In Bruges: Heaven, Hell, Purgatory or Bruges

If made well, a dark comedy can be very enjoyable for an audience watching it in good humour. It isn’t good enough to have an audience that will tolerate the film making fun of usually serious topics, the film has to hold its own when bringing out the humour in grave situations in a respectable manner. Death, rape, war and drugs are usually selected as the subjects of dark comedies which require a certain level of respect when making fun of these topics so it is not misconstrued as being disrespectful.

Ray is a rookie Irish hitman who messes up on his first assignment. During the course of eliminating his target, a priest, Ray accidentally kills a young boy in a church in London. Under strict instructions from his boss Harry, Ray and his handler Ken go to live in a hotel in Bruges to hideout until given further instructions. While Ken is excited to sightsee Bruges’ historical brilliance, Ray couldn’t care less for its heritage. He is also guilt-stricken from having taken the life of a young boy and finds it difficult to sit cooped up in his hotel room while waiting for Harry’s phone call. Finally convincing Ken to visit a pub, Ray manages to meet a beautiful Belgian girl named Chloe and an American dwarf actor named Jimmy on a film set. Ray gets a date with Chloe and goes out while Ken stays back at the hotel to await Harry’s instructions. When Harry finally connects with Ken, there is bad news that may result in a few more lives being taken than Ken originally anticipated.

In Bruges was written and directed by Martin McDonagh and was released in 2008. The film stars Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Clemence Poesy and Ralph Fiennes. The film is a dark comedy that plays around with the ideas of life and death. The protagonist is a young hitman who has been exiled as a way of keeping him out of trouble for a mistake he has made. There are many jokes involving death, racism, dwarfs, war, nationalities and sexuality.

One of the constant fixes in the film is the protagonist abusing Bruges and cursing the fact that he is forced to be in the city. He goes as far as to compare Bruges with hell or purgatory where people would be sent to live in the city for their sins, which is quite a similar situation to his own since he has been exiled to the city for murdering a boy. The irony is the protagonist constantly complaining about the city but the director showing the audience the beauty of the city with plenty of shots of the city’s architecture, art and culture. Certain scenes in the film are quite hilarious, one in particular when two hitmen are about to have a shootout but cannot go through with it because a pregnant lady in the room refuses to leave the premises.

The dark tone of the film coupled with comedy makes it endearing for the audience. The use of a score that was especially composed for the film is something that isn’t seen too often in recent films and is a refreshing change. The film score has one particular track which is repeated throughout the film and becomes easily identifiable as it conveys the despair, guilt and shame the characters in the film are experiencing. Since the characters are Irish, they have a strong Irish accent which makes it difficult to follow the dialogues but also adds to the comedic effect since it helps with the timing and the delivery of the dialogues. The idea of introducing a film-within-the-film was quite clever on the part of the director especially since the characters speak about paying homage which is what is done in this film as well.

Overall, the film is quite funny once you get accustomed to the accent and dialogue delivery. It has a slow pace so it may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But it is excellently executed for a dark comedy.

A Prophet (Un Prophete): Behind the Prison Walls

The hidden secrets of a prison are known only to the people within its four walls. While there are rumours of what happens within the confines of a prison, the truth is probably never what is revealed to the general audience. But French filmmaker Jacques Audiard attempted to display the dark secrets of prison life in his 2009 film A Prophet.

Malik is a young adult sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for his crimes. It is the first time he will ever step behind bars and is unsure what to expect during his time there but he is immediately introduced to a dramatic world of gang wars and mafias. At first he abstains from the hooliganism, however circumstances force him to work for the Corsican gang who loathe the other clan, the Muslims. In spite of being a Muslim, Malik is forced to commit crimes against his brothers in religion, for whom he feels no affinity. He begins to carve his own existence, with the help of friends, in and outside the prison. Slowly as his tenure comes to a close, Malik gains power, ultimately winning the favour of the Corsican boss, the Muslims, the prison guards and a few others outside the prison walls. With the end of his imprisonment, he manages to turn over a new leaf thanks to his notorious life in the prison.

A Prophet was released in the year 2009 and was directed by Jacques Audiard who also contributed to the writing of the screenplay. The language of the film is French. It is a French film with the locations for the shoot being in France mostly, the cast and crew being French and the premise of the story being a particularly French topic with the involvement of Arabs, Algeria and French mobsters. However, the film has an international appeal overall.

