Here's a question : what can possibly be the most galling moment you've had to face as a film-lover?
Now, while you're on that thought, I wonder if yours could be worse than mine. A while back, I was at a suburban theater and the trailer of David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo came up on the big screen. The endless days of waiting, the days of finding out how the movie has fared with the audiences around the world, all those days were about to be put to rest. Intriguing as the trailer was, I knew from the melancholic mood that this was not going to be an easy watch. But, ah, what the hell! It's a David Fincher film! And here's one thing about Fincher that discriminates him from his colleagues - he makes only those movies that he'd want to watch. That's how I know David Fincher.
So, the die was cast. I was waiting for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to charm me with its audacity, the obnoxious, unsavory elements of it had already got people talking, something that piqued my curiosity. And I was waiting for it to get a release. The thing is, it never did.
And it was vexatious. The single most denouncing thing that anyone can do to a film-lover. Whatever happened was so hush-hush that I could hardly hear a murmur. So, what happened was that the Indian Censor Board objected to certain scenes in the movie which were sexually explicit, I'm guessing, and the producers dismissed their request to hack them off. The Indian Censor Board take their job quite seriously, which, by the way, is a broadly admired punchline, and the movie was vetoed. No noise, no bother.
I did watch it later on, a less beguiling experience to slouch on a couch and go to war with the damn pests that thrive on the scorching climate, but I couldn't abandon the disappointed feeling. A film of such craft and skill, not to mention the nicely disguised suspense, this movie was truly made for the big screen. Now, some might bitch about its length but to adapt an novel that spans forty years into a movie that's roughly 160 minutes long, that's something worth watching.
And that desire was rebuked by a self-assertive committee that goes, "That's not our culture!" on every damn thing passes before them. Now, for the record, they're a bunch of hardworking, concerned people, but we need some air in here, man. I mean, really, for how long should a filmmaker sweat to get his work to the audiences?
Now, I take it that the Indian Censor Board has had a history of denying us wonderful cinema. I don't know the exact number of such films, but the content of some of these include domestic violence, gruesome violence - Anurag Kashyap's directorial debut Paanch still lies in the cans - and even nuclear testing, if that makes any sense. I know that whatever content can incite any form of violence in the real world should rightfully be banned, but the Censor Board ought to be mature considering the rather petty issues they have with some films. That's plain nefarious, people!
Coming back to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, it wasn't a movie of salacious nature. In it's subject matter, I'd say there's art in its intrepidity if looked closely, which they haven't. And it's a shame to know that that can get in the way of an artist's creative freedom. In a country of precarious people, it's not that difficult to offend some. Paanch has been long forgotten, and if it were to release today, I wouldn't mind paying for a ticket. If a movie's different, it doesn't mean that it should be great. It may not be a great movie, but it'll be a welcome relief, nonetheless. And sometimes, that counts as a memorable cinematic experience.
For those who haven't watched Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I'd suggest that you do so. It's feisty, bold and unnerving but it's so drastically different from the murder-mysteries that are being made now that it's a movie worth noting.
And coming back to the issues I have with the Censor Board, I'm too insignificant a person to make a suggestion. But I'd love to wake up to a day when our filmmakers can make a movie without worrying about any of the subject matter being slashed. I wonder, what kind of movies would we look forward to then?
Now, while you're on that thought, I wonder if yours could be worse than mine. A while back, I was at a suburban theater and the trailer of David Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo came up on the big screen. The endless days of waiting, the days of finding out how the movie has fared with the audiences around the world, all those days were about to be put to rest. Intriguing as the trailer was, I knew from the melancholic mood that this was not going to be an easy watch. But, ah, what the hell! It's a David Fincher film! And here's one thing about Fincher that discriminates him from his colleagues - he makes only those movies that he'd want to watch. That's how I know David Fincher.
So, the die was cast. I was waiting for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo to charm me with its audacity, the obnoxious, unsavory elements of it had already got people talking, something that piqued my curiosity. And I was waiting for it to get a release. The thing is, it never did.
And it was vexatious. The single most denouncing thing that anyone can do to a film-lover. Whatever happened was so hush-hush that I could hardly hear a murmur. So, what happened was that the Indian Censor Board objected to certain scenes in the movie which were sexually explicit, I'm guessing, and the producers dismissed their request to hack them off. The Indian Censor Board take their job quite seriously, which, by the way, is a broadly admired punchline, and the movie was vetoed. No noise, no bother.
I did watch it later on, a less beguiling experience to slouch on a couch and go to war with the damn pests that thrive on the scorching climate, but I couldn't abandon the disappointed feeling. A film of such craft and skill, not to mention the nicely disguised suspense, this movie was truly made for the big screen. Now, some might bitch about its length but to adapt an novel that spans forty years into a movie that's roughly 160 minutes long, that's something worth watching.
And that desire was rebuked by a self-assertive committee that goes, "That's not our culture!" on every damn thing passes before them. Now, for the record, they're a bunch of hardworking, concerned people, but we need some air in here, man. I mean, really, for how long should a filmmaker sweat to get his work to the audiences?
Now, I take it that the Indian Censor Board has had a history of denying us wonderful cinema. I don't know the exact number of such films, but the content of some of these include domestic violence, gruesome violence - Anurag Kashyap's directorial debut Paanch still lies in the cans - and even nuclear testing, if that makes any sense. I know that whatever content can incite any form of violence in the real world should rightfully be banned, but the Censor Board ought to be mature considering the rather petty issues they have with some films. That's plain nefarious, people!
For those who haven't watched Fincher's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I'd suggest that you do so. It's feisty, bold and unnerving but it's so drastically different from the murder-mysteries that are being made now that it's a movie worth noting.
And coming back to the issues I have with the Censor Board, I'm too insignificant a person to make a suggestion. But I'd love to wake up to a day when our filmmakers can make a movie without worrying about any of the subject matter being slashed. I wonder, what kind of movies would we look forward to then?
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