I walked into Cloud Atlas in anticipation because several people had told me they enjoyed the film. A quarter of an hour after it started, I already wanted out. The story just wasn't compelling. Having A-list stars didn't salvage the movie. The movie seemed so pretentious. It wanted to be grand, but it wasn't. It wanted to be out there, but it didn't seem original. The Lord of the Rings was effortlessly majestic, perhaps because it didn't seem arrogant, fake, or 'try too hard' like Cloud Atlas.
I don't know how faithful the film remained to the book since I haven't read it, but the story life of the film was a big yawn. Maybe I didn't like it because I was left wondering, 'So what?'. Why should I care that the past and the present and the future are connected? There were some moments that made me laugh, though, but they were few and far between. I felt little empathy for the characters, so you could imagine that I didn't feel much emotion throughout the film, except impatience and anger.
I guess my main beef with this film boils down to insincerity. It was like the director was more concerned about appearing grandiose than telling a good story.
I've written so negatively about this film, but many people have enjoyed it, so if the trailer appeals to you, then by all means watch the film!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Poem, and What English do YOU speak?
I
An encrypted discourse,
cloaked
in veils of trope, symbolism, imagery.
Keys evade grasp;
intangible keys,
nonetheless more certain
than their destinations.
Indeed, treasures dot
this literary landscape,
manifest
to those who seek;
their values, a contention.
At one glance, hieroglyphics;
a second, an enigma.
Enter the anatomisation,
inevitable and laborious,
yet which bears fruit
that exhilarates.
A mine, a jigsaw,
an archaeological dig.
A rare but enticing, enlightening enjoyment.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
My Big Fat Punjabi Wedding?
Video URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SaEl4cKaAo
Took me a while, but so worth the search. Check out the song from the film Special 26 called “Gore Mukhde Pe”, or as I might call, “Welcome to my big fat Punjabi wedding”.
The first few quick shots establish the setting as a wedding.
It’s a bit of a déjà-vu. Remember Monsoon Wedding? I don’t know what flowers those are in the picture above, but they evoke the ubiquitous tangerine marigolds of that film.
And let the party begin! (0:05)
Dancing, clapping, singing, happy faces all around, and the catchy beat – you are in for an audio-visual treat. Had the song been on its own, I am not sure I would have enjoyed it quite so much. Like “Gangnam Style”, the magic of the song takes hold when accompanied by its visual counterpart.
That visual part is the boisterous, full-throttle, everyone-in-the-house festive dance. Take a peek:
It is hard to capture the catchiness and hilariousness of the dance moves with words or still images. But here is an expression that says it all.
The decision’s made. I were to ever be an extra for a film, Bollywood wedding party scenes it is!
Another reason why I enjoyed this video/song is that I didn’t feel uncomfortable or disgusted by excessive sexuality or the objectification of women. Which is precisely why it took me a while to find a music video to my liking. Before landing on this one, I saw one too many videos with the same old plot line: the sexy, scantily-clad babe seducing the sunglass and suit-equipped rich man. In contrast, this video has romantic elements that are cheesy, laughable, but lovable.
The song itself is incredibly fun as well. The female and male leads take turns singing. The fact that the song is in an unfamiliar language didn’t detract from my enjoyment of it at all.
If you would like a light-hearted break in your day, go, go watch this video! 
More still images of the video:
Indian Witches
Picture Source:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/02/13/in-germany-a-400-year-old-witchcraft-case-gets-a-retrial/
http://atheism.about.com/od/christianityviolence/ig/Christian-Persecution-Witches/Witch-Burned-Stake-Witchcraft.htm
Found yourself in 1692, Salem, Massachusetts? Or perhaps 15th century Europe? With media depictions and references ranging from Monty Python and the Holy Grail to Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, it is likely that many of us have heard of the infamous witch-hunts in history.
They are a thing of the past, are they not?
