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Black - Not much of a Review

Black

“Look Ravi (cameraman), can I have some blue lighting from up there with a golden ray through the window. I am making a beautiful narcissistic movie and need some chiaroscuro lighting”

“And you ice cream guy, can you wear an overcoat. This is Shimla, everyone here wears overcoats”

“Michelle, stop using eating with your fingers and eat with a fork and spoon. This is India. See your Indian teacher Mr. Sahai, he also uses a fork and spoon”.

In the most artificial movie since Devdas, Black is an experience in dishonesty. Over-the-top filmmaking, without any character development, time or place perspective, emotional sensibilities etc., is fine in a commercial entertainment movie but when you are making a human interest kind of movie, subject matter has to take frontseat. While in Iqbal being handicapped was effectively used to elevate the material, here being handicapped just takes a backseat to a crassness in direction which is unpardonable. For effective Indian movies in this genre do see movies like Koshish (Sanjeev Kumar and Jaya Bhaduri), Sparsh (Naseer and Shabana) and to a lesser extent even the director’s first movie Khamoshi which appears to be a masterpiece compared to this. For effective non-Indian movies, the list is long.

Comments

Aqua said…
FINALLY...i seem to have stumbled upon a review of 'Black' that does not go ballastically ga-ga over the film. i *hated* the film, the too-beautiful sets, the 'oh-so-perfect' lighting etc etc. and i was sorely tempted to call in child services for the way Old Aby treated the child Michelle.

and "Sparsh" is one of my favourite movies. they dont make films like that anymore...
5/17/07, 8:47 PM
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