians ate it all up with a spoon. This is so totally Bollywood!

( goodbye life, my soul, my share of divinity on earth )

OMG, there is actually a movie about them, a French TV drama with a rather unwieldy title of: Les Amours sous la révolution: La passion de Camille et Lucile Desmoulins. Maybe I could get my hands on it and then aliterati could bring her Saint-Just one (that I just found out was the one I saw when I was a kid and ended up drooling over Saint-Just, heeee), and we could make a night of really obscure movies about secondary French revolutionary figures. Heeeee.

My, my, rather florid...revolutionary OTPs of doom

Because I mentioned Camille Desmoulins in a previous post, in the context of Carlyle siting a letter of his to his wife, I've actually found the translated text on-line. It makes for a fascinating reading, mix of very personal and very political, romantic and (since I hesitate to call a man who is going to be exectuted whiny because...good cause for complaint) self-pitying.

Also, interestingly enough, people apparently OTP them: http://www.angelfire.com/ca6/frenchrevolution89/desmoulins.html

Well, they certainly had plenty of drama: Apparently Camille collapsed when he heard that Lucile, who stood outside the prison everyday so that he could see her, was to be arrested on trumped-up charges of leading a prison revolt. "They're going to kill my wife!" (they did, btw). And on the scaffold he gave a lock of Lucile's hair, which he had kept in a locket around his neck to the executioner asking him to give it to Lucile's mother. No wonder the Victorians ate it all up with a spoon. This is so totally Bollywood!

( goodbye life, my soul, my share of divinity on earth )

OMG, there is actually a movie about them, a French TV drama with a rather unwieldy title of: Les Amours sous la révolution: La passion de Camille et Lucile Desmoulins. Maybe I could get my hands on it and then aliterati could bring her Saint-Just one (that I just found out was the one I saw when I was a kid and ended up drooling over Saint-Just, heeee), and we could make a night of really obscure movies about secondary French revolutionary figures. Heeeee.

Sheer Animal Magentism

And here comes my latest in the series of posts of no interest to anyone except aliterati

Combining French Revolution and tackiness in staggering fashion, I present to you revolutionary figures with magnetic hair. Yes indeed. Have you always wondered what Robespierre would look like bald? or Danton with a handlebar mustache? Now you can find out, courtesy of Ebay.

Robespierre

Danton

Mirabeau

Saint-Just

Marat

Camille Desmoulins

Lucile Desmoulins

In case you are interested in what they really looked like, ( Portraits behind the cut )

And because I am on the French revolution kick, here is a portrait of Andre Chenier. Andre Chenier was a poet, executed during the Reign of Terror (here is an Encyclopedia Britannica article on him) I do love his widely quoted statement: "What is virtue? Reason put into practice. Talent? Reason expressed with brilliance. Soul? Reason delicately put forth. And genius is sublime reason."

Here are his poems in French. I don't read French well at all, so here are translations into Russian Charlotte Corday, Young Captive (it's the third poem on the list). Interestingly, both Pushkin and Tsvetayeva, very major Russian poets were very taken with Chenier, I think probably as an idea of the poet-revolutionary. They wrote poems about him, Pushkin's poem and Tsvetayava's poem are on line. They are, of course, in Russian. I am sure there are English translations of those as well as of Chenier's own poems, but I couldn't find those on-line. There has also been an opera about the guy.

( Andre Chenier portrait )

Just for crumpeteer Lavoisier ( Portrait )

( Oh heck, a lot of protraits of other French revolutionaries and not-so-revolutionaries )

Sheer Animal Magentism

And here comes my latest in the series of posts of no interest to anyone except aliterati

Combining French Revolution and tackiness in staggering fashion, I present to you revolutionary figures with magnetic hair. Yes indeed. Have you always wondered what Robespierre would look like bald? or Danton with a handlebar mustache? Now you can find out, courtesy of Ebay.

Robespierre

Danton

Mirabeau

Saint-Just

Marat

Camille Desmoulins

Lucile Desmoulins

In case you are interested in what they really looked like, ( Portraits behind the cut )

And because I am on the French revolution kick, here is a portrait of Andre Chenier. Andre Chenier was a poet, executed during the Reign of Terror (here is an Encyclopedia Britannica article on him) I do love his widely quoted statement: "What is virtue? Reason put into practice. Talent? Reason expressed with brilliance. Soul? Reason delicately put forth. And genius is sublime reason."

Here are his poems in French. I don't read French well at all, so here are translations into Russian Charlotte Corday, Young Captive (it's the third poem on the list). Interestingly, both Pushkin and Tsvetayeva, very major Russian poets were very taken with Chenier, I think probably as an idea of the poet-revolutionary. They wrote poems about him, Pushkin's poem and Tsvetayava's poem are on line. They are, of course, in Russian. I am sure there are English translations of those as well as of Chenier's own poems, but I couldn't find those on-line. There has also been an opera about the guy.

( Andre Chenier portrait )

Just for crumpeteer Lavoisier ( Portrait )

( Oh heck, a lot of protraits of other French revolutionaries and not-so-revolutionaries )

Sheer Animal Magentism

And here comes my latest in the series of posts of no interest to anyone except aliterati

Combining French Revolution and tackiness in staggering fashion, I present to you revolutionary figures with magnetic hair. Yes indeed. Have you always wondered what Robespierre would look like bald? or Danton with a handlebar mustache? Now you can find out, courtesy of Ebay.

Robespierre

Danton

Mirabeau

Saint-Just

Marat

Camille Desmoulins

Lucile Desmoulins

In case you are interested in what they really looked like, ( Portraits behind the cut )

And because I am on the French revolution kick, here is a portrait of Andre Chenier. Andre Chenier was a poet, executed during the Reign of Terror (here is an Encyclopedia Britannica article on him) I do love his widely quoted statement: "What is virtue? Reason put into practice. Talent? Reason expressed with brilliance. Soul? Reason delicately put forth. And genius is sublime reason."

Here are his poems in French. I don't read French well at all, so here are translations into Russian Charlotte Corday, Young Captive (it's the third poem on the list). Interestingly, both Pushkin and Tsvetayeva, very major Russian poets were very taken with Chenier, I think probably as an idea of the poet-revolutionary. They wrote poems about him, Pushkin's poem and Tsvetayava's poem are on line. They are, of course, in Russian. I am sure there are English translations of those as well as of Chenier's own poems, but I couldn't find those on-line. There has also been an opera about the guy.

( Andre Chenier portrait )

Just for crumpeteer Lavoisier ( Portrait )

( Oh heck, a lot of protraits of other French revolutionaries and not-so-revolutionaries )