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dangermousie(I promise I'll get to all the comments, I am terribly behind).
Today's random youtube video of the week is my favorite song from the Bollywood romantic epic Kisna.
If you feel like watching a period romance with its Indian hero protecting its English heroine from rampaging mobs? It's the movie for you. Set in the 1930s, it follows Kisna and Katherine. They are childhood friends and when a nationalist mob kills her father, Kisna promises to protect Katherine and escort her to the safety of the British High Commission in New Delhi, who will arrange for her to board a ship home. Lots of adventures, courtesans, evil Princes, mobs etc follow. And along the way they fall in looooooooove.
I. Am. In. Love.
At their very best, BW movies can give you an emotional high no HW movie can achieve. They can transport you into another world and make you feel with utter intensity. Kisna did that for me.
Barring VZ, this is by far my favorite movie this year (i.e. it's second favorite). It's an amazing, vivid, intense, super-saturated, passionate dream. It is an utterly romantic movie. I might write a longer write up later, but just scattered observations as of now.
Random points follow (or GB's 10 points):
1. I thought Yaadein was rather underrated and Taal rather overrated but neither was a masterpiece. I loved Pardes for it's subtle love story and nuanced main characters but it was a long time ago and it had heavy handed "West is corrupt" peaching. However, this is by far the best Ghai movie I have ever seen. It's amazing. I forgive his previous coke ads. And like Pardes and Yaadein, he doesn't not go for instalove here.
2. People kept complaining about the editing but I saw nothing wrong with it.
3. I loved the costumes!
4. The soundrack and the choreography! I was in heaven. Especially coming off the dissapointing in these respects B&P. No wonder, since this combined my two favorite BW composers. Isha's dancing skills were unsual and beautiful (that is what RGV should have come up with for Naach) and I loved every single song. In fact, I loved Katherine's fantasy song, rainbows and all, and saw nothing the matter with it.
5. The cast:
a. Vivek: I now have to swallow every negative comment I made about him before. Don't worry about KHGN, Vivek! All's forgiven This movie reminded me why I loved him in Yuva and liked him in Saathiya, only much more so. He looks gorgeous and acts very well. The reviewers who said Antonia stole the movie from him were flat wrong. And when he does intense or emotional...puddle of goo here. The look of sheer rage in his eyes as he finally goes for the Prince. The naked yearning as he stares at Katherine. The wild desperation as he pleads with his brother. The way he looks both ashamed and grateful at Katherine's "Christian" line. Antonia and he had great chemistry.
b. Antonia: miles away from Rachel Shelley of Lagaan. She is beautiful and can act. And her character is very strong. She is no wilting blossom. She fights the Prince's rape (and slaps him and calls him bastard), she tells the older brother to kill her rather than continue the family discord, she is able nd helpful during the horse chase, she rescues Kisna (with an ax) from the burning building, and later saves him by lying that he is Christian. She is also funny and young and sweet. I loved her.
c. Isha. Not much to do and her character was annoying as heck (oh, forget your Mummy, it's me me me me). But she is beautful and incredibly flexible.
d. It was great to see Amrish Puri again
e. The white actors were good for once.
f. Om Puri was a scream
g. Sushmita (and her number) were mind-blowing.
6. The notion of love in this movie. For one thing, it's not instalove. For another, though they clearly are unfulfilled in one respect, both Kisna and Katherine go on to lead full, rich, useful lives. I also liked that Katherine married. And the depth of love as well as their desperation is shown so well.
7. The scenery and locations are amazing.
8. This movie had a complicated and complex plot and relationships. Oh, and you could feel the desperation, the passion and the strength and intensity of their bond throughout.
9. Favorite scenes:
a. Kisna's intro, riding those horses. Breathtaking.
b. Katherine hiding in the temple in abject fear and her shrinking from Kisna
c. Sushmita's dance
d. Katherine tending Kisna's wound and the song. I don't care if everyone else hated it
e. The whole confrontation between the brothers. The desperation and the passion of it all. The fact that Kisna is so clearly torn and begs and yet kills his Uncle to protect Katherine. The fact that he doesn't want to fight his brother and you see his loathing. Katherine's intervention. Kisna pushed beyond breaking point and confessing his love and posessiveness out loud, defiantly, in front of the mob.
f. Their dip in the river
g. The whole scene in the rioting city. Kisna being trapped and almost burnt alive. Katherine rescuing him. Their separation. Kisna fighting the Prince with his bare hands (when he comes running in slo mo, I swooned). Katherine's lie and speech about religion.
f. the "drink milk" scene.
g. The way he keeps looking at her during their intro song.
10. Why oh why did he go back and marry Isha? Whhhhyyyy?
So yeah, I loved it. Only Veer-Zaara comes more highly recommended this year (though to be fair, I haven't seen Swades yet).
