Christopher Nolan vs. The Power of Cinema

Christopher Nolan is a very intelligent film maker. However, I feel his focus, in all his movies so far, has been on story-telling. His aim is to keep the viewer interested right through his films. For this he uses complex story telling techniques. Don't mistake me, I love his movies. I was blown away when I watched 'Memento', didn't like 'Insomnia', and 'Following' (after Ramanand's recommendation). Both films are absolutely brilliant when looked at from a story-telling point of view. Both the superhero films have been terrific.

Nolan will have to make a more 'human' film if he wants to be remembered as a great director. Don't you think so? Most great films have been about characterization, people starting from a point in time and how they change and evolve. Their experiences changing the vieweres perceptions or just emotionally engaging them as they watch the film. In this sense there is some kind of characterization in 'Following' and I feel it is his best work. He tried to get into the human mind in 'Insomnia' but it didn't work for me, maybe I have to view it again to remind myself but it didn't take me into the minds of the characters back then.

Let's contrast Ang Lee with Christopher Nolan. Ang Lee capitalized on the power of the audio visual experience cinema provides to the viewer. He put us right on top of Brokeback Mountain. The visuals, like Ramanand mentioned in my blog, will stay with me forever. The sky, the scenery, the wind, I was there man! I was with them. No! No! We didn't have a threesome! But you know what I mean. On the other hand, Nolan writes complex stories. Nolan would have been a terrific writer without the camera rolling. His stories don't really need to be told on celluloid. We are fortunate he is able to bring his stories to the big screen and many of us can watch his stories in action. But it's not the same thing as watching Jack looking into his truck's rear-view mirror at Ennis about to break into tears.

Mike Leigh created 'Vera Drake'. There is a scene in the film when the cops pay Vera a visit. What follows in the next few minutes is the power of cinema. Mike transports us into the small house that Vera and her family share. As a viewer I was in the room and a part of the scene. I had a similar experience when watching 'Doubt' two days ago. I was in the principal's office. This, my friends, is the power of cinema. Cinema can transport its viewers into a world with its people through the visuals, the acting, the sets and the sound. Although it is great to watch a huge trailer somersault in the streets of Chicago it is not nearly the same thing as being in Jack's house with Ennis and Jack's parents.

Why was the 'Casino Royale' the best James Bond film ever? Was it the action? No! We'd seen it before. But the news was that Bond could feel pain. in his heart and in his balls. Humanism in cinema is works far better than thrills and perfect story lines. A thriller or an action film alienates my wife and many other women I know. Is this a vast majority of women? I think it is.

Charlie Kaufman, to me, seems to have located the middle path. His stories are complex but look at human emotions. 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' took us into the bond that the lead protagonists share. 'Being John Malkovich' took us into the mind, literally, of a famous movie star. 'Adaptation', I am yet to see so I can't say for sure, tells us about writers. 'Synecdoche New York' tells us about a genius stage-writer's problems as he ages. Although I feel Kaufman takes his audience for granted he has written on the confusions of the human mind. This more human approach told with complex story telling has already won him an Oscar.

I love Chrisopher Nolan. I know many are going to say that he is different from all the film-makers I have mentioned. That's true too. In that sense his work is fresh. But I still hope that Christopher Nolan will one day make that one film . That one film which will help him take home the bald man he very much deserves. I want him to be remembered as a great director. But I have a feeling everlasting accolades may not come through stories revolving around doubts in the mind of a caped vigilante.

The Wrestler

Darren Aronofsky's 'Requiem for a Dream' and 'The Fountain' come highly recommended from friends in IIT. Bombay. Although I wanted to watch them I was not in any hurry to do so. There was no urgency. Why? In IIT, Bombay there is plenty being recommended through word of mouth. Usually all the recommended films were those with a complex plot, like Nolan's 'Memento' or 'The Prestige', or whacky, like 'Pulp Fiction'. No one would recommend drama. All recent films I have loved are not thrillers but ones that explore characters. Assuming Aronofsky's two movies would fall into the 'IIT, Bombay' mould I was not in any kind of hurry to watch them.

Now the talk surrounding 'The Wrestler' seemed very unlike 'The Dark Knight' or 'Memento'. Everyone was talking about the human element in the film. Others mentioned how wrestlers, like Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, sustained several injuries which we don't see on television. There was of course talk of Marisa Tomei's skin show and Mickey Rourke's great acting performance. All this seemed evidence enough that this would be 'drama'. I looked forward to this film.