The film deals with harsh realities and shows them in a graphic light. One particular scene has the protagonist attempting to commit a murder using a blade clenched between his teeth. Failing at the first attempt, he grabs the blade in his fingers and wrestles the man onto a bed. He finally manages to slice a vein in the man’s neck and bleeds him to death. The protagonist then calmly washes away the blood from his clothes and leaves the crime scene as though nothing happened. The pace of the film is quick except for scenes involving conversation and when the storyline evolves radically. The colour palette has dark shades and has plenty of use of shadows which brings the feeling of captivity out on the screen.

The acting in the film is worthy of praise. A stunning performance from the lead actor successfully portrays the harsh reality in a prison. The brilliant light work, for the indoor cinematography, also aids the scenario of deep, dark crime within the prison setting. In spite of being primarily located in a prison, the film ventures outdoors to follow the exploits of the protagonist. Within the setting of the prison, the lighting, cinematography and blatant sound effects maintains the genre of thriller-horror-drama which ensues through most of the film. Even while deviating from the depths of the prison and venturing into the daylight, the genre is maintained as the protagonist is constantly reminded of restrictions on his freedom. The use of makeup and props is also commendable since it has been successful in adding to the quality of the film.

With various levels of excitement and scenes of meaningful importance, A Prophet manages to keep the viewer guessing what could be the next move. The character of the protagonist suits the tone of the film - both are mysterious and constantly evolving.

Drive: Multiple personas of an unnamed driver

Action movies have a typical script supplemented by lots of combat sequences, car chases and explosions taking place every few minutes in the film. The plot is always predictable and the norm for action flicks is – the bigger the budget, the better the film. This has become the standard to expect from Hollywood films over the past few decades, especially for blockbuster action films. A film that wouldn’t follow this norm is expected to fail in the box office but director Nicolas Winding Refn took a chance and made a unique film with the release of Drive.

An unnamed driver moves into an apartment in a building in Los Angeles. He works as a stunt driver for Hollywood films on a part-time basis and is employed on a full-time basis as a mechanic in a garage. His deep, dark secret is that he also moonlights as a getaway driver for anyone who wants to hire him for criminal activities. His new neighbour is a young mother named Irene, and her son Benicio, with the family patriarch absent because of a prison sentence. The driver is attracted to the beautiful young woman and aids her with routine tasks to spend time with her. Irene is also seemingly attracted to him and allows him to hang around with her son as they bond together. Just as their relationship seems to be moving forward, Irene’s husband is released from prison and comes back to his family while bringing his troubles along.

Drive was released in the year 2011. It was directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and stars Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan in the lead roles. The screenplay for the film is adapted from a novel of the same name which was written by James Sallis. The film is unique especially because it does not fit entirely into one particular genre. There are elements of an action film with car chases which forms an important part of the film while there is drama and crime running through the main plot with a parallel story of romance. The use of multiple genres is what makes it most interesting.

The film has been made simply. There are no deep undertones which divert too far from the main plot. The storyline moves quickly and the main plot twist comes as soon as the characters and the story is established. From then on the characters are pulled and pushed in different directions based on their morality and how they will react to certain situations. One particular scene which shows the director’s intent with playing around with his characters is when the driver and Irene are isolated in an elevator with a hitman. The driver pulls Irene to a corner and kisses her passionately for the first time which is shown with the lights dimming, the shot being slowed down in time and slow romantic music being used for the background score. The driver then pushes Irene to safety as the hitman reaches for his gun; the driver beats up the hitman, throws him to the ground and keeps kicking his head till it caves in. After this, the driver looks up to see Irene outside the elevator, staring at him while the elevator doors close. The scene could translate into Irene completely falling in love with the driver but then witnessing a new side of him which shocks her with the closing elevator doors being an allegory for the end of their relationship. There is also a depth in the character of the unnamed driver which remains unexplained. He seems to be reserved and uses limited speech but turns into a figure of command when behind the wheel of a car. His persona changes when he is driving and the actors he doubles for as stunt actor become the inspiration for his violence as he dons their mask in one of the scenes where he sets out to take revenge. Even his sense of dressing is a reflection of the characters he plays on screen while his obsession with chewing on a toothpick pick and wearing gloves every now and then remain unexplained.