Today's random youtube video of the week is my favorite song from the Bollywood romantic epic Kisna.
If you feel like watching a period romance with its Indian hero protecting its English heroine from rampaging mobs? It's the movie for you. Set in the 1930s, it follows Kisna and Katherine. They are childhood friends and when a nationalist mob kills her father, Kisna promises to protect Katherine and escort her to the safety of the British High Commission in New Delhi, who will arrange for her to board a ship home. Lots of adventures, courtesans, evil Princes, mobs etc follow. And along the way they fall in looooooooove.
I. Am. In. Love.
At their very best, BW movies can give you an emotional high no HW movie can achieve. They can transport you into another world and make you feel with utter intensity. Kisna did that for me.
Barring VZ, this is by far my favorite movie this year (i.e. it's second favorite). It's an amazing, vivid, intense, super-saturated, passionate dream. It is an utterly romantic movie. I might write a longer write up later, but just scattered observations as of now.
Random points follow (or GB's 10 points):
1. I thought Yaadein was rather underrated and Taal rather overrated but neither was a masterpiece. I loved Pardes for it's subtle love story and nuanced main characters but it was a long time ago and it had heavy handed "West is corrupt" peaching. However, this is by far the best Ghai movie I have ever seen. It's amazing. I forgive his previous coke ads. And like Pardes and Yaadein, he doesn't not go for instalove here.
2. People kept complaining about the editing but I saw nothing wrong with it.
3. I loved the costumes!
4. The soundrack and the choreography! I was in heaven. Especially coming off the dissapointing in these respects B&P. No wonder, since this combined my two favorite BW composers. Isha's dancing skills were unsual and beautiful (that is what RGV should have come up with for Naach) and I loved every single song. In fact, I loved Katherine's fantasy song, rainbows and all, and saw nothing the matter with it.
5. The cast:
a. Vivek: I now have to swallow every negative comment I made about him before. Don't worry about KHGN, Vivek! All's forgiven This movie reminded me why I loved him in Yuva and liked him in Saathiya, only much more so. He looks gorgeous and acts very well. The reviewers who said Antonia stole the movie from him were flat wrong. And when he does intense or emotional...puddle of goo here. The look of sheer rage in his eyes as he finally goes for the Prince. The naked yearning as he stares at Katherine. The wild desperation as he pleads with his brother. The way he looks both ashamed and grateful at Katherine's "Christian" line. Antonia and he had great chemistry.
b. Antonia: miles away from Rachel Shelley of Lagaan. She is beautiful and can act. And her character is very strong. She is no wilting blossom. She fights the Prince's rape (and slaps him and calls him bastard), she tells the older brother to kill her rather than continue the family discord, she is able nd helpful during the horse chase, she rescues Kisna (with an ax) from the burning building, and later saves him by lying that he is Christian. She is also funny and young and sweet. I loved her.
c. Isha. Not much to do and her character was annoying as heck (oh, forget your Mummy, it's me me me me). But she is beautful and incredibly flexible.
d. It was great to see Amrish Puri again
e. The white actors were good for once.
f. Om Puri was a scream
g. Sushmita (and her number) were mind-blowing.
6. The notion of love in this movie. For one thing, it's not instalove. For another, though they clearly are unfulfilled in one respect, both Kisna and Katherine go on to lead full, rich, useful lives. I also liked that Katherine married. And the depth of love as well as their desperation is shown so well.
7. The scenery and locations are amazing.
8. This movie had a complicated and complex plot and relationships. Oh, and you could feel the desperation, the passion and the strength and intensity of their bond throughout.
9. Favorite scenes:
a. Kisna's intro, riding those horses. Breathtaking.
b. Katherine hiding in the temple in abject fear and her shrinking from Kisna
c. Sushmita's dance
d. Katherine tending Kisna's wound and the song. I don't care if everyone else hated it
e. The whole confrontation between the brothers. The desperation and the passion of it all. The fact that Kisna is so clearly torn and begs and yet kills his Uncle to protect Katherine. The fact that he doesn't want to fight his brother and you see his loathing. Katherine's intervention. Kisna pushed beyond breaking point and confessing his love and posessiveness out loud, defiantly, in front of the mob.
f. Their dip in the river
g. The whole scene in the rioting city. Kisna being trapped and almost burnt alive. Katherine rescuing him. Their separation. Kisna fighting the Prince with his bare hands (when he comes running in slo mo, I swooned). Katherine's lie and speech about religion.
f. the "drink milk" scene.
g. The way he keeps looking at her during their intro song.
10. Why oh why did he go back and marry Isha? Whhhhyyyy?
So yeah, I loved it. Only Veer-Zaara comes more highly recommended this year (though to be fair, I haven't seen Swades yet).
