Charulata, one of Ray’s most admired films, inhabits a significant historical background that unfolds to problematise the presupposed role of the contemporary Indian woman. Based on Tagore’s novel, the film is set in 19th century Bengal on the threshold of change and is one of Ray’s attempts to chart female subjectivity at a time when Bengali society and culture was in a state of flux between modernity and tradition.
In Charulata, Ray seems to suggest that the Bengali Renaissance was essentially a bourgeois male fantasy backed by wealth, lofty ideals and self-indulgence. It was male-centric and lacking in practical wisdom and it became a victim of its own high minded idealism. The high liberal rhetoric of these men was a borrowed voice from the west which had no real connection with the actual realities of the day. Most of them could not even keep their own house in order. Bhupati Nath Dutta, Charulata’s husband, the self-proclaimed liberal social reformer, is portrayed as being so lost in himself that he unknowingly neglects his wife who remains in seclusion within the “andarmahal” or inner sanctum of the house. Bhupati, in his western clothes, spouts the new liberal rhetoric but he hardly notices Charu’s bid to break out of her role as a 19th century housewife. Thus, Ray shows that the neo-liberalism which these Bengali Renaissance men insisted was in substance only a facade trying to conceal the same old power and gender structures. Although Bhupati instructs Amal, his cousin, to look after Charu’s education and creative writing, his overall attitude reveals that Charu’s creative gifts are hardly of much importance in the larger social context. Bhupati’s neo-liberal political and socialist stance is thus revealed to be much nar...
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... gaze through her opera glasses signify immediate empowerment for her, they later prove to be inadequate to grant Charu actual female emancipation and agency. The film, however, is not exactly centred around the question as to whether she can ever achieve her liberation but it stresses on the right to her awakening and self-liberation. Whether Charu can ever come out of the confines of the Prabina and negotiate with the terms of the Nabina is ultimately left unanswered at the end. The famous last scene which Ray confesses was influenced by the ending of Truffaut’s Les Quatre Cents Coups—Charu and Bhupati’s hands coming together and yet never meeting—signifies not only the uncertainty in the husband-wife relationship, but also shows that the transition from the Prabina to the Nabina is never complete and is always tinged with a sense of ambiguity and incompleteness.
In the film, Tangerine, directed by Sean Baker we not only witness the tragic and complex lives of transgender street workers, but even more importantly the deep connections created by their bonds of friendship. Ironically, as we hear songstress Alexandra singing the Toyland, one can’t help but see the contradiction in their current situations. As Sin-dee looks on and listens to Alex, you can see a childlike wonder or melancholy come over her face. Perhaps she’s reminiscing about a time of innocence or a time of hope. One that we all wish for “our” children, but sadly is not always realized for those who don’t fit the “norm”. I am reminded of the words Jesus spoke, So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be
The movie Shock Doctrine revolves around the concept of the same name. The film begins by discussing psychological research on the effects of shock therapy. It is evident that a person under extreme stress and anxiety commonly experienced during a crisis functions and performs inadequately. It is noted that the studies are conducted by a man by the name of Milton Friedman, from the University of Chicago; the studies took place in the past, and some of the subjects are still recovering in the aftermath. From this research, interrogation techniques were learned and the concept of the shock doctrine was formed. Essentially through causing a crisis, the population of a country can be shocked into complying with accepting laws that favors the United States and capitalism. This theory coexists with Friedman’s belief in that government regulation is bad, and through a crisis a country would better itself with deregulation. The video uses Chile as an example and shows how America allowed a crisis to occur in Chile, through coups, interrogations and subterfuge. In the end a new government is formed that allows capitalism. Unfortunately afterwards violence and riots occur, as the rich gain most of the wealth and poverty rises. In addition to Chile, Argentina, Russia and even Iraq underwent the shock doctrine. Almost in every account, poverty rises and violence ends up erupting. The movie ends by showing how the US was in the process of the shock doctrine, and still is but the population has taken notice. Protests such as Occupy Wall Street are some of the initiatives necessary to bring awareness to the problems of class inequalities in order to prevent capitalism from benefitting the rich and increasing the wealth gap among the classes.
In the documentary “Fed Up,” sugar is responsible for Americas rising obesity rate, which is happening even with the great stress that is set on exercise and portion control for those who are overweight. Fed Up is a film directed by Stephanie Soechtig, with Executive Producers Katie Couric and Laurie David. The filmmaker’s intent is mainly to inform people of the dangers of too much sugar, but it also talks about the fat’s in our diets and the food corporation shadiness. The filmmaker wants to educate the country on the effects of a poor diet and to open eyes to the obesity catastrophe in the United States. The main debate used is that sugar is the direct matter of obesity. Overall, I don’t believe the filmmaker’s debate was successful.
Thesis: In the movie “The Way Way Back”, an adolescent boy, Duncan, battles with his self confidence stemming from his mom’s new boyfriend who rates him as a 3 out of 10. The movie is a heartwarming story as it takes the audience through Duncan’s internal battle and he discovers somewhere and someone he can call home.
