Edwood D. Wood Jr

Edwood D. Wood Jr, sounds like his name first name repeats itself without the E, is considered the all time worst filmmaker ever, but I think he is an auteur. Call it the influence of Tim Burton & Johnny Depp for bringing alive the character of Edwood in the movie Edwood with their brilliant direction and acting that I have started to grow a fascination for him. If it were not from Burton & Depp I doubt the movie would have any influence on anybody.

I feel there is a "Edwood" in every filmmaker because of the fact that every filmmaker believes in his story whether it makes sense to others or not. Now there is a thin line between an eccentric genius and an inane filmmaker. If the movie works he is called a genius and if it doesn't go down well the audience he is considered a moron. Again the biggest cult film have been delivered by the great directors and the biggest dud are also been delivered by the great directors. For eg Saawariya by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Alexander by Oliver Stone or the Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the crystal skull by Spielber & George Lucas.
Apart from lacking aesthetics & technicalities, Edwood's movies also lacked logic and sensibility but inside him there was a story teller with immense passion for films. He seem to have got involved in the story so much that he didn't or forgot to take care about the other aspects. He was a writer, director, producer, editor and music arranger and never got anything right. A sci-fi writer perhaps had no clue about science & technology.

Somehow after watching Tim Burton's "Edwood" I seem to be respecting every filmmaker and their work whether its good, bad or worse. In India, each state had its own industry and have their own style and perspective. I guess there is no good movie and bad movie concept, its all subjective. I saw a documentary about a filmmaker in Malegaon who remakes the old hindi classics with a handycam casting his local friends as actors, edits it on a home PC, screens it in a local video parlour and releases a CD. Almost every person in that place has his seen at least one of his movies. He may not be a great filmmaker but for few thousands of people in Malegaon he is the Ramesh Shippy or Mani Ratnam.

Okuribito: Departures
Orkuribito; Departures the Academy award winning film in the best foreign languange film category from Japan is a cinematic Metaphor for "Life & Death". Ironically it deals the subject of life & death in very subtle humourous way. Filled with Synocdoche & Semiotics its a film straight from the rule book of filmmaking. This movie will remind you of the old classical style of filmmaking. It's been a long time since I have not watched a contemprory film in the recent time which has a feel of Satyajit Ray & Kurusawa in it. Watchin this movie is like sitting in a filmmaking class and listening to a master enunciating the nuances of filmmaking. The movie takes on a visual narration sans the plot oriented structure letting the camera and silence talk. Complimented by beautiful cinematography & music the story blends with the philosophy, beauty & emotions.
The movie shows the most contrasting aspect of life through completely contrasting professions symbolizing highs and lows of life. A musicians life, where one is living the life of his dreams and a then the life of an encoffineer who is living a life for the dead giving both dream & death it's identity and importance.
One of the most beautiful scenes of the movie I liked is where the protagnist and an old man look below the bridge on to the river where Salmons are tying to swim upstream and a dead fish is flowing down stream. symbolizing that life and death co exist.

People said that the movie is too long takes its own time in establishing. I never felt it was long.
The other movie which has similar touch but dealt with the darker side of life is Asif Kapadia's "Far North". If this movie was shot in English language then it would have definitely taken away couple of more oscars.If you are a filmmaker then don't miss this movie.

I Am BACK..

I don't know how many people have been visiting my blog or following my stuff but it's been a constant invisible force from the people around to be part of this new revolutionary wave of reaching people or voice one's opinion. It has almost become an imperative thing to be part of this THE thing. As if the community sites like orkut, facebook, twitter are not enough that we have to succumb to the pressure of the fear of being left behind. I still find blogging much more difficult than writing a screenplay. In a screenplay who know what you are writing, whom are you writing and who all are gonna watch that movie when it is finally made. But blogging I guess is the ability to write random things to communicate with random people and for celebrities its a new marketing strategy in to be in lime light. 3 years back I used to think that I would start blogging only after I become popular with my films but that thing has still eluded me. I wonder how people get time to write so much. I feel that people who have secured jobs and have so much to do in life have time to write blogs. Artists have thier art form to tell their stories. Over that artists are the people who have ample amount of spare time. They spent most of the time just thinking, thinking what to do, how to do & why to do. It's give them more kick in thinking than actually diong it. I don't say I'm completely jobless or have better things to do in life. When you are completely jobless you are totally preoccupied with the thought of find ways to keep yourself busy. I feel I'm more busy when I don't have any project. I go to the gym, make breakfast , wash dishes, make lunch, eat lunch, watch a movie, read, clean the car, wash clothes, mop the floor, then make dinner, eat dinner, wash the dishes & watch a movie. Now if you really have a job in hand you wouldn't think of doing so many things.