Thoughts about ‘ The Little Mermaid’

 

 

 

 

 

‘The Little Mermaid’ is a fairy tale from the Hans Christian Anderson collection, and perhaps most famously known as the loosely based Disney animated film, which has equally enchanted audiences and readers around the world.

It is a story about a young mermaid princess, who wants more from her life and escape her limitations. Having fallen for and saving a human prince from drowning, she makes a bargain with a sea witch. She gives her voice away for two legs, and needs to have her feeling returned or else perish with the rising sun. Not to be loved and not to attain a soul. She chooses to be the self-sacrificing person and even if she doesn’t the prince, she gets what she truly wants, a soul.

‘The little Mermaid’ in the simplest form is a recount of unrequited love. It’s about not getting what you want, perhaps a selfish or greedy journey, but what stands out is the emotional investment and the sacrifices that go in the way for that dream. It is something that speaks to the private feelings of the personal lives of people, who hide their hurt, and make way by sublimation, by destroying the past. But the young girl does with all her desire, all her pain, does not let the bitterness or defeat corrupt her.

In that sense the story is more of a hero’s journey, of self actualization, a path for a painful loss of innocence and change. It is both tragic and beautiful, because she gets what she wants just not how she wanted it.

The story may not always be a feminist favorite, since she willingly leaves everything for a man, and her love involves a lot of suffering and she doesn’t get what she wants, which narratively contrasts with how male characters are able to pine for a get the girl. Symbolically also the color red is associated with the male in the story. The coral around the statue that the mermaid idolizes is a bright red, and when she dies the sun is a burning red flame, showing a victory or overpowering of the male over the female. People also generally take issue with the protagonist being a questionable role model, stating she is silly, for giving up her life. They take issue with the fact she runs away from home, falls in love with someone she doesn’t know and par takes in black magic. So obviously conservative society and parents don’t want their daughters doing the same.

I personally don’t feel that way. I think what Anderson did was inverse a generally anti-woman trope into something humane and heart-felt. He turned Sirens into mermaids. A siren is basically the sea version of what witches were on land, the images and lives of women demonized and disrespected through the male gaze. Be it Medusa, Homer’s fight with the sea witches or general stories of sailors being brought down to death at the voices of bewitching sirens, it’s hard to see how female sexuality and romantic feelings have always been seen as something worthy of punishment. And they in the biblical sense must be cursed and become a symbol for all other women to not do the same. And that it only men who can actively battle and fight for love, that also outside the consent or control of the women that they love. They must fight those in their way and she must accept the victor, because he is the winner. Not because she can decide for herself.

 

 

‘The little Mermaid’ does not exist in the same context. Here is have a child who will through her encounter with the world become who she was always meant to be. She is not evil, wicked or filled with any jealous intentions, she is just young, innocent and in love. Instead of bringing the prince down to die, she saves him from death, but is not recognized for it. There is a selfless quality in her actions. And even when she leaves her family, home and makes a deal with the devil, we forgive her. We don’t feel the need to watch her pay for her sins, because she is brave enough to willfully suffer if she is able to be with the boy she comes to love. Every step she takes with human legs is like walking on knives, and without a voice she is unable to confess her feelings. And when is left out in the cold by the prince she still decides to spare him his life, for her character and her spirit out ways his ignorance and existence. The heavens at last do not strike her for having a heart but it blesses her. She becomes an angel like being, literally rising above the mess.

 

The story overall has very strong Eco-feminist tones to it. The girl is raised by her wise grandmother, who makes sure the child gets her education. She has older sisters to look up to, she is able to get legs through a sea witch. The women dominate the story, and the only place we feel a lack feminine care, is that the mermaid does not have a mother, and that she has this obvious fascination and love for the male spectacle. This also follows the mermaid as a character who is able to transcend all the divided parts of society, probably because she wants to actually more than what society deems acceptable.She moves from the sea, to the land and finally to the ethereal realm.

It is a story of dynamic magic, transformation, growth and following one’s dream and being what we all are as young star-crossed people. We are alone in our personal battles against destiny.

Heer Ranjha ( 1970) Review

 

I just really love this movie. It is a national treasure and everyone should watch it

 

‘Heer Ranjha’, is a Pakistani film based on a poem by Waris Shah, ‘Heer’ who is the main character of this tragic love story. The poem is a homage and testament to the Punjabi language, landscape, culture and essence and it’s spell and impact is still with us today. In the poem we witness the spiritual growth of Heer, and how the pains of love enable her to grow and see life for what it is. Some scholars suggest that the poem and story is symbolic of a man’s search for Allah, which is common among Sufi writers and poets.

This review is not about the poem but about the 1970 film adaption of the tale, that like the story is an evergreen and enjoyable experience which is both entertaining and enlightening and is made,acted, directed and composed with sincerity and love for Punjabi culture.

