For all the hype that surrounded the movie 'Puthiya Vaarpugal' it turned out to be a typical Bharathiraja's pseudo-revolutionary crap. I would have watched about an hour of the movie in all. Gave me a bad headache already. But it does seem like a trend-setter of sorts. The movie themes that dominated most part of the 80s may well have been inspired by this one. The movie hints a rape right from the beginning by building a lecherous 'oor periyavar's character(?). That in itself put me in a very uncomfortable position, because I guessed that a good part of the movie will then be spent on framing someone for the rape. Then it finally happens -- rape, murder and the protagonist is wrongly accused too. But it doesn't end there. It cannot. There is another attempt to rape in the climax. But this time the murder is redemptive (It better be, it's the climax). In between, there's juvenile 'rural romance' and sprinkling of sequences that assert "village mores". Of course, there's also a moral statement made in the end of the movie. I bought the DVD hoping that it will be worthwhile for others apart from if I released it as a torrent. But no. Well, at least now I know what the movie is. Rs. 30 for the DVD is worth that.
Songs: The songs were so bloody popular that I wondered how I missed the movie. May be I saw it in TV when I was too young and slept half way or something.
Aside: There's a long cross-dressed 'karakaatam' sequence which plays for roughly 8 minutes. The way it was played out and the apparent intention were both reminiscent of the one in 'Paruthi Veeran'.
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9 comments:
actually, this comment is for the roast of sivaji......awesome.....especially the ending....it felt like i was listening to my own feelings.
"typical Bharathiraja's pseudo-revolutionary crap"
ditto!!!! He's better off doing a rural drama like "at the age of 16", "First honour", or other films in genres like thriller, especially "red rose",(tik tik tik was just about OKAY I thought), revenge flick "A Jailer's diary".
But I liked "Shadows", I have to say :)
And, Am I alone in hating and rejecting 'Vedam pudithu' and 'alaigal oyvathilai'?
- TPSK
I find Bharathiraja vastly overrated. I actually much prefer K.B. to him. (I find many of the latter's films problematic too, hence the emphasis.) It's one thing to be less intellectual and more earthy in one's films, like, say, a Mahendran is. But, many moments of Bharathiraja's films are clichéd and crude (content-wise and visually); and, forget about the pseudo-revolutionary stuff, they even go on to establish utterly archaic values.
Of course, he did make some landmark films in 16 Vayathinile and Mudhal Mariyadhai, but just take a look at the kind of films that fill up most of his oeuvre.
Zero and Suresh,
Place KB, BR, J.M, BM, Mani Rathnam, Kamal haasan, Sridhar, Bhim singh and Bala in order of preference.
Let's avoid S.Balachandar and Rudrayiah please!
Thanks.
- TPSK
Also add K.Bhagyaraj and other directors like SSR, Fazil,etc.
Thanks :)
ada pavingala. Rendu perum yenaku bulb kudukadinga :) Just give your preferred order, that should do :)
Pavan - Thanks
Thilak - Vedam Puthithu had some interesting elements in the movie. It was probably the first and perhaps the only movie to cite rural stereotypes associated with some popular castes. And they even dared to throw out words like 'vannaan', 'naasuvan'. He overdid some of his critical points with too much drama. It was a little too idealistic and preachy, because he insists on driving a "message" in all his rural dramas. But that's his style. Overall it was a very decent effort for a mid 80s movie.
Alaigal Oyvathillai - The humour was somewhat unique (later ripped in Vaikasi Porandhachu etc). I can't remember anything else that really caught my attention. It's been a very long time since the saw the movie. And I know why I didn't try to watch it again.
Zero - I agree. But I'll add 'kadalora kavidhaigal' too. I would like to watch 'en uyir tholan' again before I can vouch for it. I remember it was being one his better efforts of that time.
Tilak - about the list
KB, BM, Bagyaraj and BR - The problem with ordering them is that they have balanced out themselves (sometimes, more on the negative side) by producing really bad stuff. But now that I've made that disclaimer I'll just put them down in a list.
J Mahendran
KB
Balu Mahendra, Bagyaraj
BR
Mani Ratnam, Kamal Hassan
Bala
Bhim Singh - I'm not a big fan of pre 1970 movies. So there's point in putting him anywhere in the list.
Sridhar - I vaguely remember what his movies were. If he's one of those who did movies with Sivaji in the 70s, then he's out of the list as well.
Suresh,
Thanks for the list :) As you said, KB, BR, BM, Bhagyaraj have made pathetic stuff, I wouldn't say the same about J.Mahendran and Kamal haasan (although they haven't made that many films).
If you're to check out 'Alaigal oyvathilai' - It's like sitting on a hot stove (as with some scenes of even the best of BR movies).
And I should check out Kadalora kavidaigal (at least for Satyaraj's acting which I seem to vividly remember).
About En uyir 'thozhan', I remember the song 'Eh Raasathi'. As with most of his movies, Raaja has that memorable song :)
Bhim singh and Sridar with Sivaji - Agreed that they were excessively melodramatic and 'over the top'.But still, wanted to know where these guys would stand over the generations. :)
Now waiting for Zero anna's list :))
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