Jean de Florette & Manon des Sources

This post is dedicated to all my Readers.

The advent of the sub-titles in the movies made things simpler and interesting in watching movies from other film industries.A good friend of mine told me that French,Iranian, Korean and Japanese movies will be good and watching them is worth spending the time.When i came home that evening , I searched for top ten French movies and selected this movie for download using mininova torrent. I waited until the download was over after about 2 days. That Friday , there was something that i can hope for. Since it is a two part movie, I decided to watch the first part that night and the second part on Saturday night.When the first part was over , I hurriedly reached to my lappy’s mouse pad to play the second part , not able to wait any longer.

The very first scene of the movie captured my attention like a pair of beautiful eyes and comforted me like the shadow of a fresh,green tree.This movie touches almost all aspects of Life. Dream,Love,Hope,Greediness,Sins,Frustration,Apathy,Ecstasy,Eternity,Serenity,Harmony – you can name any noun – you can at least find couple of scenes from the movie that suits the noun.

In ‘Jean de Florette’ , Jean’s Character and his perseverance in achieving his dream is very inspiring.Though he is a hunchback he works hard and sees every obstacle as an opportunity.Nobody ever loses until they quit.He is the perfect example.Ugolin and Papet shows How a man can be such a selfish animal, not having the basic courtesy for a fellow man.I questioned myself – If dreams of two men are conflicting – will both be selfish and ruin the harmony? ……..It even tells, How men are killed for ‘Water’.

“There is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft….When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife’s right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone’s right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.”, These words are from the book ‘The Kite Runner’. Theft is not just taking things of other people. Even if you do not take , If you deny the right / opportunity to posses the things that belongs to a person , It is theft. ‘Manon des Sources’ shows , How an entire Community and its people did injustice to Jean and his family and How the Community repents later!?

The apathetic moments of Papet , at the end of the movie , reflects the heart of a man who only needs forgiveness and death. What will a man need if he ever comes to know ,that He fought against his own son and grand daughter all through his life just to earn little more money and comfort his Soubeyran nephew.

Serenity & Harmony – “till the day I die”

The Shawshank Redemption

 

I was not busy that afternoon, I and my friend had gone for a tea to an outside shop.We could feel the Spring breeze on us when we sat under a tree where the tea was being served.We spoke about few things that were close to us.He told that ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ will be screened in the office that evening and told me to watch it.That was the time when i had just started watching English movies for I never understood What were spoken in the movies.I always needed English sub titles to watch the movies.I was reluctant for 2 reasons : The title was not so impressive and I didn’t know any actors in the movie as if i had known many English actors!!! When i decided to watch the movie , I walked to the theater where the movie was being screened.To my surprise, It was crowded more than any other day. I could only get 2*2 feet space to stand and watch the movie. I never felt bad about it – that i stood for about two and half hours to watch a movie. Even now , I preserve this movie in my personal collection , if I am outside , I always have – Youtube.

What would you do if you are punished for a crime that you didn’t do? Very few brave people do not cry in such situations. Most of the world would blame and curse but Andy Dufresne(The Protagonist ) did not cry , didn’t blame , didn’t curse. He just faced it though he might have felt guilty-conscious that he was part of the reason for the crime to happen.The biggest punishment was not being in prison,or in solitude , It was to continue the life with guilty-consciousness. What would you do if you are in a prison and if you know that you will never be able to come out and to see the world. When you do not have loving and caring people around ? When you cannot have any interesting hobbies in such a locked up world ? When you are commanded to do things and not at your free will ? When you cannot be yourself and be a slave to others’ words ? would you resist such moments and will you continue to go on with your Life ? …If there is a silence in you ,then you may not. Andy Dufresne did.

I liked everything about Andy Dufresne , The way he talks , the way he strolls , the twinkle in his eyes when he could get beer for his friends , when he establishes a big library in the prison , when he helps a fellow prisoner to pass his exams and …so on. I never understood his reaction to all the cruel moments he had in the prison until he escapes from it nearly after two decades.The reaction , the resistance to all the cruel moments , later revealed that he had something positive inside.Hope.

‘The Shawshank Redemption’ portrays a beautiful friendship between Red and Andy Dufresne , a disgusting and cruel prison Life , and the one thing that mankind needs in every moment, “Resistance and Hope” , and a serene and joyous Life at the Beach.

If you are reading this, you have come to a stage where only few people have come , the joy of exploring everything around – And if you have come this far, may be you’re willing to go little further, and you know what it is – watch the movie.

Sincere thanks to the friend of mine, who told me to watch this movie.
Sincere thanks to Wikiquote

The quotes I liked :

* The funny thing is, on the outside, I was an honest man, straight as an arrow. I had to come to prison to be a crook

* Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies

* Some birds aren’t meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright and when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice, but still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they’re gone. I guess I just miss my friend.

* Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin’

* You know what the Mexicans say about the Pacific? They say it has no memory. That’s where I want to live the rest of my life. A warm place with no memory. Open up a little hotel right on the beach. Buy some worthless old boat and fix it up new. Take my guests out charter fishing.

It’s a Wonderful Life

 

It was in the Christmas season of December 2005, When the rain was almost devastating the place where i lived, When my mind was oscillating between the past and the future very often not allowing me to think about the moment that was being lived, When i had no idea what i was to do? or was to become? I watched this beautiful movie.It rained heavily that night , even worse than the nights before , but i didn’t think of it , nor did i think about How will i return to home from the place I watched this movie in that rain – The distance was about a mile long. All i felt was that, “my heart is filled with joy”, that would endure for a long time , that i am able to write this , even after four long years.

Seldom, Movies touch our heart so deeply, that we are grateful to the entire crew of that film, for the way they made us feel, not only for that particular moment but for the days, months, and years to come.This was one such film. I still remember , and I still cherish Frank Capra(The Director) , James Stewart (Actor) , Donna Reed (Actress) and of course the ‘attaboy’ Clawrence.

Have you ever thought, ” What would the world be, had you not been born?”.I never thought about it until I saw this movie.”What would the world be, had you not been born?” – What it means is – What difference you make in your Life? and also in others? However trivial or simple it be but a difference is a difference. A positive influence. A comforting word. Inspiring hope. Kind help … all makes a difference. I am still thanking the person, Who helped me to take my mom to a near by hospital by his Auto , when she was sick , when no one was around except him. He made a difference to feel me better, He gave me the hope that my mom will be okay, He gave me the hope that I could see her smile again.

They say ‘Life is not how many years you live but How you live’. George Bailey lives his Life as how everyone dreams to live.A loving son, Charming and Inspiring brother, A good man to the people around,Good Husband, Good dad… One could use all the positive adjectives of all the languages beside the name ‘George Bailey’ – the protagonist of the movie.Many moms of that time , would have named their baby boys as ‘George Bailey’.

My wish is that any search related to suicide should be redirected to a page which describes this movie – because – It’s a Wonderful Life.

The quotes I liked :

* Mary: What’d you wish, George?
George: Well, not just one wish. A whole hatful, Mary. I know what I’m gonna do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and the year after that. I’m shakin’ the dust of this crummy little town off my feet and I’m gonna see theworld . Italy, Greece, the Parthenon, the Colosseum. Then, I’m comin’ back here and go to college and see what they know… And then I’m gonna build things. I’m gonna build airfields, I’m gonna build skyscrapers a hundred stories high, I’m gonna build bridges a mile long…

* Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?

* “No man is a failure who has friends”