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Chotushkone (2014)
Only a filmmaker himself can tell a story like "Chotushkone"
Only a filmmaker himself can tell a story like "Chotushkone". Converting it to the Audio-Visual media is possible by that person himself or someone who has detailed understanding of the mindset of filmmaker, performer, producer and the relation among themselves. Producer invests money to make a film. But not always he got the proper respect and support from his team. And for a new producer it is more probable scenario. Srijit Mujharjee from his very deep understanding depicted it through celluloid. Chotushkone is unique from that point of view. Special charm and feel is there for the people who are somehow in some way related to this Film Making process. It's a unique film in Bangla language. But universally any film industry peoples and audience can feel the same charm, fascination, sorrow, delightfulness, enthusiasm, horror, pain through the incidents. Its a mixed genre film. Love, Romance, reality, family, action, horror, comedy all in some way come together. But one theme was always there, which is something related to audio-visual media and its people, they way they think, they way they act. Their consistent fight with their own life and work and peoples around them. Excellent performance by Aparna Sen, Goutam Ghose, Chiranjit, Parambrata and each of the performers take to cinema to a new level. Its not only acting based cinema but their proper performance take it to a new height. Proper use of Lens, sometime using the Brecht way to breaking the fourth wall also keep the audience involved in an intimate way. The writer Annapurna Basu who was also writer of Srijit's another interesting cinema Baishe Srabon, also is a writer of Chotushkone. In in both cases Srijit was a very part of Script Writing with the writer. I have seen almost all the films of Srijit and too me till now Chotushkone is Srijits BEST Ever. It shows Srijit's capacity and quality. That's why it will be in many of ours list for long time every year.
Meghmallar (2014)
An honest approach to tell story of Bangladesh Liberation War Time of 1971
1.Meghmallar is a story of a family in the time of Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971 when Pakistan Army and administration was trying every way to control and monitor the schools, citizens of all kind , intellectuals through civil servants , Pakistani collaborators ( infamously called Rajakar by Bangladesh Peoples ). The internal issues with thoughts , internal disturbance , situations regarding livelihood , uncertainty and family sensitively depicted audio-visually by distinguished film activist , teacher and film maker Jahirur Rahim Anjan of Bangladesh. Based on the story named "Raincoat" by famous writer Mr. Akhteruzzaman Ilias , who is mostly known for his novels " Chilekothar Shepai" , whose stories depicts detail of any situation or place reflected with cinematic approach in the movie that intentionally depicts the real Bangladesh and its ordinary peoples' situation and issues in 1971 Liberation War.
2.Due to lack of enough good filmmakers and poor condition of film making industry of Bangladesh , we are failed tremendously to inform the world audience about our Liberation war which was that time ( in 1971) , one of the major events happening in the World Politics where Soviet Union , India, USA , China that means the whole polarized world was involved definitely with this event of Bangladesh-Pakistan War that later on turned into another India-Pakistan War also. And that opportunity to depict the history in film is being grabbed by other filmmakers from other countries rather than Bangladesh to depict it in their way and put their thoughts from their point of view and depict it in someway that is not the actual what we Bangladesh people thinks. And in case of filmmakers from Bengal , we mostly put some stereotype liberation war film making like some footage shots, firing with Rifles, showing Pakistan army, some village soilder as Muktijoddha shot with Lungi and Gamcha ( traditional Bengali dress ) with arms, some rape scene and Rajakar with mostly so called Beard and Tupi ( Islamic Cap) that not always true because we had smart looking , western looking Rajakar's also those are much more stronger collaborator that time , which even Bangladesh people yet not believe proper depiction of our liberation war. In that place , few films started telling our real story which focusing more on telling public tales rather than thinking about doing business using liberation war sentiment . That's why the film Meghmallar is an excellent addition to our Liberation War Time films. ( Recently I have seen comparatively better Liberation Wartime film like Bhuban Majhi by Fakhrul Arefeen Khan , Guerilla by Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu etc. ) . In case of Cinematography , visually Meghmallar is a new level for our Liberation War Films. WE have lot of stories , no doubt about that but we are lacking our opportunities to convert those good , historical stories into Cinema Screen.
Chittagong (2012)
A necessary work on Bangladesh part story of Independence against Brittish Raj Depicted
1. Intelligence is something that can help you most to make a better film, technical parts somehow someone can learn with time, but if you are not a thoughtful person, if you are not feeling passionate about making a film, if it not creates an urge inside you for making a film,then film like Chittagong may not be made. If you feel that it is necessary to make such film with those urge, then films like Chittagong ( 2012) arrives.