 

 

Review

 

The movie starts with a shot of the hero Ranjha playing his flute in the field, as two women pass by carrying water. Which is essentially the best depiction of a Punjabi village that is recognizable and the following scenes of happiness and playfulness were a good way to help  smoothen the movement of the story.

Ranjha is the youngest of the four brothers, and is spoiled and care-free because of which he  spends most of his time playing his flute and pulling pranks on his sister-in-laws, who have had it with him. They tease him one day and that becomes the push he needs to go out into the world and find the girl of his dreams. And then in a song we finally meet her, the beloved Heer.

I’m impressed by how the writers handled the scenes and writing because almost everyone has heard the story and know exactly what is going to happen in the end, and so seeing the two lovers happy at the beginning really brings out those tears when things go bad for them when they have to live without that same acceptance, protection and love from their families and each other.

It is a tragic tale but this movie really did well to add comedic elements which is why it is easy to watch it multiple times without having to cry too much. Both of the lovers are playful and have funny lines, the villains cause laughs despite being jerks, and I was crying tears of joy whenever Heer’s husband said something.

The acting gets full marks from me, all the actors knew what they were saying and the emotion in their voices and eyes was perfect so you really come to care for of them. Which is refreshing because in a lot of recent  adaptions the actors don’t even speak or understand Punjabi very well, and the narrative has turned the Punjabi language into a joke. So it’s just a breath of fresh air and sad realization that in the past we could have actors who knew what they were saying and respected the writing and did their job.

 

 

The music was epic, the credits actually start with Noor Jahan singing the poem, and her voice is perfect for the role. The soundtrack over all fits the feeling and the atmosphere very well, and it’s very wholesome with an amazing band of singers, but Noor Jahan’s songs really are the best ones, or at least the most iconic from the film. Especially the Wangli( Flute)  song.

But even with being a fun watch with lovely music, attractive actors and a general happy tone, the movie still does the philosophy of Waris Shah justice, and the poetic dialogue hits you hard. The same can be said about the character development and the love story which is a big statement of the evolution of the human spirit, the power of love, standing up to power and fighting for what you believe in. And it’s sad because they get so close just to fail.

If I had to pick out some not great aspects about the film, I guess it’s a little old so the print isn’t that high is definition and there are songs scenes and songs were weren’t that necessary like the whole thing about Heer’s sister-in-law. But overall I don’t really have many complaints. The acting, singing and writing was good, and the overall feeling you get from watching the movie is fun and happy. Waris Shah was ahead of his time, and we should applaud his genius.

 

 

It might not appeal modern movie watchers who need seven to twelve item songs, a car chase, out-of-order physics or forced jokes with a laughing track that only makes it worse.

‘Heer Ranjha’ is essentially the standard for good Pakistani and Desi cinema.

I should be handed down to a whole new generation so they can connect with their culture and history and learn from the philosophy and life of our great saints and writers.

And there are plenty  adaptions of the tale, but I would say that this is a best one.

So yeah, watch it with the family and maybe introduce your kids to it and tell them the story, because we need to preserve and protect our culture.

 

To watch the movie :

 

To listen to the original poem:

 

 

To learn more about Waris Shah and his literature:

http://tns.thenews.com.pk/250-years-heer-waris-shah/#.WuSFtu8vxdg

Mausoleum of Waris Shah

https://nation.com.pk/10-Sep-2016/waris-shah-urs-from-23rd

http://www.hamariweb.com/poetries/waris-shah_poetries97.aspx

Lok Virsa to launch book on Waris Shah

 

What I would like see in Pakistani Media

I’m probably not going to be able to get everything off my chest, but hey it’s worth a shot. Maybe all those producers, directors, writers and actors will listen to me.

In the case of Journalism

Shuru hee is hee baat say kar laytay hain, kay thoray bahut Ethics ka hee khayal kar liya karein.

Agar app kay show par loog debate key jaga larnay marnay kay liyay ayi hain, tou inko bhi nikaal dain.

Audiences ko policies kay barain mein educate kiya karain. Evidence, history and expert opinions hee day diyan karein unko- Treat them like intelligent people.

Jabb koi bhuri khabar kay bahray mein baat karni ho tou please thori izzat kay saath, aur fazool ghanay na dala karein. Mujhey yeh nahi samaj ayya kay agg tak un ghanoon kay liyay koi copyright claim kyon nahi ayain? Ya isi baat par logon nay boycott nahi kiya. Show some social responsibility and respect .

Have educational sessions that look nice, and don’t hurt someone’s ears, related to family planning, education, health, shopping, life in general.

Hold politicians accountable for what they do, question them on TV and make documentaries on their careers which are comprehensive.

Please stop saying you broke the news first, nobody cares. We don’t want to know that you broke the news about bam bhamaka pehlay, yeh hum sunna chahain gay key kon app ko batata hai kay iss tarah key insensitive, tone deaf, fazool batain karney key. Un uncle key shakal bi saath display kar dain. Please and thank you.

