This is a romantic’s journey of World Cinema. Here I will try to acquaint you with this La La Land through a few movies which particularly influenced me, with a cautionary advice!
Let’s look upon my journey to the World and Non Hindi (I loathe the term regional) cinemas. It all began during my graduation. Till then I was (and partly even now) a mainstream movie fan. I had seen fair share of Bhai and Emraan Hashmi movies, typically first day first shows in theatres.
In the final year of my graduation I got introduced to The Shawshank Redemption. My sincerest regards to that person who forced me to watch it.
In a melodramatic sense, life was not the same then after. It won’t be wrong if I consider my movie mania to be before Shawshank and after Shawshank.
My perspective was changed even in the case of Hollywood movies. The ones that I used to watch earlier could be categorized as “a theme park entertainment” by Scorsese. However, cinephiles are divided over this statement. I personally acknowledge his point of view:
“Many of the elements that define cinema as I know it are there in Marvel pictures. What’s not there is revelation, mystery or genuine emotional danger. Nothing is at risk. The pictures are made to satisfy a specific set of demands, and they are designed as variations on a finite number of themes.”
Just like insanity changes some sane elements, which you cultivated, this craziness affected my somewhat disciplined life as well.
My routine changed to attending the mandatory 1-hour lecture and then secretly slipping away to my world of DiCaprio, Spielberg, Hitchcock, Charlie Kauffmann which were some of my first infatuations. Some of the movies that I enjoyed during this phase was, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Schindler’s List.
I remember once there was an entire week devoted to just Leo (notably Departed, Blood Diamond, The Great Gatsby, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Catch Me If You Can, Aviator, Shutter Island).
This was when Netflix and Amazon Prime was not so pervasive, at least in my life.
For about quite a few months my itinerary was restricted to the local movie vendor (pestering him with my movie demands, which the poor guy managed to bring somehow), occasional University lectures and my room.
I began travelling to unheard dingy allies of the city just to get hold of these vendors who might have the movie I was looking for. I found one!
The guy boastfully claimed that “There wasn’t any movie which you won’t find here”. I was excited and showed him my written list of movies which I was looking for.
With searching eyes, he looked intently through his computers to find me the films. A hit rate of 2 out of 10. He requested for respite of a week. After which he managed to get about 4 or 5 more films.
What I got from the deal was that, he began selling me movies at a discounted rate of 25%. Maybe he was a connoisseur himself who found a patron in me, who knows!
The romantic in me is still in love with the idea of getting the movie, then waiting for the time till you reach home and plug in the pen drive, to finally lay hands on the loot. This is quite gratifying than online streaming.
Truly, these days there is no scope of showing one's efforts in any romance!
There was an experiencing of a new radiance in the world once I came out of my rabbit hole, exploring a plethora of emotions. This mental state is what I am allured to. Sometimes, even a single state of empathy with the character, would occupy me for days!
The intrigue in the shimmery eyes symbolizes my excitement, when I reach home with a new collection.
However, there was an envy as well because a memory folder in the pen drive is nothing as compared to a real cinema reel.
...and then some of my favourite moments lie in a screenshots folder too. Like this one :
Somehow I managed to get through my graduation and reached masters, which escalated my frenzy.
Masters introduced me with multiculturalism (whose only one aspect I was most interested in…) I got introduced to some of the awe-inspiring Malayalam (Ennu Ninte Moideen, Celluloid, Mumbai Police, Memories, yes I began with Prithviraj movies) Tamil (Iruvar, Nayakan, Pudhu Pettai, Pizza) and Marathi (Deool, Fandry, Balak Palak) films.
I began pestering my Mallu, Tamil and other ethnicity friends to bring me some of the best stories from their lands.
In the process I befriended one of my seniors with common tastes and was exposed to the world of European movies. I define European movies in terms of the vernacular as well as setting of the story (thus I would consider movie Before Sunrise to be European). The very first of these were, Band of Outsiders, Breathless, Eight and a Half.
I totally second what Parasite Director Bong Joon Ho, mentions in his Oscar acceptance speech:
"Once you overcome the one-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films".
The first thing I learned from her was organization. She handed me her movie collection neatly compartmentalized in the alphabetical order of Directors. She implicitly taught me that discipline actually accentuates your experience of passion. Now, it was easy to find the right element based on my mood!
One transition which I contemplated in my movie experience was that I was getting drawn towards Directors than Actors.
I tried to find common patterns in their crafts - Godard, Fellini, Antonioni, Bergman, Polanski. The deeper I dived into the ocean of the craft (only on the receiving end), the reality hit me.
There is a lacuna in the experience, till we are not able to deconstruct the scene or try to acknowledge it from the points of Cinematography, Direction and of course Writing, so as to perceive the holistic experience.
Otherwise, watching some of the classics become analogous to looking at a painting or reading a poem, without actually understanding or even enjoying it.
Here, there is a cautionary note!
I reached the point where every interesting relation begins to reveal its own uninteresting (to some) or rather effortful aspects. Unarguably, we seek entertainment to soothe our nerves not to burden them more and create havoc in our everyday life (job commitments, paying bills, adulating and so on).
It becomes extremely crucial to find an intricate balance in different elements of our lives which we so hold dear. Honestly, I fail miserably in this pursuit! The madness that I got introduced to has its own opportunity cost (LIMITED TIME).
But of course, these movies helped me to grow and mature at an emotional level.
This was definitely not the goal; the purpose was in fact completely pleasure driven (I somewhat identify with the movie craze of The Dreamers). At least it adds something to your conversation table, a new discussion, idea, emotion and overall an experience!
Thus, it is absolutely fine if we find our own niche, which maybe even mainstream cinema - the aim is to get transported to a different world!
Vinay is pursuing research in the field of Cognitive Science. An old school who longs for movies, books and classic symphonies for mental detox. Fond of 'The Dreamers', a French classic, he tries to philosophize situations so as to extract the best out of them.
You can write to him at vinaysjc@gmail.com for further info.
Great👍 bro
A modest effort on my part to put my experience in words. I would be eagerly waiting for comments from the curious readers.
We can exchange our cinephile moments of joy!
My heartiest gratitude to ankcurio for providing the medium to express myself. Still a long effort to scale the cliff of glory!! Keep it up ankcurio!