MovieChat Forums > Raavan (2010) Discussion > People miss the point (Spoiler)

People miss the point (Spoiler)

posted 14 years ago by shukla_swapnil
9 replies | jump to latest

I have read reviews and opinion posted on the forum, and have found them generally missing the point.

Point of the movie is to raise question about our perception of right and wrong. It is very well summarized by the final line spoken by veera "Shoot me and the world will know who is Raakshas and who is Bhagwaan".

We know as much as we are told. About Maoists, about US forces about the terrorists about any other social / political issue just through the image portrayed by certain sources. If its a historical event - we very well know how history is written by the victors. If current affair - by the media. How much of it is true??

primary criticism About Raavan are:

1. Abhishek Bachchan Hams:

He is supposed to be weird and unhuman - he's not a human being but a raakshas (or so perceived by "civilized society.

2. Style over substance:

An epic is being portrayed here. When you read Ramayana / Mahabharata / Bible or any other epic it always has this hyper feel to it. Everything is larger than life and detailed.

3. It is blasphemous:

Most outrageous of all. It is supposed to entice you to question what is widely accepted for fact. How will you perceive your neighbour if he kicks out his pregnant wife? Just because people might think poorly of him. Defenitely not "Maryada Puroshottam". Will Lakshman's act of decapitating "Suparnakha" be appriciated if it happened in current time?

4. It is Boring

Well I am yet to see such a visually stunning film till date coming out of bollywood, and to top it all - entire movie is shot in Indian locations. Right from the credits - It just never lets you go.

My only criticism for the movie would be the frequent songs. They take away from the tension build-up. We could have done without so many and so long.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] goyal_sanchit 14 years ago

Well right now I am in no mood of a debate. All I can politely say is that I have read the whole post of yours but have to say that I disagree with you on almost all counts.

Here is what I think about the movie-

http://vu-point.blogspot.com/2010/06/raavan-movie-review.html

It would answer my views on almost all your points. And for the 3rd point I would be more than happy to tell you how its blasphemous if I come across this thread again sometime in future. :)

Regards

[–] hillerupc 14 years ago

Boring? I wasn't bored for a second. Stunning film. I loved it.

[–] cdelacroix1 14 years ago

Interesting reading ... I just saw this movie today and was really delighted. However, I didn't take it as having a "point" but rather as simply being what it purports to be: a deeply moving, romantic, dramatic story.

The 4 criticisms I can "see" but disagree with all of them:

1. Beera is an amazing, strange, over-the-top character. I'll admit I sort of found him off-putting at first ... but frankly Abishek Bachchan's portrayal was to me complex but utterly convincing, and by the end of the movie he had me won over completely.

2. I just could not agree more. This does have an epic feel to it, from beginning to end. In a way, it feels to me both like a story being told, but also like a ritualized story being enacted. Very epic ...

3. Not sure what to make of this .. except that if there is blasphemy, it's the kind of blasphemy that is embedded paradoxically at the heart of so many epic/legendary stories - in the Edda, in the Iliad, and I take it in Hindu Story as well.

4. Honestly I was a little fearful that 2.5 hours might indeed get to be a drag ... but it sure wasn't for me. The movie grabbed my attention from the beginning and held it in a sort enchanted engagement from beginning to end. This is a drama and a romance but it's also an action flick ... non-stop action form beginning to end. In classic Epic style, the Story is carried forward by Action, Action, Action ... which all fits the Story from beginning to end.

As for the songs ... honestly I thought they were wonderful, giving the whole Epic a sort of ethereal feel. And the "musical numbers" were really perfect IMHO.

Really amazingly sumptuous, richly textured, beautiful movie IMHO.

Charles Delacroix

[–] uncle_g1234 14 years ago

Yeh, I do think that is Mani's point. "Evil" is often nothing more than the perception that the more powerful combatant wants to create in the minds of the bystanders. If that image can be created, then all atrocities are forgiven. I think Mani has long had this grievance against Power, that it brainwashes the people and then gets away with atrocities. And once a battle is won, who wants to go back and see how just it was in the first place?

[–] InTheNameOfCinema 14 years ago

And considering the movie a modern adaptation of Ramayana is just nonsense. What sort of adaption is it where "Ram" is not good, "Raavan" is not bad, "Shrupnakha" is the victim!, "Lakshman" is the culprit and "Hanuman" doesn't have any significance. The so called "Raavan" doesn't have any traits like the original one so the characters in the movie are made to say idiotic dialogues like "Sir log kehte hain Beera (Raavan) ek saath 10-10 jagah rehta hai! " to force the audience to believe in the character.

in fact characters of actual Ramayana are really ambigous.. from killing of Bali... to what he had done to Sita... everything Ram did is morally questionable....

And Raavan indeed is a greatly charming character... the greatest intellectual among classic indian characters... for which the ten-head is a maagnificient symbolism....

Adaptation of Ramayana means not only a Ramanand Sagar Mega Divine Soap...

Ramayan can be seen with a different perception as Mani did...

I personally think this was one the greatest concepts used in Indian Cinema (if blasphempous... then its classic blasphemy)

But lack of depth (esp the Naxal part), incomplete characterization and uneven use of editing flairs almost killed the essence of the movie....

If MAni had gone a little more bold and taken the Naxal issue in the same light of moral ambiguity as of the epic, a little more effort in charecterization and script, this film certainly might have become a gem....

And when i am talking about "this film", its Raavanan in Tamil with Vikram as Veera, in which Vikram outperforms Abhishek in every sense....

[–] uncle_g1234 14 years ago

Of all performances, I liked Vikram the best. But I probably wasn't objective since of all actors in India, Vikram is at or near the top (for me). I've been more satisfied with more of his performances than anyone with the possible exception of Anil Kapoor. I wish they'd figure out a movie where they could cast Anil Kapoor and Vikram. That's be just TOO good for me.

[–] Luv-to-Luv 14 years ago

Exactely people missed the point ! Abhishek was genious in Raavan ! Better than that actor from the south , im my opinion ! He was and he's the best ! The character of Beera was written for him and only him can do justice to that role !

[–] uncle_g1234 14 years ago

Point of the movie is to raise question about our perception of right and wrong. It is very well summarized by the final line spoken by veera "Shoot me and the world will know who is Raakshas and who is Bhagwaan".

Funny how much this sounds like Obiwan Kenobe when he's dueling Darth with light sabers.