Bicycle thieves- what it evoked in me

After long had received a FB post on top 10 movies which an art lover must watch.

Most in the list fortunately i had chance to set my eyes on not once but many times. before proceeding further i would wish to say how enriching a overseas education could be, one among many is a rich information at University library.

Any Indian UG pursuing student must judge a university by its resources especially library. The college i studied had a superb video library which included movies which as a normal Madras guy of early 2000 would never ever hear of. Some of movies got me thinking, 'can we make a movie like this? could the director think so wildly?, Has he gone mad to take such a subject?' 'is this right or is this allowed?' The variety and genres in which the creative space stretched is actually huge. It must be more fun watching those during that time to feel and live the moments. In Rashomon the characters picturisation and the slowness is profound. i never felt like moving away from the seat but waiting what his next movement meant or why he is doing this now. When i say living at that time, i enjoyed Naayagan in 90's because the times were in sync with our surroundings, similarly Vetrikodikattu talking of Dubai Job scam. I mean more or realism. Fantasy and fictional are different subjects which we cannot scoff off because they delve on imagination which is unbounded and beyond judgemental but i abhor subjects which depict falsehood.

Next with modernity ruling most of our life including medium of speaking, looking and feeling, the yesteryear movies tell us how untouched the SCENE was. let me explain this better, untouched means can we recreate the magic of GANDHI movie by getting lakhs to assemble for a scene where Gandhi is addressing the gathering? can we recreate Chandralekha dance sequence or the coal fired rail engine chugging along in a scene in Pather Panchali. we see today's movies and the advancement in reproduction rather than capturing. I mean the nature and time presented the basis for these movies to have become such a classic, so are there no classics now- few which depend entirely on actors acting and the natural surrounding. I believe in nature doing the talking and we capturing its beauty or fury.

So back to Bicycle thieves. this movie has very simple plot. now a days simplicity is ridiculed as art movies. alas back to BT- moving slowly through the times and life of protagonist and his changing emotions and how it affects his near and dear ones. fine till then. now comes the twist and the determined effort put forth by the Protagonist is salvaging his Bicycle. Now the music played its role complimenting the plot. Now protagonist is pushed through a mountain of effort from determination to outrage to helplessness to anger to frustration to ignominy. Now the second half when the protagonist makes a bid to salvage his lost bicycle is a huge turn in man's belief in justice to plain resigned fate and how his dear ones bear the brunt and also crumbles the little child's faith in its Hero. Child's hero's fall to disgrace in front of a child is most cruel and innocent. 

This movie captures the people, the way of life, the commerce, the poor and needy, the wealthy and hustle and bustle in wide camera shots, a treat to watch.

This movie tells me one's loss is another's gain and when the gain is wrong in nature its implications are much more wrongful in nature. Capturing sorrow through adults face and child's face has many ways and this movie has done beautifully. The struggle between have nots and haves is clear and in front.

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