The film is a fresh take to Hollywood’s regular styles. The infusion of drama, crime, romance and action together is probably the main highlight. It is a good film; worth a watch.

A Clockwork Orange: A little bit of the ‘ultra-violence’

There are few films that keep the audience hooked from start to finish. There are fewer yet that manage to keep the audience constantly guessing as to what will happen next in the story. When a film manages to captivate its audience in such a way, it is usually expected that such a film would be highly rated. Such is the case of the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange which was directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Alex is a teenager who enjoys getting into trouble. His past run-ins have lead to several warnings and he is on the brink of being locked away in a cell, but his violent nature will not allow him to reform himself of his own account. He is joined by a group of three friends who share his penchant for violent and abusive behaviour. Together they go about vandalising property, engaging in fights, assaulting peace-loving citizens and sexually abusing anyone they fancy. With time, Alex becomes a dictator-like head of the group and frustrates the others into a mutiny. Stifled by Alex’s aggression, the others hitch a plan to get him locked away by putting him in a situation where he will lose all calm and commit a horrible act of aggression that will ultimately change the rest of his life.

A Clockwork Orange was directed by Stanley Kubrick who also wrote the screenplay based on a novel of the same name by Anthony Burgess. The story uses extremely unpleasant behaviour from the main characters to depict the traits of juvenile sociopaths. It is an exaggerated social commentary on the thoughts of adolescent young men. The main highlights of the film are the subjects of rape, ‘ultra-violence’ and an obsession with classical music which provides the protagonist with a belief that he is better than other delinquents because of his refined tastes.

The film employs first-person narration by the protagonist to emphasis the story. He narrates the emotions that run through his head which would be difficult for the audience to understand since his actions are mostly unexpected. The narration also helps piece together sections of the film which seem to be missing and provide a link as the story skips several months in the timeline. Instead of using track shots, the director opted to use the zoom technique in quite a few shots; particularly in the opening sequences. The first shot of the film itself is a zoom shot which begins with a close-up of the protagonist’s face and then gradually zooms out to establish a large room which he is sitting in. Use of narration and zoom shots are usually considered faux-pas in filmmaking, but the use in this film may be considered an exception since they are used well on occasion. Other techniques utilised include use of classical music in the background score since it forms a key part of the story.

What is most astonishing about the story is that the audience never really comes to grips with what is happen and the guessing game extends from trying to predict what will happen next in the story to what the character is actually thinking. Trying to understand the protagonist becomes important for the audience member since his actions are not easily explained by rational decisions. The language in the film is not easy to decipher since it involves plenty of Cockney slang and made-up words by the protagonist. The character and his idiosyncrasies were created with the intention of the throwing the audience off and to keep them constantly guessing.

The film starts off quick and establishes the character early. From there it moves into his daily life routine which is part amusing and part shocking for the audience. A conflict is then introduced in the storyline which changes the routine life of the protagonist for the rest of the film. Unfortunately, the film moves quickly and is interesting until this point but tends to move slowly and becomes illogical after the conflict is introduced.

The film has its moments and some sections of it are truly iconic. However, it does drag on towards the latter half. All the same, it is quite a good film especially with the interesting use of faux-pas techniques and since it captivates the audience and keeps them guessing.

I.D.: Football hooliganism and the loss of identity

Everyone has their own unique identity. It is something that defines each one of us and makes us stand out from everyone around us. It stems from what we like, love and hate, the culture we were raised in, the people we interact with and much more than that. Every breathing moment our identity changes minutely because of what we experience and this ultimately defines the person that we are and the person that we will become.

England in the 1980s has tremendous problems when it comes to hooliganism; particularly football hooliganism which stems from jingoistic support for favourite clubs and results in violence and uncouth behaviour on the streets. In the Shadwell district, police officer John and his team is assigned to infiltrate the firm (gang of football hooligans) of the local football club Shadwell FC to bring down the top dogs of the group and put an end to the violence. In order to do so, John and his three colleagues are required to go undercover and win over the trust of some of the most aggressive men from the district. Somehow they manage to join the firm but in his attempts to bring down the perpetrators, John begins to empathise with the villains. He faces a big challenge when he is close to completing his mission but actually losing himself in the bargain.

