Friday, March 28, 2008
Monsoon Wedding
Monsoon Wedding was a thoroughly enjoyable Indian culture film. The director and producer, Mira Nair started her film career in documentaries. It is only fitting then to see her incorporate her documentary background into her films. This is clearly seen in Monsoon Wedding. Many realistic aspects of Indian life and culture are mixed with various western influences and universal issues. The film discusses the hardship of paying for a traditional Indian wedding, the emotional hardship of an arranged marriage between two strangers, and the complicated relationship that exists between extended family. The film flows in such ways that all the myriad of characters present are able to really connect with the audience. The audience is able to feel the hardship that the characters are experiencing and going through. Additionally, Monsoon Wedding is not what would be classified as a typical Bollywood film. That is entirely due to the fact that it is not a Bollywood film. Many individuals who are unfamiliar with Indian cinema would not know that not all Indian films include song and dance, which is traditional of Bollywood films. I think that is why I enjoyed the film so much. It was very similar to traditional independent films found here in the states. It is a deeper, more intimate account of family values and troubles that are faced on a daily basis. Monsoon Wedding is a truly touching story and is definitely worth seeing. Thus far, it is one of my favorite foreign films.
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2 comments:
Thea, I also really liked this movie because there were so many issues that the film touched on that made the film entertaining. I agree with you that this film is definitely not a traditional Bollywood film.
One of the aspects Monsoon Wedding addresses is the idea of female chastity. India is a very traditional culture in which women are expected to be virgins when they wed. In Monsoon Wedding, it is interesting to see that the traditional arranged marriage that serves as the setting for the film is tainted by the woman's love for another man, sexually and emotionally, up until the wedding day. Also, the issue of the child molestation in which the youngest girl in the family and also another older relative has been abused by one of their uncles discusses the purity of a child.
Good point on making the ties between her previous work background and the style of the movie. However, I think you could've gone in little deeper and say how her documentary background is seen.
Your review seem to be that your post can be read by potential audience for a teaser but may be you could point some more criticism the director is making through the movie. Good job!
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