Part 3 - Final

The director of Water may have chosen to portray the characters and storyline alongside the myth of Krishna and Radha because the religion and spirituality plays an important role in Indian culture. The film is also a strong political statement regarding the traditional roles of women and the impact of the class system, both of which are represented in the myth. In Titanic, the director also used this notion of class and the treatment of women’s independence to make a statement underneath both a powerful love story and a tragic moment in history. I believe that mythology and stories that have been passed on through generations are always relevant. No matter what the context or how these stories change with the times, audiences can continue to relate to the mythological characters and their stories, especially when they are portrayed in film. Mythological stories that are the basis of many modern films truly allow the viewers to reflect upon the continued cultural impact they have in modern life.

Part 2 - Final

First of all, the film Water (2005) very clearly mirrors the myth of Krishna and Radha: the story between the god (Krishna) and the poor, milkmaid (Radha) who begin a forbidden love affair. Their love was frowned upon by society, and yet they continue to have a complicated love affair despite not being able to spend much time alone together. This is precisely how the love affair between Kalyani and Narayan is in the film Water. Kalyani, a young widow, is seen as a low-class beggar. She is treated with disrespect; it is definitely frowned upon for a widow to fall in love and even worse to consider re-marrying. However, she inadvertently falls in love with a charming, intellectual of a higher class, Narayan. Although they have few interactions in the film, their love is strong and they decide to run off and get married. In the end, their differences in class are too overpowering, and Kalyani takes her life. This film takes a strong political view on the treatment of widows in India and how the caste system still strongly impacts life and love in the country. A similar story can be seen in the film Titanic (1997). Aside from the historical significance, the film follows the fictional love story of Jack, a poor young man from America, and Rose, the wealthy daughter of a high-class family. They begin an “improper” love affair in spite of their differences in class.

There are many similarities regarding these two films. The first is clearly the class system and how it can affect love. In Water, Kalyani is supposed to live her young, beautiful years as a prostitute in order to provide the fellow widows in the ashram money to survive. She is trapped in this role to live as not only a poor widow, looked down upon by society, but also as a prostitute. The female character in Titanic, Rose, is the one in the higher class, but is in a similar situation of feeling trapped. Her mother wants her to marry a rich man in order for her and her family to remain in a high class. The sense of the woman being “trapped” in both films is a strong message to the treatment of women throughout history. (But that’s a whole other tangent!) In addition to the women, the men appear to both be independent and blind to the class system. Narayan is a supporter of Gandhi and the “new-age” thinking of better treatment of women, and the idea of marrying a widow does not alter his feelings for Kalyani. Similarly, Jack knows he does not have much to offer Rose, but does not let this overpower his feelings and he continues to pursue her.

The impact of the class system does unintentionally cause the tragic demise of both relationships. Kalyani takes her life because she cannot face the reality of marrying the son of a man who had played a role in her prostitution, and Jack and Rose are unable to get onto a life-saving boat because Jack is from a low class. He ends up freezing in the frigid water and drowning. I found it interesting that both Kalyani and Jack die in water. This ties in the symbolism of water within the Indian culture and mythology. The film Water specifically ties in a great deal of the symbolism of water in Indian culture, and water is the center of the story of Titanic.

Lastly, there is a strong visual tie between the myth of Krishna and Radha and the films Water and Titanic. In all three stories, there is a beautiful, independent woman, a strong, handsome man, and water. A common theme in films is that love is beautiful and that it can be found in even the most difficult and unassuming situations. This is seen between the forbidden loves of all three couples and the beauty within these individuals and their love for one another.

All in all, mythology plays an immense role in the development of new ideas for story and film. It is an important part of cultures around the world and as the world evolves and changes, the tradition and mythology is seen as both a constant within a culture, but also finds ways to change and evolve right alongside the culture. 

Part 1 - Final

Mythology plays a huge role in cultures all over the world. These stories are passed down for generations and are seen in the traditions, art, film, and lifestyles of that culture. I have not had a lot of exposure to Indian films or the Bollywood genre and was very moved by the film, “Water”. I would love to explore the idea of the Krishna mythology that is woven through the film. This common Bollywood theme of two people from different classes falling in love is also a common theme in many of the “Hollywood rom-coms”. By looking more in depth at the tale of Krishna and Rahda, I will compare that with the young couple in Water and the film of "Titanic" which not only includes a love shared between two individuals of different classes, but has a similar water undertone that is presented in the film "Water".

Insidious and Interesting Use of Music

It is obvious how significant music is within films. When considering an interesting use of music, I immediately thought of the well-known horror film, "Insidious". This film uses an otherwise pleasant and happy tune, "Tiptoe Through the Tulips" and makes it one of the most chilling songs heard in a horror film. The song is heard numerous times throughout this film and its sequels, but the scene I chose was one of the most dichotomous uses of the song. Instead of seeing the horrifying demon sneaking around to a terrifying song, we see him working away with his sewing machine while this happy song plays. The use of this song really makes the viewers feel unsettled. It scares me every time I watch it!

Water

This week, we are watching the film “Water”. It is a film that can only be fully understood and appreciated when the spiritual and cultural background are recognized. The cultural aspect of the caste system can be clearly seen in this film. Widows were considered no higher than a beggar and are treated that way, especially by the wealthy. The spiritual love story of Krishna and Radha is also reflected in this film with the certain connection seen between the young widow and the handsome gentleman who meet on the street. The importance of traditional tales is apparent. Lastly, this movie uses the cultural perspective of the treatment of widows and women, in general, and that culture and tradition needs to be understood in order to see the true impact this film has on society.   

Orphan Black and Special Effects

One of my all-time favorites is the BBC show “Orphan Black”. This show is particularly impressive because the main actress, Tatiana Maslany, plays more than 8 different characters. Each episode involves numerous scenes that include two or more of Tatiana’s characters together in the scene. Putting together these characters into one scene takes a great deal of special effects in order for the interactions to appear natural. One episode has a scene that includes 4 of Tatiana’s charactes dancing together in a room. I found a great clip that shows both the actual scene and how they filmed each character separately in front of a screen and then compiled the videos. I find this type of special effect particularly impressive because it takes a lot of time and effort to combine so many videos together this seamlessly. Amazing!