I.D. was commissioned by BBC Films to showcase football hooliganism. It is a period film set in the 1980s and was directed by Philip Davis for a release in 1995. While the film shows the darker side of supporting the beautiful game of football, it really is about a person losing his own identity in one that he has made up for himself. It involves no mental condition or disorientation of any sort, it is purely about a police officer getting too close to his case and adopting his undercover persona for himself as he starts to empathise with the criminals. Unfortunately he loses out on his regular personal life as his wife and friends abandon him when they are unable to understand the change in his personality and he refuses to listen to reason as they try to connect with him. Eventually, he indulges his character so far that he crosses the line and has to face the repercussions.

Football hooliganism has been documented in many films in different forms. Some films focus on the passion of the supporters while others highlight the fact that hooliganism stems from the need for them to do something with their lives to make it less monotonous. This film touches upon the fact that hooliganism grows out of a mutual hatred for rivals which either first starts in the game and then lands up on the streets or the other way around where social hatred results in hooliganism and ultimately courses through every part of their lives including football. Unfortunately, most of the films and documentaries that focus on football and football hooliganism do not attain mainstream commercial success in spite of the popularity of the game. Likewise, this film did not receive much praise when indeed it should have.

Instead of focusing solely on the sport and the passion for it, this film focuses on the individuals that love the sport. It is more of a character story and appeals to a wide audience.

Seven Psychopaths: A story about seven psychopaths in a story

One of the best forms of humour is deadpan. Deadpan is the ability to keep a straight face when making fun of a person or a situation. It involves a huge amount of self control not to laugh when making a joke and is mostly seen on stage, performed by a few good stand-up comics. When it comes to film, deadpan requires a really good actor to be able to bring about the humour to make his audience laugh while acting out the scene with a certain level of seriousness. It can be extremely difficult to achieve if the right actor and the right direction are not in place.

Marty is a writer who lacks inspiration to finish off his masterpiece – a screenplay for a film called Seven Psychopaths. He lives with his girlfriend Kaya who is supportive but has grown tired of his procrastination, his drinking habit and his deadbeat friend Billy. A struggling actor, Billy works with an elderly man named Hans to kidnap dogs in Los Angeles and return them to their owners for a cash prize. Billy is also aiding Marty finish his screenplay and suggests he use inspiration from real life after reading newspaper reports on the Jack of Diamonds killer in the area. On one of their routine kidnappings, Billy and Hans pick up a Shih Tzu unaware that it belongs to Charlie Costello, a gangster who is known for being unpredictable and terribly violent towards his victims. Charlie has an unnatural affinity towards his dog and starts a bloody trail to find it. Marty is confronted by Charlie and warned to return the dog or face his death. When Marty reveals this to Billy, they set up for a final showdown where it’s kill or be killed.

Written and directed by Martin McDonagh, Seven Psychopaths is about a story running within the main story of the film. There is a certain ambiguity in the plot especially with the constant discussion of a screenplay that the protagonist is writing. The story-in-story concept doesn’t quite work for the film as it complicates the plot and confuses the audience. The protagonist writing a story which interjects with his personal life and comes from his written work into his real life leaves a few questions about the coincidental situations he faces; an example would be where Marty writes a story about a Quaker who slits his throat which presents itself in the form of his best friend’s associate. The seven psychopaths in the film are not who they seem to be. The psychopaths would presumably be from the screenplay that Marty is writing but here again they exist both in his literary work as well as his real life.

While Colin Farrell plays the lead role and provides a level-headed personality to his character, he ends up being a balance as opposed to Sam Rockwell’s portrayal of the zany accomplice who creates more problems than he solves. Christopher Walken is entrusted with providing the deadpan humour that he is capable of and it does come across in the film at times, but the sensitive side of his character takes away from the humour and makes the line between seriousness and deadpan difficult to comprehend. Woody Harrelson as the antagonist does a decent job as a hard man with a sensitive side of his own but struggles with bringing the comedy to the film.

The humour doesn’t come across in the film perfectly. There are instances when it does play well as a comedy but not at all times.

Gangs of Wasseypur: The story of one family’s need for revenge

The use of narratives in a film are widely criticised as a lazy attempt by the filmmaker to establish his plot without having to work too hard to reel it into his story. Narratives allows a filmmaker the chance to have one of the characters in the story, or a third person who is independent of the actual plot, to tell the story from their perspective thereby having them talk directly to the audience to say whatever the filmmaker wants to be said. However, the use of narratives cannot necessarily be criticised in every film considering that they are used at certain times to help establish a bond between the narrator and the audience or at times they can be used to describe an event, or several events, in a timeline which would otherwise be difficult to establish without the use of a narrative. That said, one of the most prominent features in Anurag Kashyap’s 2012 film Gangs of Wasseypur is the use of a constant narrator who is a running character in both parts of the film.