PLEASE koi ethics ya social responsibility class lay lou. Koi standard of moral integrity ka khayal kar lo, apnay anay walon nasal loon ka khayal kar lo.

Have some sharam, have some Haya.

In the case of Movies

One of the reasons it is hard for us to make the most of our films both economically and culturally and socially is the lack of theaters that cater to different levels of society. Pehlay sahi tha, based on what I heard, kuin kay tab tickets itnay mehngay nahi thain. Ab theatres buhaut expensive hain, buhat kum hain, aur majority awaam kay pass access he nahi hai. Jis key waga say humari movies ka itna impact nahi banta, jitna pehlay tha, so humay apnay ghaltitoun say sikna chayia and make more movie theaters, that are cheaper and family friendly or reserve some only for women or men, jo bhi kaam karey.

Our writers have focused so hard on dramas, and TV productions and the crowd for movies is so specific that it has lead to shakiness and a lack of quality. And every good movie that ever comes out, that actually has something to say gets banned.

Good content should be generated and made available to the public, I believe it is a right.

Movies should be written well, acted well, educate and share, document history and open things up for question, they should expose and shed light, they should not anything.

Is sab kay saath saath humar awaam ko media literate honay kee shadeed zaroorat hai. They should know how TV, commercials and songs both help and get in the way of society.

I would also like direct to TV films, and have international movies dubbed in Urdu and other regional languages so people can be exposed to other forms of media. Japanese stuff is pretty good.

Overall movies asee bhi hon chahiya jo Pakistani history, icons aur kitboon kay upper based hon. Takay logon ko representation or sense of history and identity paida ho.

But quality and good writing is extremely important.

Also please stop cutting movies down into dramas, bus aik movie hee laga do TV par.

 

Now About Daramas

Again I would like to see  more novel and history adaptions, but I would also like more variety in actors, in filming style and  writing. It would be nice if actors were beyond children of actors who just got in because of their parents. I do not appreciate singers and models who cant act for shit, but can only speak in English – that is not a talent.

We should as a society respect art,culture, artists and respect the work and effort that goes into creating what we call entertainment. There should be public opinions, analysis and critics on our projects and of those that we are exposed to.

Writers kay saath interviews honi chayiya, aur un say fazool sawal nahi karni chahiya aur unko promote karna chahiya jis key waja say shayab book buying aur reading ka culture promote ho.

Have marathons on the weekend during which old dramas and movies are shown so younger audiences can come to like them and see the development and growth of our media.

Puranay scripts key new adaptions bhi bun sakti hain. Itnay jo loog Ashfaq ahmad say pyar kartay hain, kya woh unkay drama yah plays nahi dekhain gain? Do we not owe him that. Since now we have better cameras and sound systems.

Aur aik buhat bara issue yeh kay Pakistani media main ajj tak koi collective stand nahi aya for children’s and teen media. I know there are shows here and there, but how many of our own cartoons are widespread or ones that kids actually watch?

When we watch western or foreign cartoons, why do we view the Indian dubbed version of them and not ones which we have dubbed ourselves, with lingo that our kids will more readily understand.

I do not agree with any resistance against any language, but then why are they able to demand cartoons which are directly dubbed in their own language? Why can’t the interaction be more direct instead of just banning everything without a second thought or some study.

Where are movies that show the  struggle or issues that our teenagers go through? where are shows that inspire them and give them an idea about their future?

Why is the only love triangle we are aware of is between the rich phopo ka baita with all the jaidaan, who is caught between the modern slut and the desi good girl ? is that only thing we should expect from life. Why are the voices and narratives we listen to so narrow and limited?

Why cannot we have urdu adaptions of plays from other countries, which in between takes Professors and teachers walk the audience through what is happening and explain things to them.

I would love love love more documentaries, about our history , our food our people, and other societies with the same level of respect.

I write all this to say that we must as a society look beyond commercial gains, and tested formulas and reach out to innovation and new grounds, that will help in the uplifting of our culture and media standards.

Main nay recenly aik friend say baat keiya tha, jo kaam karta hai industry main. Main uss kaha tha kay as an idea, kay hum fairy tales kay upper based kafi content bana saktay hain. Aur uska jawab yeh tha kay ‘our TV channels don’t like this’.

But then it their own loss, to one make money of the most clear cut money making commodity there has been in cinema. It is time that stepped up, and went back to doing good for our people, and work beyond just affirming and entertaining them.