2. Bedabrata actually a NASA researcher and have more than 70 patents on his name and he had some experience with audio visual works , possibly some small scale, at least he is a connoisseur of films but when he decided for making the film Chittagong , it surely shows he have that required level of idea about audio visual language. And that one film, Chittagong(2012) brought him National Award.
3. Frequently we found in some scenes where British India police tracing the revolutionary team of bengal based in Chittagong leaded by Surya Sen and whenever they ran away from the police, they used the passage that is within the villagers or known persons. That shows how the general peoples were mixed with revolutionary peoples and people become accustomed to see police just as a part of british government only , not as a team for their service , especially in the British period. That was depicted nicely in the film with several group shots and close shots of face to show the expression of the police and revolutionary team of Chittagong.
4. From the beginning to the end the story was connected by one character who was one of the youngest of the revolutionary team who just died in 2006 who got the inspiration, idea and training from Surya Sen and who have seen most of the story that was told in the film "Chittagong" and was still there to tell the story to us that we found at the end of the film Jhunku's original voice in 2006. And one of the important message from Surya Sen to Jhunku was that , the fight was just a start and next generation have to continue it. It is depicted clearly in the picture. In the final scene , that 14-year boy Jhunku , who already a grown up man after his Andaman Period , again returned with that revolutionary zeal and keep on protesting against British Rulers with the villagers for their right. Jhunku is the character that binded the story for the movie Chittagong.
5. The landscape of Chittagong was brought closely but can be more closer to the event if the Chittagong Local Dialect can be used. As the director is of different area background may be he was more focused to tell the story than depicting the original archeological facts ;that is ok from that particular director's point of view as it is he who is telling the story. Hope someday someone can depict the story with original Chittagong Dialect , which possibly was used by most of those revolutionary team by Surya Sen and places , the landscape , where they spent most of their time , historical events occured to add more archeological value and as a world heritage point of view. As many of us know that in Chittagong Dialect, there are words which have distinct or acute meaning , that adds value.
6. In the film, beautifully depicted , how Hindu and Muslim psychology have played in that period and how British used it for their purpose but still the basic relation keep the bonding against that conspiracy of British rule. And one thing always depicted that most of the police action when occured , British directly not involved first.They sent their own Indian officials , police to attack , to torture which actually made the work more easier for British that period and tougher for the revolutionary who consider them as Indian , their countrymen but those British India's Indian police not depict the revolutionary in the same way, mostly. It clearly shows, British ruled by papers, by their laws , by their divide and rule strategy until the peoples of this sub-continent not able to understand their own nationalistic value and strength. In that sense, the event of capturing armoury of british police, created a big psychological change and that part depicted in many scenes in this film. Sometimes you may find some British like Maj. Wilkinson who look like more softer to the revolutionary actually worked as another way to ruling , it works for British rule as with "Bad Cop , Good Cop" theory. Doing nothing in such situations is also like supporting the unjust acts of British in far more better way as it somehow hides their real intention. That part was also depicted clearly in the film. Maj. Wilkinson's part was good as a white collar villain and depicted nicely.
7. If someone from Bangladesh , specially from that part of Chittagong , who understands the dialect , the landscape , the overall history of that part, the archeological aspects of that part , possibly can bring more value to that story of Surya Sen and his team , the revolutionary events with more detail that is an integral part of the history of Bangladesh also. Thanks to Bedabrata Pain for his excellent work and I am sure it encourage many of us to go for more detail with that story. As a Bangladesh person and Bangalee it made us proud as part of our parts' fight against British Rule. Its a kind of documentation that will inspire others to read and know more about the Chittagong event armoury of the police
8. There are many writers in the world who may not writer as a profession or a regular writer , but their books added tremendous value to the world history because that particular story only can be told by that person or no one before told that story in that way before or a person's work that added value to the history depiction or to inspiring a nation in a particular manner. The film Chittagong have that value. This is the only film he made till today ( the film made in 2012 and language is Hindi and I am writing this article in 2019 ) but the weight of this film, the influence it can make , the story it is telling , added a considerable value for the Bangladesh and Indian Subcontinent audience and history, which will keep on inspiring peoples to know more about this event and the unjust rule which was continuing that time in British India ( British Bangladesh Part mainly)
Incomplete (2017)
Story that have no ENDING. That is Oshomapto ( in Bengali ) , Incomplete
1. Yes, it is. Real life is like that. It now always a SHOW thing. Its language is different. It talks in different way. That language is not what we always expect to be seen as we want it to be. We found that language in this film , Oshomapto , Infinite, a Bangla Film based on a Good Novel By Shirshendu.