Synopsis – Part 1

In pre-independent India, the small town of Wasseypur lay in the coal mine-ravaged state of Bihar. The townsfolk would work in the coal mines to earn their living and lived in fear and awe of Sultana Qureshi, a dacoit who would rob trains that passed through the town and was not recognisable to any law enforcement officer or villager. Taking advantage of the anonymity established by Sultana, a Pathan named Shahid Khan impersonates him to rob trains before Sultana himself can execute his plans thereby bringing down the wrath of one of the most feared dacoits upon himself. This starts a new war within the Muslim sects in Wasseypur as the Pathans and Qureshis start a blood feud and Shahid is forced to leave the village. Shahid moves to a larger town called Dhanbad, to the north of Wasseypur, and begins working in the coal mines at the same time that his wife dies giving birth to their son. After India attains independence, local industrialist Ramadhir Singh is assigned a few coal mines and hires Shahid Khan as his strong-man to make sure his business runs smoothly. While visiting Shahid Khan one night, Ramadhir over hears him speak to his cousin Nasir about planning to kill Ramadhir and take over his business. He immediately plots to kill Shahid by sending him to an assassin in Varanasi. Figuring out Ramadhir’s plan, Nasir protects Shahid’s son, Sardar Khan, and trains him to avenge his father’s death. Years down the line, Sardar grows up to be a fearless young man. He starts his criminal career by usurping the land of Ramadhir’s son JP Singh and reignites the feud as Ramadhir realises that he is Shahid’s son who he had murdered many years ago. Sardar is married to Nagma and they conceive two sons but Sardar is put behind bars for his previous crimes. After plotting out an escape from jail, Sardar takes asylum and marries a Hindu girl by the name of Durga. He returns to Wasseypur to find that the Qureshi clan is the widest known mafia group and tries to grab back power by planning bomb attacks on their shops during Muharram. Sultan Qureshi, nephew of Sultana Qureshi, is made aware of Sardar’s efforts and he resorts to join hands with Ramadhir Singh who supplies him with automatic weapons. In Sardar’s home, Nagma is once again pregnant with Sardar’s child and refuses to have sex with him which prompts him to visit his second wife Durga, eventually leading to Durga giving birth to another of his sons by the name of Definite. Nasir is busy taking care of Sardar’s family in his absence which comprises Nagma and her two teenage sons, Danish and Faizal. One night, Nagma is despondent and receives support from Nasir. They almost engage in intercourse but stop when they are spotted by Faizal who becomes scarred for life and forever seeks comfort in drugs in the future. In the coming years, Sardar’s sons grow up to assist him in his business. He is drawn closer to his first wife Nagma, provides his second wife with an allowance and agrees to have his eldest son marry a Qureshi to establish a temporary peace between the two families. Unfortunately, his second wife has grown tired of playing second fiddle and informs the Qureshis about his whereabouts in order to assist in an assassination attempt which takes place at a petrol pump. 