Confusion

 

 

Must you try
And confuse my thoughts
My fibre won’t stay sane
Whatever is felt against back and bone
With black lines inside black eyes
The messenger gets the meaning and the master
A charm for what he carries home
Must we think
Like the priest handling the economy
Nothing has hurt you
At least not yet
Not deep enough
With air mixing the taste of regret down hell
Must I still
Not exist and see everything
Remember nothing
I care very little
About the sanctity of life
And all those living
Their beliefs of customs
I don’t care at all
Must this also
Slip from between my fingers
Leave my heart to pieces
Let the image fall

‘Slackistan’ – Still in the face of Sanctions

 

 

 

‘Slackistan’ is an art film written and directed by Hammad khan, way back in 2010. It was at that time really popular and buzzy among the select few rich kids of Pakistan, but I wasn’t aware of it back then. I saw it a few weeks ago, and I liked it.

‘Slackistan’ is the burger equivalent to the drama, ‘Humsafar’, as the entire cast was full of people on their way to fame in either singing or acting. Many of them who I like and are extremely talented and one that I do not like. Hint he only has one scene. Anyway watching the movie almost ten years down the line, I found myself asking – Has it really been that long?

The movie follows several young graduates of Islamabad’s elite, or something along those lines. Our main narrator and character is Hassan. Who is really cute. As the movie goes on Hassan talks about his friends, his life and shares his thoughts on the country and what’s going on around him. There is no main plot and all of the characters are going through something, which made them feel real. This is a very real depiction of our teenagers, and how things were back then, and in a way still our for us.

It was filmed in a manner which is unique and innovative for Pakistani audiences, as our mainstream movies typically deal greatly in male and female driven heroic love stories, which have dance songs and extended shots of riches and well obviously come of as romantic and fantastical. You watch them and are transported into a fantasy place, but with ‘Slackistan’ you are in the place you want to get away with.

I guess because it was very different and verbally bold for our general audience it did not get a lot of attention, and it was actually banned. Many stated that it was not a family picture, as if that was a bad thing. But I am happy that they went against the classic desi block buster formula, and made a movie that has something to say, and keeps the tempo mellow and soft.

The shooting style could have been better, and the music was nice, again, it was very different and refreshing, but there weren’t many Urdu songs – just the one. By the end I did find myself identifying and feeling a connection for the characters, and I wanted to know what would happen to them.

Social commentary

Pakistani films, and the directors seem to be under this great pressure to address every social issue that society. Every movie, is under the pressure to satisfy and appeal to everyone, and it has to have everything or else why even make movies?

I think this pressure is prevalent because people feel like giving morals or something justice based will give the movie more respect or authority, but that is not true. You can’t mix everything into an hour. There is nothing wrong with addressing problems, but not at the cost of the characters or their development. Shoaib Mansoor’s films have that in them, the issue is stronger than the character, so the human connection is bleached. I still like them, but this is how I feel. The same can be said about some dramas.

‘Slackistan’, actually handled this very well, they showcased the issues through the main characters eyes, and for the others things they showed the characters were going through those issues. Their mild reactions to the things they are unable to control is natural and the real thing, it’s not like all of us our heroes. This way they were able to feel through a lot and mold the growth and change in the characters.

 

Social Decadence 

As a people we have been dealing with terrorism for many years, in result of which we have become desensitized to the sight and the extent of the violence around us. This was portrayed very well in the movie, for the most part the boys and girls don’t know what to do, and have internalized a lot, as everything is falling a part.

As a part of dealing with the trauma or shock of everything that is going on around them, they do what all of us do, they ignore it. As a defense mechanism we ignored a lot and maneuvered our way into existence, we live in denial, then some terror attack happens, we get scared for a while, but then we get over it. I don’t any other country in the world has gone through the kind of terrorism that we have.

It was a very honest show of how Pakistani people deal with things falling a part, which Western films and media has always denied us. I feel like anyone to watched that trashy show, ‘Homeland’ should also watch ‘Slackistan’, just so they can see what Islamabad actually looks like. It actually is a good movie for Western audiences, it has tropes that they might like.

Sanctions and Censorship 

As mentioned ‘Slackistan’ like most of our movies was banned as soon as it was released on the big screen. This only happens to movies that actually have something to say, and want people to form an opinion, since they never ban any Bollywood movies. On the bright and ironic side, the act of banning them, actually makes the movies more popular. You think they would have learned that.

It was banned for having profane language, and for it not being child friendly.

I would just like to say that there should be public respect for artistic freedom for our own artists and writers. Hollywood, Bollywood and Turkish media gets away with too much, it is an insult that our own are not even allowed to get their foot through the door.  Just because they made one person angry.

Pakistani people have a right, weither they like it or not to a variety of media and opinions, they deserve to have information that makes them think and reflect. Not every movie is just there to entertain or become the voice of justice. Some movies are there for the sake of culture,art and to show you how different people exist. And there needs to be a surplus of films, dramas, reports, vlogs and documentaries for the sake of maintenance.