Or so I thought. Imagine my bewilderment as I unsuspectingly came across the article, “The truth about witches” on the Times of India website. As they often do in my dismay or disorientation, my eyes narrowed to a squint while scanning over the first few lines: “With witch-hunts a reality in many Indian states, activists say Bollywood’s portrayal of daayans as evil personified needs to change (Sharma).”
Whoa, hold up there. Witch-hunts in India? What is going on here?
After much research, here is what I’ve gathered about the situation:
- Witch branding of women, especially widows, is a commonplace attack in many states of India, with as many as 218 lynching of accused women occurring in the state of Andhra Pradesh alone between 2003 and 2008 (Arora). Witch-hunts occur more frequently amongst tribal populations (Chaudhuri).
- Many of the witch-hunts can be described as “calculated attacks”, in which the accusers have a motive such as settling scores over personal conflicts or gaining property (Chaudhuri).
- Communities in which witch-hunts occur hold superstitious beliefs, including that the evil spirits in daayans (witches) must be eradicated. Once a witch doctor confirms a woman as a witch, she is promptly punished (Roy). The forms of punishments are atrocious and varied, and include ostracizing, torturing, and killing of the accused (Times of India).
You can find many reported cases of witch-hunts on Times of India:
· Woman lynched in Garhwa after witch slur
· Woman branded ‘witch’, daughter harassed in Ajmer
· Nephew kills woman branding her a witch
Witch-hunts have also been discussed by:
· The Independent: The dark side of India, where a witch-doctor's word means death
· The Guardian: Witch hunt
· The Women News Network: India: Protective Laws Fall Short for Women Charged with Witchcraft
Nowhere in Monsoon Wedding, Malgudi Days, or The Artist of Disappearance did I come across any mention of daayans or witch-hunts. First, the intermingling of western and Indian culture, and now tribal communities. Once again, India has surprised me with her richness in diversity and culture. All the more understandable after the historical overview of the country last Thursday…
Come to think of it, India is a lot like China in that respect, at least in my limited vision of the world. China’s population is also varied, with many different ethnic groups; I’d seen a tribe myself in a travel documentary. The witch doctors of India also remind me of the shamans in my own (Korean) culture, called mudang (무당).
▲ Korean shaman performing
Source: http://image.pressian.com/images/2010/08/02/50100802032537(0).JPG
.JPG){kind=link}
Some may label India as backward in contempt upon reading about the witch doctors. I have mixed feelings. Certainly, people should be protected from any physical, psychological, or material harm brought about as a result of superstitious beliefs (case in point: 'Witch doctor' gets death penalty for beheading boy). However, when it comes to those that do not cause harm, can one justify forcing away the beliefs upon which someone’s identity or reality is built, for his supposed sake? Is it modernization or ideological hegemony? But that’s another story.
Back to the article that started this cascade of research, learning, and discovery.
What sparked the article was anger over the recently released Bollywood horror film, Ek Thi Daayan.
▲Theatrical release poster of Ek Thi Daayan
Picture Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ek_Thi_Poster.jpg
In it, a daayan is a haunting villain. Some are protesting that the film’s negative portrayal of daayans as evil beings serve to aggravate the problem of witch-hunts in India. One such protestor is the publicly-declared witch and social activist named Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, who works to curb witch-hunt-related violence and help the victims (Chakraverti; Sharma). She is a curious character herself, and worth reading about.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipsita_Roy_Chakraverti
But, before I digress as before, why don’t you check out her thoughts on this film in the article I’ve been referring to? There, you will also find others’ responses and an overview of the witch-hunt problem in India.
As my final words, I want to state that modern-day witch-hunting is not a phenomenon unique to India. Here are just a few examples for those who are interested:
· Papua New Guinea: It’s 2013, And They’re Burning ‘Witches’ (From the Globe and Mail)
· Gambia: Witch Hunts and Foul Potions Heighten Fear of Leader in Gambia (From New York Times)
· Congo: Congo witch-hunt’s child victims (From BBC News)
So, what are your thoughts? Feeling incredulous? Angry? Don’t hesitate to share your response; I welcome it.