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)
See , not only watch and compare
1. When you don't able to speak or you have a fear inside but your surroundings are not suitable to express the views , then Horror film can be a good way . It also help you see different aspect or sides of a situation which as general public may not able to see. When you watch something you pay attention to what is happening and invest your time but that dont mean you are able to see or notice or become aware of someone or something what is actually happening. Horror is a genre that can help you to see that. It can play in such a way that you may be able to see what you need to see or what director want you to see.The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is one of the films made in such a way that teaches you to "see" ahead of "watching".
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Always something new is coming
1.Alfred Hitchcock is called the master of Mystery movies and the Lady Vanishes is another one . The film is about a mysterious event occurred when a person name Ms. Froy al on a sudden lost from the train while they all were travelling from an European country to England. Story started before that with an Avalanche incident and then a train journey and completed in a Train station. Many aspects are revealed with better cinematic treatment in this movie. We will talk about that here.
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2. The Film started with a top view shot to show the avalanche how affected the station and rail road which forced the travelers to stay in a near by hotel. Very good cinematic treatment by showing it from the top view and gradually moving to the hotel where all the passengers where staying
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4. With lot of group shots and two shots of conversation the tough situation of the hotel was depicted where with depicting lot of characters in small space it given a notion of tight space and tough situation to the audience. In one small room, specially in the lobby of the hotel so many discussions and event happened concurrently that created a sense of urgency, scarcity of space and urgency of the passengers to the audience.
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6. There were conversations where the visiting British lady described the beautiful country and love for that. She was talking about a musician who was playing good songs and Hitchcock started to build up the suspense from here by showing someone killed the musician in the screen and gave the audience their first feel of suspense. Next day when all is clear , one of the main character Iris , was attempted to be murdered by someone by falling something from the top floor, although possibly it was not intend for her but for that before entering the room she felt dizzy and that was shown with a good camera treatment by defocusing it slowly. After that we find Miss Froy and Iris was talking in the same room on the train that establish for Iris for the first time that the lady name Ms. Froy was in the train, later on when Ms. Froy was missing , it created the plot for moving it forward.
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8. The rooms in the train are always put in the left of the screen and the actor actresses to the right which always maintain kind of 180 degree rule and give the audience a feel of the trains travel to a specific destination. Here most of the time we find Mid Shots while they were talking and Close up shots to show their expression of faces. Throughout the journey the story is being told with the help of these shots . Only when the fighting was happening near the Border , the long shots are taken of the enemies from the train.
Schindler's List (1993)
Their thought blocked
1. If you first heard that a movie going to be shown for World War II , Holocaust , genocide of Jews in Europe, you may not give it a highest priority list for you popular films and that may not attract many of the audience specially the younger generation but Schindler's List and the name Steven Speilberg , who himself , have a great brand value surely will attract a lot of them and the way the film is being made , the way of story telling , will get you into the story and grow an interest within yourself to know more about it , the Holocaust, the Nazi, the German tortures , occupation of Poland, tremendous harsh reality faced by Polish Jews. A 3 hour plus film , but we may not able to get yourself out of the story. Story of an unsuccessful Businessman , Schindler , who moved to Poland for using the War as an opportunity to do business with Nazi Govt. but somehow it turns into a situation where , he used this as a tool to save Jews, who was working for his factory ,was not in the massacre list due to their capability of producing products for German Army. And when Schindler realizes that it can save a Jews life , he start recruiting as much jews as possible to save them from Nazi atrocity. For that he even bribed German Generals and put his life and reputation also in risk on the eye of Nazi Govt. Those 1100 Jews were the survivors at the end of the war. WE can see in the film , when a Soviet Army soilder , met them , the survivors, then the Chief Accountant of Schindler , who was an integral part of his business asked that soldier that if there still any Jews alive in Poland ? That also depicts how important was the work of Schindler was to save those 1100 jews , who can be easily another direct war victim of the Holocaust.
2. A strong German character who was the chief of a military team , also helped us to understand the psychological state of that time German Soldiers and the Jews who worked under them. A maid was working under that general but she was always afraid about what to say, as there is also no set of rules for a Jew to know what to do best them, as the level of their hatred was so deep that a Jew maid also have no answer to any question, no answer was enough to answer the Germans. Their thought blocked , they become victim of immense hatred produced by Nazi Govt. and racism that made them blind. The conversation between the Schindler and that maid depicted clearly that thought differences almost accurately.