Besides that, we cannot have our cake and eat it too. If we are tired about all the wrong and negative media or representation we get from the Western world, then we have to make our own media and drown out the falseness. We need to speak for ourselves, and this one of the ways that we can, and we must be a part of the conversation.

 

In conclusion, this is an art film which will become more popular and nostalgic with time, and we will look back at it and say, I can’t believe times used to be that bad.

 

 

 

Not every hand that feeds you: Seduction by love in ‘Coraline’.

Hi everyone, Coraline is actually a movie I’ve seen recently and it was really good, so off the bat I just wanted you guys to know that is was a good experience. But right now I do not want to talk about the film in detail, instead, I would like to focus on one single aspect of the story.

 

 

‘Coraline’, is a story about a little girl, who is bored and frustrated with her life and parents. While exploring her new house she comes across a tunnel like portal that leads her down to a parallel realm, where everything is as perfect as a button.

Coraline, comes to meet her ‘Other Mother’, who showers her with all her love, and indulges her fantasies. All of which seems fine, because from jump the parallel place is visually more inviting and warmer with the use of colors and a general warmness and action that the real world lacks. Coraline is of course enchanted by this place and goes there often, but from the very beginning she is struck by the sight of the mother with the button eyes.

What I took from ‘Coraline’, is how children are very easy to manipulate and seduce, which is not a new discovery but it might be to young children, because generally kids see love and attention as a sign of love, and not a means of someone getting what they want, no matter how sinister. The strange thing is that, as a society we uphold politeness and good deeds as actions that show finer intentions, we also are trained from a young age to react nice when someone is being nice to us, but more importantly, children and people in general are not taught to see kindness, affection or favors as something to be suspicious of.

That training comes in early, and children learn just as fast they are scolded, children are molded into behaviors by the taunts of their parents and guardians – and that early case of strict love is what leaves many people tainted and psychologically and emotionally in need of a buffer thirst for love and tenderness. Oddly enough when a parent or close relative is seen hurting or being slightly abusive towards a younger person it is not seen as something wrong r damaging, it is instead seen as giving the child discipline, or preparing them for the difficulties of the real and external world. This kind of training is often a mystery and inclination of confusion for children, but for adults that time is witnessed or recalled as something that made them stronger. But people often say that about anything that was difficult, as a means of getting over it.

Therefore, if abuse from people who genuinely love you is nothing to be afraid of, then how should one face or acknowledge love or softness from strangers? Is it something should be welcomed or is it something to be shunned just because it comes from a distant place, that may be dangerous. Men and women in seduction often put their best foot forward and use certain buzzwords to entice the person that they are trying to win over. Let take an example of a man opening a door for a woman, initially when a man opened a door for a lady it was seen as a polite gesture, it was a show of being aware or conscious of the needs of other around him, like basic human decency. Strangely enough with the advent of the feminist movement, women urged themselves to not appear weak or be docile and take personal responsibility, symbolically and physically opening the door themselves and walking through when a man opens it for them. In most recent times, the opening door debate it still seen as simple two-way thing – essentially as men only want to open the door in order to a polite gentleman, and women only want to refuse to cross that door in order to be empowered. The verbal exchange of opinions even never comes across a different reason for both sides of the story, apart from some people arguing over being traditionalist or modern. I, however once came across a book that talked about a hidden intention behind men opening the door for a woman. Quite simply, when a man opens a door for a lady to walk into before him, it allows him to look freely at her backside, the same goes for when he pulls back a chair of her, it allows his eyes to see her bust.

So behind the facade of being polite, what was actually being met was the desire of the predator at the price of the ignorance of the recipient.

It is a paradoxical irony that honest love is often something that inflicts abuse and hurt, and a more destructive intention may use sweet words and kindness to meet its means, but if so then how is the recipient supposed to decode any of this. Should the recipient take on the harshness as a sign of love, or should they oppose love as a sign of misconduct? Perhaps this is something that should be attested to a gut instinct. But it would be foolish to asses that any pain endured is not felt in a way that is detrimental, and it is also foolish to asses that any kind of kindness is not attractive.

The mother in Coraline is initially mean and annoyed by her daughter’s neediness, not at the level of abuse but perhaps neglect. Coraline often tries to get her attention or tries to get her mother interested in her activities, but her mother is focused on working, but even so compared to the father there is no tenderness in her exchanges with Coraline, and with the way Coraline is never hazed by that shows that this behavior is very common. So despite the mother’s obvious indifference Coraline sees it as normal and it not deflected by it, this is contrast with how the ‘other mother’ talks to and treats the child, she indulges and caters to the wants of the child, but Coraline is already taken aback by her eyes. It is like a hunch or something disturbing that keeps reminding her that something is terribly wrong, and she mentions the eyes as the reason why this is not her mother.

 

Coraline in her innocent wisdom is still pushed away from her mother, and is pulled in by the ‘other mother’. She does feel the unease of the atmosphere in the perfect world down the portal, but she does make a decision to leave her real parents for good, and when given the price for all the love in the other world, she insists on going back to her real mother.