Synopsis – Part 2
When word of Sardar’s death reaches his family, his sons visit the petrol pump where he was murdered and Danish, the eldest son, kills the lone captor from the assassination plot. Realising the eminent danger, Sultan orders for Danish to be killed as well. Although the younger son Faizal is always inebriated, he vows to his mother that he will get revenge for all the killings. Lying low and waiting for the right moment to strike, Faizal announces himself to the rest of Wasseypur by brutally murdering his friend who won a local election and was an informer for the Qureshis. Faizal marries his sweetheart Mohsina and takes care of his father’s business. He enters into a truce with Ramadhir under the condition that he will receive political support if he does not carry on with his plan for revenge. By extension, Sultan is unable to carry on any attacks on Faizal because of the truce but Fazial carries on assassinating Sultan’s goons to reach the men that assassinated his father and brother. While the feud between the families carries on, many smaller criminals try to establish themselves as goons in Wasseypur thus bringing out new small gangs. Shamshad Alam, owner of a transport business, enters into a deal with Faizal to benefit both businesses but skims profits illegally without informing Faizal. At the same time, Definite, who is Durga’s son and also Faizal’s half brother, is yearning to make a name for himself in Wasseypur. Faizal’s younger brother, Perpendicular, is also gaining fame for his notorious acts in the town. This eventually leads to Perpendicular being killed by the Qureshis who were hired by the townsfolk and Shamshad double crossing Faizal to put him in jail. Definite and Shamshad face off to be the next big criminal in Wasseypur which leads to Definite being imprisoned alongside Faizal. Together they scheme to have Shamshad killed while Ramadhir joins forces with Shamshad and instructs him to bail Definite and recruit him against Faizal. Eventually, Definite sides with Fazial by dropping a bomb in Shamshad’s office which leaves Shamshad handicapped and bedridden. Meanwhile, Ramadhir is losing faith in his son JP Singh which leads JP to plot behind his father’s back. JP instigates Sultan to attack the Khan house after Faizal is released from jail. Faizal and his family survive and plot to kill Sultan which is carried out by Definite and Faizal’s goons. Definite is imprisoned and waits for Faizal’s orders but is neglected when the educated Iqlakh joins Faizal’s army and revolutionises they way he conducts business. Iqlakh, however, has an agenda of his own to kill Faizal because Sardar’s orders many decades ago had destroyed Iqlakh’s family. Faizal is aware of Iqlakh’s plans but goes along with his ideas as long as they profit his business. Under advice from Iqlakh, Faizal decides to contest the elections in his constituency by rigging the ballots. Ramadhir is shaken by Faizal’s growing power and orders for him to be killed, a plan which is carried out by Iqlakh along with the support of Definite who JP Singh has had released from jail. Definite double crosses Iqlakh, murders him and reveals the plan to Faizal. Enraged by the plan, Faizal gathers all the automatic rifles in his arsenal, stocks them up in an ambulance and drives to the hospital where Ramadhir is visiting Shamshad. Faizal’s goons easily overpower Ramamdhir’s security and Faizal has his revenge in the most gruesome manner imaginable before surrendering himself to the police along with Definite. While being transported to the jail, Faizal is killed by Definite who planned out the whole ordeal with JP Singh. JP Singh was fed up of his father’s taunts and formulated a plan to eliminate him as well as Faizal thereby allowing him to control Wasseypur and Definite to walk free.

At roughly five and a half hours in length, Gangs of Wasseypur is the longest film in the history of Indian cinema. The film was made in two parts to facilitate an easy theatrical release. The first part features a protagonist in the form of Sardar Khan while his son Faizal Khan is the protagonist for the second part of the film. The plot documents a fictionalised account of the gang wars in the town of Wasseypur over a period of 70 years. The story focuses particularly on one family that was involved in the wars over three generations and their blood feuds with the other mafia families in the town. By establishing a constant narrator in the film, director Anurag Kashyap was also able to tell the story through the eyes of the only family member who survived through all the battles thus turning the film into a personal account of the events. Most of the characters in the film are based on real life personalities that were known to have been part of the gang and political wars in and around Wasseypur.

Anurag Kashyap puts another notch in his belt of brilliance with Gangs of Wasseypur. The film uses the cinematic style of narration to break away from the clutter of other standard films. The narrative ensures the film is told from one particular angle thus lending it a prejudice and endearing the audience to one particular side of the gang wars i.e. the Khan family in the film. Although the political corruption, family vendetta and bloodlust is visibly practised by all the families, by virtue of having the protagonists and the narrator in the ranks of the Khan family, the audience does tend to have a soft spot for the family. Kashyap also uses humour (black humour most of the time since it is often associated with death and murders) to break the constant feeling of stress that develops during the film as a result of the innumerable number of deaths and other illicit activities that take place in the film which can put a strain on the audience’s sense of morality. However, at times, the humour seems to be forced and does not come across naturally; particularly the scene when Sultan is about to be murdered and his killers are hassling about his desire to buy bananas instead of mutton. As is his style, Kashyap does leave subtle clues to the audience about current affairs and his thoughts on the same as he has a character speak about a fascination with Bollywood and how people have become increasingly influenced by films in their day-to-day lives. He has also used other film techniques, most notable of which is a non-linear style as he uses flashbacks to narrate the story. The film also has multiple angles in the story since the list of characters is vast and the film does justice to explore the backstory of every character that affects the main plot. The film also has breaks and freeze frames when a new character or location is introduced. In such sequences, there is excellent use of animation and colours to stylise the sequence; one particular scene which stands out is after the cold start where a backstory is established and the British occupation of India and coal mining in Wasseypur are explained in detail. The level of gore in the film is meant to lend an effect of reality. However, the gore in the final action sequence and the blood splatter seem unnecessary; although it could been seen as the character making a statement and Kashyap himself, as the director, making a statement through his character. The soundtrack in the film is strongly influenced by Indian folk music but also has international styles with rock and dubstep being utilised in parts. The lyrics of most of the songs used in the film are explicit with many sexual references being made by virtue of music.