Works Cited
Arora, Kim. “Many cases of women branded as witches still go unreported: Report.”
Times of India [Mumbai]. 22 Jan. 2013. NewsBank. Web. 18 May 2013.
Chakraverti, Ipsita R. “Biography.” The Wiccan Brigade. Web. 19 May 2013.
Chaudhuri, Soma. “Women as Easy Scapegoats : Witchcraft Accusations and Women
as Targets in Tea Plantations of India”. Sage Publications 18.10 (2012): 1213-
1234. Medline. Web. 18 May 2013.
Roy, Puja. “Sanctioned Violence: Development and the Persecution of Women as
Witches in South Bihar”. Development in Practice 8.2 (1998): 136-147.
JSTOR Arts & Sciences VII. Web. 18 May 2013.
Sharma, Purnima. “The truth about witches”. Times of India Crest Edition 20 Apr.
2013. Web. 16 May 2013
Times of India. “Women facing atrocities as 'witch' still prevalent in Rajasthan”. Times
of India [Mumbai]. 15 Jan. 2013. NewsBank. Web. 18 May 2013
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Reactions to Monsoon Wedding
I watched Monsoon Wedding a week after my finals. The only quasi-Indian film I had seen before was Slumdog Millionaire, so I had no idea what to expect.
The most striking aspect of the film was the mixing of
western and Indian cultures: suits and sunglasses amidst saris and dhotis; rickshaws
and cars alike occupying the roads; Coca-Cola and Visa logos in market places
that sell traditional clothing. The use of English, I suppose, is a legacy of
British colonialism. It nonetheless surprised me to observe its prevalence in
conversation, at least in the middle to upper classes. In retrospect, it
reminds me of Singapore, whose population speaks Mandarin as well as “Singaporean”
English. Finally, it was a bit disorienting that Aditi would be embroiled in an
affair, and yet agrees to an arranged marriage.
It delighted me to observe the wedding from its preparation
stage to the rain-filled day, with all the other celebratory events in between.
I am only acquainted with Chinese, Korean, and western-style weddings, so it
was interesting to see how it is done traditionally in another culture. Throughout
the movie, I felt like an invitee to the wedding, dancing and singing along
with the family. I had as much fun as those on the screen. The sheer number of
relatives in the bride-to-be’s house was, I have to admit, mind-boggling. In
the end, I was still not quite sure how one family member was related to
another. However, my disorientation added to the fun and unfamiliarity of
experiencing another culture.
While the film was feel-good and light-hearted overall, I
appreciated that it also treated more serious topics such as sexual abuse,
which gave it more depth. Although the movie takes place in India, which is
unfamiliar to me, I could relate to the characters and the story because the
themes explored are universal: love, family, parental expectations… The film
had an authentic feel to it, and I hope that it is indeed a realistic portrayal
of modern India because now I feel more informed about Indian culture and life.
All in all, what a delightful cinematic experience!
Picture Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e1rXr3ecTGNUfW5ZBx7cWQJw4165o_SXIpxfPsJfAPXTjTp5tYzTe7orjAjfwzZou176O-aoL9cHr6voa2PoviyS2P9Khyphenhypheng4tZ1q32uUnoU95ZY6LkBvwZpScJDnpArVbEgCbFBcXWhN/s1600/Marigold+Flowers+Wallpapers+03.jpg
Picture Source: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7e1rXr3ecTGNUfW5ZBx7cWQJw4165o_SXIpxfPsJfAPXTjTp5tYzTe7orjAjfwzZou176O-aoL9cHr6voa2PoviyS2P9Khyphenhypheng4tZ1q32uUnoU95ZY6LkBvwZpScJDnpArVbEgCbFBcXWhN/s1600/Marigold+Flowers+Wallpapers+03.jpg
Encounters with India
“What do you know of India?” he queries.