It is significant that the conflict Coraline faces in both worlds is associated with the mother, which is a relationship that is supposed to be everyone’s primary care-giver, thus in both places Coraline is a victim or mixed signals and disrupted gratifications, leaving her open for abuse in both places. The conflict with the mother is somewhat mirrored by fact that Wybe who is otherwise nice to her gives her the doll that is the catalyst to her trouble, while the aggressive cat is what helps her out of the trap.

Coraline is a lucky child, who was able to sense the truth and feel the danger around her, but what about those whose senses are dimmed? Plenty of people fall victim of being blind of intentions, and with reference to several predators they target people who vulnerable and they work on isolating their selected victims. Which is something that other mother takes note of and has her eyes over the child’s life, and she did the same thing with earlier victims, whose eyes she already stole. The robbing of their eyes is symbolic of stealing their perception of reality, thus their independence of thought, and this mixture of love, abuse and submission is what makes the children complete slaves, but on the brighter side these kids know that they are trapped.

A true tragedy would come forward if the children were in the fantasy trap, and were completely unaware of it. Our fantasies and all the fun things in the world are all ways or modes of numbing our senses, and mixed with the mind of ignorance and desperation it becomes very easy for a sadistic villain to come to the rescue. Coraline was very close to that end, but that strong sense of freedom and reality is what saves her in the end, and this awareness and vigilance should in everyone to be safe.

 

 

‘Gilda’ A review of something well done.

Hey world, hope you’re doing well. Today we are going to be looking a classic from the 1940’s that captured many of the traits of that time, Gilda.

 

Now this is just my opinion, but Hollywood has been a disappointment lately. I’m surprised most of their own films are able to win much, since most of them are doing nothing more these days besides whitewashing amazing Japanese franchises. Which obviously leads to massive backlash and flops- which they deserve. Apart from that it looks like they want to make money out of nostalgia factors, but mostly failing, and what else? I’m not particularly happy with the dialogues.

The only movie out of the recent bunch that I really liked,and that actually made a huge impact was ‘Get Out’. It was well-written, had multiple meanings, the acting was good and it gave people something to think about.

But hey, why do that when you could ruin a respected franchise?

But it is visible that audiences are looking for something nostalgic, and for that my solution is actually watching old movies. And you should watch Gilda.

Gilda gets its name from the femme fatale played but the talented Rita Hayworth, who still has feeling for Johnny Farrell, played by Glenn Ford. Only problem is he is the trusted worker to her criminal and closet psycho, aristocratic, probably British husband, who has ties with the German mafia.

Glida, by all standards is a good movie, which is enchantingly beautiful. It’s black and white, and the focus isn’t strictly on the frame, but the atmosphere captures your eye, the use of silhouette and shadows is genius and everyone looks amazing in the closeups. You can tell that the directors knew how to show internal struggle with little actions.

The dialogues and the delivery is also a breath of fresh, they actually have a flow,character and emotion in their voices. Which is something I’ve always respected and enjoyed in old Hollywood movies, every actor has a strong distinct voice, they all have something to add to the film and are articulate to the point that you wish you sounded like them. That only happens when someone is God-gifted good.

I also like that there was an active and interesting humanistic and emotional focus in the film. The conflict could be many things, but I think it revolves mostly around Johnny and Gilda, and how they love each other, but in a hateful way and spend most of their time making the other jealous and miserable. I think this kind of dilemma won’t do well with modern audiences because it does come of as slow and you have to pay attention to the screen. And there is also not a lot of active action, like excessive gunshots, but I think the movie did an excellent job at showing how the mafia works, and how secret societies are controlled.

The characters are charismatic and full of energy, and I noticed that all of them are trying hard not to be eaten by feelings of love or the past. They don’t want to be ruled by their feelings, and in this  Johnny is the most  steadfast. Gilda does try to shut excitement away by closing a door, but she does try to spark up Johnny is a reckless and care free manner. Her older husband Ballin, catches on to the obvious fire between them, but doesn’t show a lot of anger against them. He does warn Gilda, but even he seems to take some enjoyment out of the heat between everyone, by tempting and testing them. He even expresses with his face in the dark that, ‘hate can be an exciting emotion’.

The music also does justice to its time, and on a good note, they don’t have background all the time, which adds more suspense and drama in the atmosphere. But when a song or dance does happen its welcoming. One very iconic song from the movie is, ‘Put the blame on Mame’, which addresses how Johnny blames Gilda for everything in his life, and wants nothing but to punish her. Like that is ever going to solve anything.

To conclude, Gilda is a movie you really should watch and sense. It has all the ticks of a good dramatic and intriguing tale, with a nice,expected ending. It may not reach out to the masses, and not have a processed pop album with blonde wig, and there is no CGI, but surprise it doesn’t need any of that.The movie is a unique thing, with its own personality and style and it is liked because of that by the audience it touches.