Bhuvan Shome (1969)
Feel other peoples' pain then decide
1. Almost same pattern we have in this subcontinent , in every country , the Govt. Office of two type : One who is very sincere about his work as a responsibility on behalf of the peoples , Another one who thinks govt. money is to waste, govt. service is for relaxing. In the starting of the film , Bhuvan Shome , a hindi film by Mrinal Sen , it was being established that govt. service holders around Mr. Bhuvan, was not comfortable with the way he works , his honesty , his discipline , the way he works as a govt. officer with responsibility attached with it , creates panic to other service holders. And that lead to continuous backbiting that is an integral part of our society , which is more applied for honest, sincere and disciplined peoples. NIcely established truth by the director in few minutes of this starting of the film. Director filmed it in a funny way by some montage shots and animation but it is a mockery of our societies way of thinking for good , sincere and disciplined peoples. Directly addressing this point clearly mentions the directors awareness of what he is doing and what he wanted to tell to the audience.
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2. Bhuvan Shome is one of the New Wave Cinema of India and in Hindi Language , although Mrinal Sen's works mostly are in Bengali and this film was funded by National Film Development corporation of India. Story that involves the govt. high rank officer of that time in India , who travels to Gujrat for a vacation , met a girl during his journey , gave him a chance to self analysis of Bhuvan Shome , when he is out of his familiar environment. It seems the simplicity of village life was unknown to him and thorugh , Gauri, the character as the village girl, Mr. Bhuvan start to realize other aspects of life and finding out some realization. And understanding that other aspects also affected his official decisions like forgiving the service holder who was convicted for bribery , because in the back of his mind , it was Gouri , for whom , he pardoned that person. Actually , this film in other way , tells the top officials to look for the reality behind. In a society like India or Bangladesh , where good gap between rich and poor still exists , where there are poor peoples who just live for only living , needed to be ignored sometimes for the small misdeeds they are doing due to poverty which was created by long time imbalanced rule of foreigners and many corrupted political peoples. Mrinal Sen addressed that part through Bhuvan Shome.
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3. With age may be your physical fitness, skin, eye sight deteriorate but the feelings, understanding, reasoning , analysis become stronger than ever , this is what nature fixed us with and that truth is nicely depicted . When Bhuvan Shome come out of his office to the outside world specially to a rural area and introduced to a girl like Gauri , a new world started to come in view for him, that has given him a new angle to see , new thoughts to penetrate his mind, new way of look , which also tells the audience to put their foot to other peoples' shoe , to realize the situation, to understand from other peoples point of view.
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Modern Times (1936)
Robotic Life depicted , True for any year , any time
1. The film Modern Times ( Dir: Chalie Chaplin , one of the all time best directors in history of film ) starts the first scene with a good montage and this is what he continued through out the film by elaborating the meaning , the expression that he wanted to deliver to the audience. A group of sheep was walking in one shot and then in the next shot the workers going to the industry to work like everyday . A good use of montage to show the workers as brainless,robotic character who works as an industry tool only and never treated as human being.
2. Story depicted the life of the working class and in one scene Chaplin was arrested also for raising voice for workers , although he not have done it intentionally. The situation of the job crisis gives him the idea that Jail was much more peaceful and better for him, even when he was released. Even when in the Jail he fought against some troublemakers , he was not in proper state of mind , which is a good humorous way to depict that peoples actually are not with the police or the administration. But the depiction was so beautifully done that decoding is also easier for the audience
3. The main female character also here a part of the suffering society which sensitively affected by job crisis and overwork issue. And that pushed her to steal food for her motherless sisters. Depicting the poverty and this crisis situation is not regular or normal for western society film, most of the time they try to depict it with some larger than life characters, super heroes or war etc kind of subject with glamour , violence , colorful content in their films, with entertaining music etc. to focus mainly on business but Modern Times , in a humorous way brought the shortcomings, inequalities, discrepancies in the society , in a manner that it will keep on bouncing from laughter, enjoyment to sadness , melancholy mood. This film take audience to a proper emotional journey to make them understand their real situation around
4. Modern Times is a story for all time.. Even today this film can be aligned with present condition of workers and the society in most of the cities. A must watch for all.
Titas Ekti Nadir Naam (1973)
Life of Bangladesh , peoples of Bangladesh for long times with their culture that is related to their life
1. River and River and life related to that clearly depicted in the film Titas( Name of a river and peoples around it ) Ekti Nodir Naam ( Name ).
2. Clearly depicts how peoples of different religion lives side by side without effecting their livelihood. and still role is being played by the peoples who are rich and who are poor . In the name of religion , they created sect , actually which represents the privileged peoples and peoples who lives on fishing, farming and united . But some how money divides them actually rich uses it as a tool to destroy the unity and peace of a community.
3. River scenes, Boats and Rain greatly depicted in the film, excellent cinematography