Gangs of Wasseypur is another excellent film churned out by Anurag Khasyap. The film is loosely based on true events and was originally penned down by one of the writers and actors of the film who is a resident of Wasseypur. Although lengthy, it is a stellar piece of cinematic work.

The Reader: One summer’s love that wrecks a boy’s life

The most significant events to have taken place over the past century have been the two World Wars; in particular, the Second World War which saw the deaths of millions of people and had the world introduced to a very serious threat of nuclear weaponry. What was most astonishing about the Second World War was the number of casualties, both military and civilian, a key cause of which was The Holocaust. It is because of this reason of being so dramatically impactful to human life all over the world that films made on the topics of the Second World War and The Holocuast can be immense.

Michael Berg is a divorced father and a lawyer. He shares a dicey relationship with his daughter who thinks he has always been aloof emotionally. The reason for this, as Michael recalls, is because of a heartbreaking experience he endured as a teenager. When Michael was 15 years of age, he met a woman called Hannah Schmitz. Michael was suffering from an illness and Hannah helped him home one day which was enough to form a bond for Michael to return to thank her. Awkwardly, Michael and Hannah being to have an affair with him returning to her house every chance he gets. Hannah, who is illiterate, enjoys listening to people reading aloud and has Michael read to her every time they make love. As Michael’s infatuation begins to increase to a point that he falls in love with Hannah, they begin to have fights which causes Hannah to promptly leave without informing Michael which leaves him heartbroken and emotionally scarred for the rest of his life. Years later, Michael is a law student on a field trip to a criminal proceeding in a court where he sees Hannah and discovers a hidden truth about her which he was unaware of in all their time together.

The film demands more from the audience in terms of patience and attention than what it delivers in terms of entertainment. It is a slow moving non-linear film which takes its time between the protagonist in the present and his flashbacks to his younger days. As a young man, Michael is played by David Kross, who performed the role admirably, and the present day character is played by renowned actor Ralph Fiennes who deserved much more screen time in this production than he was granted. Kate Winslet also put in a strong performance as the female lead in the film.

The most astonishing problem with The Reader is the fact that serious problems such as child sexual abuse and murder are brushed aside while the issue of illiteracy takes precedence. Not to say that illiteracy isn’t a problem that has to be dealt with, but the casual manner in which genocide and child sexual abuse are merely swept under the mat seems to be a hindrance with this film. In fact, the irony of the matter is that the film does point out how serious the matter is as one of the characters dramatically exclaims that people should have killed themselves knowing that genocide was being conducted in their country without being able to stop it, but the film does not really take a standpoint over the matter.

With a few good performances and a good story, the film is a good watch. But it should have achieved more with the non-linear style and if it had dealt with the bigger problems more appropriately rather than ignore them as the elephant in the room.

The Departed: A symphony between the mafia and police

Everyone loves a good mafia story, especially if it is done well. For a mafia based film, this requires a well written script which is matched with a great representation on film. We have seen many good mafia stories in the past but quite often they fall short of hitting the benchmark of being truly spectacular. This may be due to the fact that most people automatically put a gangster-mafia film on a pedestal, when in actual fact, it needs to be made well to become one of the ‘greats’.