I look forward to every film I watch. That's only because I watch movies that have already been certified as great movies. But this film was something else. I remember watching a bit of WWF as a kid, very little because I was not a huge fan, but I played a lot with the cards of WWF. I remember the video games too. Today I won't be seen with any of these. No offense to those who like WWF here. Just because of my mental make-up about WWF wrestlers and other such wrestlers I feel this whole world of wrestling is for kids. I never knew a WWF wrestler's real names, I knew them as Mr. Perfect, Undertaker, Beefcake Barber, etc.. When I actually played those cards or those video I never thought who these people were in real life. Now here is a film about a wrestler which has caught the attention of the most respected critics. The appreciation that 'The Wrestler' has received got me excited. I wanted to know how such people think, how they prepare themselves, how they live their lives, etc. I was really looking forward to this movie!

There is a way this film is made. I am not sure if it's used in other films before, it probably has. The camera just follows Randy. For most of the film we see back. It's like he was walking in front and I was following him. Then Darren Aronofsky makes sure we can hear him breathe. When Randy is alone on screen we can always hear him breathe. The effect of this particular style of visual and audio did two things. Firstly, I was aware of how old Randy is and how he is struggling with his body. Randy is not able to walk easily even. Randy breathes heavily. This constantly reminded what Randy has been through as a Wrestler. Secondly, the effect of the following camera and the breathing made me Randy. Notice how when Randy speaks to someone the camera is on the person's face and we see the person just like we would if we spoke to someone. Add to this the fact we keep hearing Randy's breathing and does anyone feel that making the viewer feel like he is Randy is not Darren's intention. Of course I maybe mistaken but it's my interpretation.

Here I am going along living life as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson and the tough part of his comes along. The only difference of course being that the real Randy loves it and I can't take it. I am referring to the fights. Now here is one fight I shall never forget. Necro Butcher vs. Randy 'The Ram' Robinson. Darren put me right in the ring with these two fighters. I could feel the staple pins piercing my forehead, chest and back as Necro Butcher uses the staple gun on Randy. Another visual I recall vividly is when Randy throws Necro Butcher onto barb wire. Very very painful. With all the metal on my back when I stepped out of the ring Randy flew out of the ring and landed on my shoulder. I was under him. I was trying to escape but Randy put a trash can over my head and everything was dark. I could hear the people cheering. A guy was shouting, "Take my leg, Randy, take my leg". A moment later something hit the trash can and my ears were ringing, I fell down. A while later I was lying in the center of the ring, Randy was preparing for his 'Ram Jam'. I lost the fight. Everything went as planned. The people loved it.

RANDY 'THE RAM' ROBINSON

Randy 'The Ram' Robinson. For him life revolves around him and the '80s. He loves life as it was back when he was the star wrestler. He has an action figure of his, which he has probably saved for two decades. The only video game he plays is from the '80s and he is the star in it. The music he listens to in the bar with Pam. He even says he hates the '90s. He does not want to move on. A kid tells him about the second World war and Iraq but we can see it in Randy's face that he does not know. In fact, he is so fixated with his life in the '80s that he does not like anyone referring to him with his real name. He even thinks only of himself, all photos in his home are of himself at his prime. For a brief moment he puts his daughter's photo on the wall.

Randy is basically a 'fuck-up' like his daughter calls him. For a short while he convinces himself that he can live life like others. Get along with his daughter, romance a woman, etc. But one careless mistake and we know that he is no good. He too realizes that he is no good. He can't be what others can be. It's a flaw in him. His daughter almost puts him in his place. After that blunder he knows it's over. Pam does not want to take it further, he loves her and we know it when he gives away his action figure which he loves. Randy 'The Ram' has no one in the world. He may as well die wrestling.

There is no story to Randy's past. How he got into wrestling or why he is in the state he is now. The movie is almost like a documentary, or reality TV where we get to see Randy for a few months, in its depiction of Randy. I was left feeling sorry for Randy just like many others must have. But I was left wondering about Randy's past. How was he when he was successful. Why did he neglect his daughter? Where is his wife now? Why did he choose to wrestle in the first place? Why does he like the pain?

There is another scene which is superb. Randy is about to walk through some plastic curtains to start his new job in a supermarket. He imagines in his head as if he were walking into a fight. He can hear the people cheering in his head. We can hear it and feel what he is feeling because each one of us by this point in the film is Randy. It tells us how Randy thinks about the highs of wrestling. He loves to hear the people shout his name. Loves to hear them cheer as he is about to make his way to the ring.

This is an achievment on the part of Darren Aronofsky. 'The Wrestler' is a nice little film. It stands on well on its own. But more than anything it puts its director in good light. I will watch 'Requiem for a Dream' and 'The Fountain' soon.

Although Marisa Tomei and Mickey Rourke do a good job I am not surprised they didn't win Oscars for their performances. Sean Penn is brilliant as Harvey Milk and only he deserved it this year. But I don't advocate an Oscar for Tomei for this performance.

What will I remember from this film? I will remember living the life of a professional wrestler for almost two hours, feeling the staple pins and barb wire piercing my flesh but still soaring through the air to deliver my signature move, the 'Ram Jam'.

RATING: 4/5