Changing it that won’t make it any good, and filmmakers needs to realize that. And should also leave Asian content and roles away from their vulgar hands,and destroy their own content.

‘Fenty’ by Rihanna is inspirational

 

This Friday Rnb singer Rihanna launched her makeup line by the name of Fenty, and I love it.

Hi everyone, this is going to be a different kind of blog, since I never really wrote about makeup before, mostly because I did not know how I would approach it or what I specifically wanted to talk about but now that Rihanna just launched her dream child beauty products, I know exactly what I want to say.

So I assume that everyone already knows who Rihanna is, she is a singer and songwriter, who has evolved in front of us, and she has a sense of style that everyone loves and praises. She looks good in almost everything, and has a great eye and understanding of what will look good on her. I might not like everything she wears but more than always she is like one of those pretty girls in a movie, who is supposed to look casual but is actually top model good. And Umbrella was the first song I ever heard on the radio. I love it.

Any way, she posted her ad on Instagram, and it was honestly really unique, because you had all kinds of beauty in it. All the models were lovely and attractive, and not a single carbon copy of each other, so it did speak to a huge demographic without the sense that is was pandering, just honest inclusion. The colors and lighting was really good, and I really liked the golden shimmer eye shadow.

Rihanna also did something ground breaking in the name of make up. She released forty different shades of foundation. I might not follow a lot of fashion news, but I can safely say that no one has done that before. And I think that her whole journey proves that you can do it all, in the sense if you work hard for what you love and believe in the world sees it and supports it. Rihanna has left her mark on music, fashion and now make up, she brought in diversity and made products for people who did not have makeup companies that counted them in or see them as a demographic. But hopefully now with this range people can find a shade that suits them perfect.

Something else I wanted to mention was that I think its nice that Rihanna actually cares about her products and that she involved in everything, I even saw her in a video thanking her first customer. It’s enthusiasm that I haven’t really seen with several other celebrities that have opened up make up chains, I mean, it’s must be nice for them to earn an extra million, but the public loves to see actual dreams come true. Like another good example of someone in modern makeup time who actually seems involved to me is the girl who runs Hudda beauty. I’m sure there might me more but I just don’t know that much.

And yeah till next time.

‘Cider’, on the trip to Kasur,Eid, getting work and coming into ones own.

 

 

Hi world, I hope you have been well and that you had an amazing Eid with your family and loved ones. I had a pretty good time myself, and I got to do a lot  against the grain in these last two days. And I guess we are going to talk about that for this blog post at least.

On the first day of Eid, I got up a little late, and spent sometime with the family, and out of the blue, we actually decided to make a random trip to the near-by city of Kasur, which is approximately an hours drive outside of Lahore. I am surprised we actually did drive out, because everyone is normally busy and or tired from work and school. I had been begging for a long time to actually get out more, and enjoy life you are young, at least in my case. Any way we got in the car, and enjoyed the lovely ride towards Kasur.

 

Our destination was the shrine of Baba Bullesh Shah, who is a poet, saint and figure of great prestige for the Punjabi language. So if Urdu has Ghalib, Punjabi has Bulleh Shah.He is a writer who has for seven hundred years enchanted readers and inspired the heart of singers. There is something universal in him, that resonates to  people regardless of age and time, my parents ave always loved him. So a good way to bond is clearly to explore topics that people love mutually and can grow with. I wanted to go for those reasons and other, I wanted to see things,people, buildings and understand how time can stand still and move in union. I wanted to vlog the event also, and I did so also, but I believe it could have been better. But I did enjoy the trip, and from what my folks said, it turned out to be a trip that they needed for themselves.

So if you ever get the chance do go… you’ll drive into a pristine,historical and clean little town, that has seen a lot of hard times, but unlike bigger cities has remembered their history and always respected it. You’ll be able see the graves of several historical figures, and have a good go on local food. Kasur is famous for Andrassa ( kind of biscuit) and Falooda ( sweet dish).

Since it was Eid, the day I went I want to talk about something the animals we slaughter. I know we normally just pack the meat up and give it around our own neighborhoods, who already are being stacked with meat from the other neighbors. Fact is we do not really need all of this meat, what we should be doing is giving it to poor people. The greater Pakistani population does not have access to meat because they cannot afford it, and because of that they are not growing properly. So we should try to focus our actions in a more productive way, that helps the people around us.

Moving on I’ve been getting a lot of writing things, and that makes me happy and I hope they keep in coming and that I could improve my skills and add to the culture. But for some strange reason, no matter how much I want to improve I end up almost sabotaging my chances and half-assing my way through life, despite actually wanting to do my absolute best. It’s not just with my writing work, but with my studies as well.