The Departed is a mafia based drama film which covers two sides of a coin by portraying the atmosphere in both camps; the cops and the gangsters. Frank Costello is the kingpin of the Irish Mafia in Boston. He is feared in the city and receives tribute from every small and big business which helps him keep his reputation intact and run his side business of drug peddling. He takes Colin Sullivan under his wing as a kid and trains him to be an important asset for him. Colin eventually graduates from the police academy and joins the Massachusetts State Police to become an informant to Frank about how the police are running their investigations which helps Frank stay away from their radar. On the other side of the tracks, Billy Costigan also attempts to join the Massachusetts State Police on graduating from policy academy. Unfortunately for him, his family history is riddled with the who’s who of the city’s mafia which is known to his commanders. He is given the option of becoming an undercover officer in the mafia to work as an informant for the police about the mafia’s plans. Frank and the police both become increasingly aware of informants in their ranks and both try to smoke them out. The situation becomes grave for Colin and Billy as both try to keep their cover while exposing the other.

The Departed is a great film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay written by William Monahan. This film which was released in 2006 was based on a 2002 Hong Kong film called Infernal Affairs. The Departed is a gem of a film which shows all sides of the coin of law enforcement. It goes into depth for the three main characters and shows their development as the story progresses with the police informant getting unhinged, the mafia informant becoming increasingly paranoid and the head of the mafia being calm and collected. It shrouds the character of Madolyn in mystery, the psychiatrist who carries on relationships with both the informants while being unaware of who they really are until the end of the film.

The film has a certain sweet symphony to it, especially during the main action sequence which sees a standoff between the police and the mafia. It shows both the emotions and the mental state of the characters as they chase down each other being entirely unaware of who they are but the audience knowing their true identities. Every close call for the characters in the film is a skipped heartbeat for the audience. The title of the film comes from the death of a subsidiary character and in hindsight, there is a bittersweet way in which it ties to the end of the film.

Scorsese has also taken the opportunity to pay tribute and show his audience what influences and drives him. The multiple mentions of Sigmund Freud and his theories show that Scorsese has respect for his ideas and put them in the film. He has also used a quotation by John Lennon which shows his background and interest in music. This is also reflected in the background music which involves music from Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and others. The music was selected in collaboration with a close friend of his, Robbie Robertson, a member of the band called The Band and the use of the song I’m Shipping Up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys features heavily in the film.

Scorsese brings impeccable style to all his films. Although he does not have a particular recurring style in every one of his films, each film has a unique identity to set it apart. The use of music to coincide with the events of the film and the edits to go along with the music are a part of Scorsese’s style and can be seen evidently in this film.

The Departed is one of Scorsese’s best works. It is a must watch film for lovers of mafia-themed films and those who enjoy good cinema.

Gangs of New York: A son’s revenge and the birth of a metropolitan

Heading into a movie directed by one of Hollywood’s contemporary greats like Martin Scorsese is usually an assurance of an enjoyable experience filled in with certain measures of thought provoking style and ideologies, and Gangs of New York almost lives up to the same. But all the same, it isn’t among the greatest created by the master. Sure, it does spin a good tale of underworld mafia rule in pre-civilised New York with the impeccable style that Scorsese brings to the table and a few intelligently crafted dialogues; but overall it doesn’t live up to the hype that is Scorsese.

Starting with the death of the protagonist’s father amid a battle of the ‘tribes’ in New York, the film follows Amsterdam Vallon 16 years down the line upon his return to Five Points having been raised in a home for reforms by Christian Missionaries. Amsterdam returns to find that Five Points is run by the Bill ‘The Butcher’ Cutting, the head of the gang called the Confederation of the American Natives, the very man who killed his father. While the gangs continue to squabble over everyday issues and the folk of Five Points continue to live in fear, The Butcher unceremoniously collects a tribute to allow the small gangs to operate and uphold the corruption among police and politicians which allow him to enjoy his endeared way of life. Amsterdam plots revenge on his father’s killer but is tied down by matters of racism, casteism, friendship, loyalty and love as he rises through the ranks to raise his own army to take down the gang lord.

This film goes down as another well stylised piece of art by Scorsese, adapted from a nonfiction book of the same title. While the plot divulges from actual facts at certain points, the film set in 1862 New York manages to closely represent most of the true events of the time. The costumes, sets and dated language are a credit to the historically placed film. However, the loose plot and constant flurry of characters leave the film as an awry final product. Certain historical inaccuracies and production errors also prove detrimental to the overall film.

Notwithstanding the few letdowns of the production, Gangs of New York circles around important issues which were rampant during the time including racism, slavery, gang wars, class divisions, the American Civil Wars, and more. As a whole, the film ties down important topics of discussion, whether for the right or the wrong reasons.