A DIFFERENT MIX OF MOVIES

The joy of dating outside your race is the fact that you are introduced to interesting things you would not have known about like food, artifacts, traditions, languages and movies.

Surely I would not have ever watched the movie Fire

Image taken from Google images

Its story of frustrated desires, love starved women and the bonds of tradition make. 

Two Indian women are forced into typical arranged marriage with joint family arrangement to two brothers and their mother in law find solace in each other because of their absence husband.

From the start, there is trouble between Sita and her husband, Jatin.  Three days into their marriage, on their honeymoon at the Taj Mahal and listening to a guide tell the love story that led to its construction; Sita is asking, ''Don't you like me?''

Throughout the movie Sita tried to provoke some emotion from her husband who showed little interest in her or in being married all the while he’s dating a Chinese woman. Sita does not rebuke him for fear that it may bring dishonour to her parents.

Radha the older wife is barren. Her husband Ashok is a disciple of a swami who preaches resistance to temptation, and the couple have been celibate for 13 years.

Thirteen years!

These men were got what they deserved. The movie just shows how men are guided by their self-interest.

Being shunned by their husbands, incited by their feelings and driven to desperation by their unfulfilled longings, Radha and Sita confiding in each other their loneliness.  As time passed the two women realise their love for each other and they started seeking ways to move out and be on their own.

The feminist message I comprehend from Fire was women independence and not being constraint by the roles assigned to them by religion.  The two women assert their independence.

Radha and Sita go through the motions wavering between their desires and disappointments. Radha, the older woman, remained bound by tradition and subdued into silence while Sita refused to accept misfortune and wished to break free.

Image taken from Google

The servant Mundu however became aware of the relationship between Sita and Radha and told Ashok Rahda’s husband. He walks in on women horrified and confronted Radha.

The confrontation led Radha to finally overcome her subservience and dispel her emotions and desire for Sita because she wants to live.  Thirteen years of celibacy and absence, go on what do you expect? She suggested that if Ashok seeks to control desires then he should seek Swamiji's help and stop the ritual.

Amid the argument, Radha's sari caught fire. Ashok stepped out of the way and angrily watched her burn (for her sinful desires references to the fiery trials of purity imposed upon Sita, the wife of Rama in the ''Ramayana,''). Radha puts out the flames and she left Ashok.

This film suggested its climax, the two women ended up together.

Image taken from Google images

It all started when Camille’s dog dies and she accidentally picked up the wrong clothes at the laundromat; the clothes belonged to Petra. Camille returns them to Petra's workplace, an avant-garde circus in an empty warehouse where Petra confesses that she switched them on purpose so she could seduce Camille. 

Just being out of context Petra is hot- I wonder why these things do not happen in real life. When night is falling is one of those movies that open your eyes.

Anyway on with the story Petra begins following Camille.   It seems like a highly improbable match, where extreme opposites often fall in love despite the understanding that they probably would never work out in real life and that makes it interesting. Camille is as a professor of mythology.

Camille struggles with the idea of being perceived as gay as much as she struggles with her self-identity and religious doctrine.  Her attraction to Petra revolved around her telling her fiancé about the affair. She confessed to the reverend that she is confused by her attraction to Petra. Camille does not seem to be conflicted about engaging in what she had previously believed was a sin that is engaging in what the church would consider sinful behaviour by sleeping with her fiancé prior to marriage.

The story is told through recurring visual imagery like white light and people flying through the air. The chemistry between the two actresses is palpable and viewers certainly find themselves rooting for the star crossed-lovers.  As night is falling is a fairly light and romantic movie.

The character of Petra is played by a woman of colour begs the question of whether her race is supposed to see as “exotic”. In Camille’s eyes Petra was perceived as the circus “freak” and then her unabashed sexuality comes to mind. I thought of sad comparison of Sara Baartman, the African woman who was kept naked and caged as a circus act in Europe during the early 1800’s, condemned to display what the white culture believed to be the inherent sexual lasciviousness of black.  

Still it is refreshing to see a woman of colour characterized as a confident and seemingly feminist.

 

Image taken from Google images

In one scene when caught by the Reverend in a compromising position with Petra, Camille lies to him and says that Petra is a street kid who is highly disturbed. Petra overhears the offensive comment she is disgusted and is next shown back at the circus highly upset. But when Camille comes to her that night the comments are not discussed by the two.

When Night is Falling has a refined visual beauty that developed the love story into one that is heart- warming and charming. The emotional center is sound.   The film is absorbing, sensible with a little humor.