Ask me about
European history, the Far East, or the Americas – I could probably work out an
answer; I had learned about those in school. But India? Who talks about India?
Brows furrowing, I
picture a brown-skinned woman with coarse raven hair in her colourful
traditional attire (what is that called anyway? I had never bothered to ask).
She inhabits a sweltering, overcrowded country whose streets are full of aroma,
that of an assortment of exotic spices. A leisurely strolling cow halts a
mile-long traffic. … Needless to say, none of these made for a satisfactory
academic answer.
Yet, India is
not too obscure a country; I am bound to remember my encounters with her
throughout my life if I try… So I do.
If my life were a railroad track…
Station 1: Early childhood in Korea
I am born in Korea, a highly homogeneous country.
Naturally, humans as I know them are yellow-skinned, speak Korean, and flaunt
black hair. I am acquainted with the term “foreigner”, but lack a conceptual
understanding of “race”. Case in point: I equated the term “foreigner” with “American”,
if my memory serves me correctly. It follows, hence, that “India” and “Indian”
have yet to exist in my vocabulary.
Station 2: Kamloops, British Columbia
I arrive in Canada to find myself suddenly hyperaware of
my “otherness”, bombarded by the incessant question, “where are you from?” At
the same time, paradoxically, I fail to recognise the “otherness” in my new friend,
Rajkiran. She is my first “encounter with India”, although it will take me to
this day to realize it was so.
Station 3: Back to Korea for preadolescence
No word of India.
Station 4: Immigration to Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada
I learn about racial distinctions, stereotypes, and
prejudices as they are hurled at me in the white-dominated environment that enveloped
me. I am confused by the second generation Indian students mocking their own culture.
I begin to wonder if the characterizations are indeed true. Video clips of
Russell Peters exacerbate my suspicions.
In grade 9 history class, I encounter India in an
academic context: history class. I learn about British East India Company, the
Sepoy Mutiny, and Gandhi’s non-violent independence movement (of course, I had
known about Gandhi prior to taking the course as well). However, my acquired knowledge
on India is “static”. That is to say, I do not know in what ways the historical
events are relevant to the present-day India. As a born and raised Korean, by contrast,
I understand the significance of our history and how it continues to shape our
culture and identity today.
Station 5: High school student
Suddenly I am amidst many students of ethnic minority
groups. A sizable portion of the student population has Indian roots. Alongside
cupcake fundraisers are samosa sales. On multicultural days, Bollywood Club members
showcase their dance moves in their dazzling traditional clothing. Indian
culture nonetheless remains elusive to me, perhaps because we all seem to be
Canadian before anything else.
Station 6: University student armed with BBC app
on smartphone
From snippets of news, I learn about shower gels being
used by Indian women that supposedly whiten skin, but end up causing scars
instead. I reflect on the lingering effects of colonialism.
I hear about acid attacks. A woman being paraded on the
street naked for some personal vengeance. And more recently, the notorious
Delhi bus gang rape and child rape cases. A foreign tourist being raped while
her husband is beaten and tied up. I gauge the level of gender equality in
Indian society, or more appropriately, ‘inequality’.
I hear about electricity shortages, electricity piracy,
and poverty, and then I learn of “Gold Man”. I learn about castes.
I learn about corpses being dumped in the river, yet
there are proposals to establish a Playboy mansion (which are rejected by government
officials). I picture a religious and socially conservative society, but this
picture is distorted by images of Bollywood actors and actresses who evoke western
media.
Station 7: Present day – ENGL123 student
So where do all these influences and encounters leave me
now? Well, my understanding and knowledge of India are nowhere up to par with
where I would like them to be. Certainly, I have had glimpses into Indian
society, but they are no more than mere glimpses. For this reason, I am all the
more looking forward to learning about India in depth in our ENGL123 class.
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