The Three Here’s for Cooking The romantic comedy, Today’s Special, expressed the worries of Indian parents becoming at ease. Also, expressed the struggles a parent faces in search of a better life, the passion and dedication going unnoticed in the work field, and the connection between friends, a lover, and family. However, the film centered its attention more on the development of Samir’s “cold” cooking within the Indian food, with the help of Akbar. In addition, the main actors in the film looked the part and associated with the main idea of the culture of an Indian family. For instance, Samir’s appearance showed he had drifted away from his family’s culture and developed a professional understanding and love for the cooking industry.
Nicholas Hytner 's adaptation of Arthur Miller 's The Crucible provides an interesting look into the life of the Puritans. The Crucible follows the small town of Salem as they are engulfed in the mass hysteria of witchcraft. A group of young girls is caught dancing in the woods, and thus fearing punishment claim that they were possessed by the devil. Soon the accusations run wild which resulted in the arrest of two-hundred peoples, and the execution of twenty. Today the film is regarded as an allegory for the McCarthy hearings, though it also provides an intimate look into the closed societies of colonial America. The film displays some of the themes presented in Scupins book Anthropology of Religion. Hytner’s work has become an excellent contemporary depiction of the leviathan-like power the Puritan Church had over the community, and their ability to rule through fear. Furthermore, Salam was a small, isolated town and was not exposed to outside ideas, this coupled with the Church 's power worked to demonize any outside forces. The film also depicts women 's relationship with witchcraft, and how accusations were used by the patriarchy to maintain their power over women, and how the young girls were able to gain power and influence through the act of accusation.
In spite of the fact that the parents wish that their youngsters would hold their Bengali legacy by keeping alive their dialect and wedding other Bengalis, Gogol and Sonia are hesitant to do as such. They are American, they demand. While living at home, the youngsters are faithful; however, just hardly emulate their parents'
In this chapter Mahasweta Devi’s anthology of short stories entitled Breast Stories to analyze representations of violence and oppression against women in name of gender. In her Breast Stories, Devi twice evokes female characters from ancient Hindu mythology, envisions them as subalterns in the imagined historical context and, creates a link with the female protagonists of her short stories. As the title suggests, Breast Stories is a trilogy of short stories; it has been translated and analyzed by Gayatri Chakraborty Spivak and, in Spivak’s view, the ‘breast’ of a woman in these stories becomes the instrument of a brutal condemnation of patriarchy. Indeed, breast can be construed as the motif for violence in the three short stories “Draupadi,” “Breast-Giver,” and “Behind the Bodice,”
The world before her is a film of hope and dreams for Indian women. We examine two girls with different paths but one goal in common, empowerment. This term conveys a wide range of interpretations and definitions one of them being power over oneself. Both Prachi and Ruhi manifest a will for female empowerment but both have distinct views on how this is achieved. Prachi believes the way to achieve empowerment is through her mind and strength, while she still confines to tradition views of Indian culture. Ruhi desires to achieve female empowerment by exposing her beauty in a non-conservative way while maintaining her Indian identity.
In 1692 in Salem Massachusetts, 12 girls accused colonists of witchcraft. nineteen of the colonists were hung for witchcraft. Salem witch trials never had factual evidence to support prosecutors. The evidence was spectral evidence, which was evidence of seeing spirits of the defendant. Spectral evidence was still not reliable facts against a person.During 1692, the people’s clothing is very simple. At the time , technology was not advanced as today. the people living in salem, Massachusett were very basic. 1692 Salem Witch Trials are a memorable historical event. An author named Arthur Miller wrote a screenwrite for the unfaithful event in Salem.The screenwrite that miller wrote was called The crucible, in 1954. What followed the screenwrite
Koyaanisqatsi Mankind’s progress is largely the result of the ability to obtain and use what planet Earth has to offer. The food we eat, the timber we cut and the water we draw are all part of the global ecosystem. Human beings live in the realm of nature and are interacting with nature; they have been actively and obsessively chasing materialistic goods in abundance. However, these ecosystems are fragile and the exploitation by man is being shown today.
Devin Luquette History of Cinema I Angela Catalano 13 November 2017 Laura Review In 1944 21st Century Fox released Laura, a film by director Otto Preminger. The American film noir is about a murder mystery of Laura Hunt, played by Gene Tierney, who had apparently been killed by a shotgun blast.
In the novel A Passage to India, written by Forster, he is bias towards the women in the novel. The society when Forster wrote the novel in the 1920’s had different views on women than it has today a...
The trailer of Kaashmora has set expectations high for the film among the audience, it gave the impression that the film is more likely to make audience cower in horror sequences, bite their nails in action sequences and laugh their lungs out with its comedy. The result, I'm afraid, is not what was expected of it.
Indian Writing in English has a special status in English Literature owing to its treatment of women characters. Short stories help the writers to project select characters in an impressive way to the readers. In Indian context the status of woman in a society and her treatment is very different from those of her European or American counterparts. Women are depicted both as a good and evil in literature by various writers. However, in no literature is a women stereotyped as was done in Indian literature. Away from the mythical stereotyping of women, Ruskin Bond portrayed his women in a different way. The female characters of his short stories range from a small child to a grandmother. These characters are as powerful as men and have left a strong impression on the readers. I have chosen following eight short stories for the critical analysis of Ruskin Bond’s Women in this paper.