That is bad… I need to fix myself …. must improve.

Lastly, just to expand on the last point, It is important for us to look deep into ourselves and tell ourselves what exactly we want in life.We must do so, if are ever to achieve anything.

‘Laputa: Castle in the Sky’ (1986) Review

Hey world, I haven’t done a movie review in a while, so here it is. I will probably do a lot of that when the magazine comes out. With that I’ll learn to write more professional movie reviews but for now let’s keep it friendly.

For this review we will be talking about a classic,Japanese favorite of mine,Castle in the Sky.

 

‘Castle in the Sky’ is a movie directed and written by Hayao Miyazaki, who is one of the most respected and famous animators to come out of Japan. And with good reason to, because his work is beautiful, heart-felt, nostalgic, conscious of the environment and  breathtakingly inspiring.

In this film we are taken to strange fictional world, where the period is both old and new and air ships are used. The conflict in the first scene  captures our attention really fast so we are curious and in suspense as to why all this trouble over a girl with a necklace. As the lovely music based soundtrack carries us away from time and allows to dwell deeper as this mysterious little girl falls from the sky and begins to float.

I would say that the entire was very well-balanced and that the characters were all unique and likable and easy to enjoy and have feelings for, plus the grand scale of the art style was always pleasing. There was a pretty amount of blue and green landscapes, and the architecture again provided a nice emptiness which added on the feeling of nostalgia. Plus the pacing was perfect, there were slow heartfelt  moments where the characters got to bond well, but I feel like every scene was like real life because it was linked and had a bit of all the emotions people go through. Like even in the slightly romantic scenes there is an element of fear, a sensation of courage and adventure, an addition of visual comedy in the company of expressive dialogues.

 

So I loved the movie, as you can tell, and I have loved it ever since I was a little child. It is one of those movies that you want to watch to feel how time has passed you by, and also it is a movie that grows in meaning everything you watch. The message is different when you watch is as an adult compared to how it was an epic adventure when you were a kid.

The plot basically consists of two kids who are thrust into this search for an abandoned and almost forgotten city that floats in the sky. But also in this pursuit is the army and a family of pirates. And in the process the characters come face to face with their fears, and grow as they get closer to the city.

 

Thematically the movie talks about love, dreams, peace and power and the fate of mankind.

 

Love of any kind because we get to watch are two adorable protagonists, Sheeta and Pazu, become closer and save each other. Relationships and expressions of love are handled in a unique way in Miyazaki’s films. There are no abrupt confessions, or flashy songs, or obvious reasons or even set gender roles when it comes to a growing relationship or understanding. I like that they are able to communicate with each other fully and that they take care of each other, where as in most other movies the biggest cause of a problem is the lack of common ground between the lovers, or lack of communication.

Miyazaki even said so himself in an interview.

“I’ve become skeptical of the unwritten rule that just because a boy and girl appear in the same feature, a romance must ensue. Rather, I want to portray a slightly different relationship, one where the two mutually inspire each other to live – if I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.”
― Hayao Miyazaki

The other kind of love in the movie is spiritual love or the love for nature, and making peace with the earth and its ways. Sheeta says this as Muska points a gun at her.

“The world cannot live without love”

Castle in the Sky may be an innocent movie  and it does not have anything vulgar in it, but there is a very good and reflective portrayal of the evil in the hearts of men, and how those forces of greed and selfishness can lead to the destruction of mankind. Which speaks a lot about on the current situation the earth is in now. Even if people don’t believe in global warming, they can see the change when Lahore has lost most of it’s for trees to urban construction. They can see how the tigers are being killed in India, and sense the heat or the sting in the air. And most of this is our own fault, but all these big corporations just want what benefits them with no concern of the land.

 

But nature eventually does win. We get to see that when the kids land straight in Laputa. They are met with a rusty robot, who is all alone and takes care of the animals and plants in the city. This was one of favorite scenes, because of the art and the message those movie stills leave behind. Laputa as we are told really was a great power of legend, and there in the clips it is empty and at peace like the ruins of any other civilization we have here among us. Even in its death it is alive, but the feeling is bittersweet, it’s like looking at those pictures of the ruins of Egypt. Which was once a great power in Africa, and it was also looted time and time again by Europeans, and been robbed of something.

Which leaves one to believe it is truly best to leave these cities and buildings as they are, and protect them.    The city floats away in the movie, and the only thing that is ever left of any nation is their children. An old house is never really used as a house ever again.

But even so there needs to be an appreciation of the past and a personal bond should be developed with nature if we are to survive. Castle in the Sky just reminds us of that. It is all this and a lot more.

And again the amazing art work deserves a class award of its own, because it brings the entire concept to life. And the soundtrack doesn’t need any words to justify it.

So I would recommend everyone to watch it. Watch with your family and your kids, and be swept away on an amazing journey and yeah be inspired.