About a year ago, The Artist, a black & white silent movie, stole the
hearts of millions and went on to win several accolades including the best movie at the Academy
Awards. The roaring success of that movie showed that the silent movies, as a
medium, can present several new enchanting dimensions to the viewers who are flooded with a deluge of banal assembly line finished products from Hollywood
and its several other regional workshops which rely more on technical
brilliance and CGI than more substantive, if economical, storytelling. Seen
from that light, The Artist was like a whiff of fresh breeze and was
natutrally, lapped up by viewers across the world.
Blancanieves is the latest gem in the line of The Artist. Being
a silent movie, it speaks a global tongue. But, one would still need subtitles for the Spanish
title cards that pop up occassionally. This movie is based on a interesting reimagining of
the popular Snowhite fairytale set in Seville, Spain in the early twentieth century.
The movie introduces us to the famous matador
Antonio Villalta entering the ring for what he belives would be another one of his fine
performances in front of an arena filled with adoring spectators. His conceit
brings about his downfall, resulting in an accident which leaves him paralysed and immobile in a wheelchair.
Further tragedy strikes in the form of his beloved wife dying during
childbirth. Crestfallen at his double tragedy, a wheelchair-bound Antonio shuns
his new-born daughter, Carmen. Antonio, now a melancholic loner in need of constant assistance, is quickly ensnared by a wily nurse, Encarna, who marries him to enjoy his immense wealth and promptly ignores him after the
marriage.
The newborn is nurtured by her loving grandmother and grows up longing
for her father's affection. When her grandmother dies, Encarna brings Carmen to
the palatial home, only to relegate her to the barn and to a daily rigour of hard
labour. Carmen is also given strict warnings against venturing to the top
floor, for Encarna intends to ensure that Antonio, now virtually immobile in his room
there, should not chance upon his daughter. Nevertheless, a sleight of fate ensures that the father and daughter end
up meeting each other. In a series of covert metings in his room, they bond with each other and he manages to teach her the art of bull fighting.
When Encarna gets to know about these secret meetings, she
punishes Carmen in a manner that hurts her and leaves a permanent scar. Encarna also ensures that they do
not meet each other anymore by keeping Antonio locked up in his room.
Carmen grows up into a teenager toiling everyday keeping up with the household
chores piled on her. At this point, Encarna, pushes Antonio to an early
demise and even attempts to get rid of Carmen. However, Carmen escapes when she
was left for dead in the river. She is rescued by a group of dwarves who are
travelling bullfighters. Carmen loses all memory of her past and travels with
the dwarves who name her Blancanieves (Spanish for Snow White) after she proves her bullfighting skills
when she jumps into the ring to rescue one of the dwarves. She gradually blooms
into a matador of repute and the finale sees her performing in the arena where
her father was once a star. The finale has certain twists which I would desist
from delving into.
The story, having its origins from a popular fairytale, bears lots
of semblance to a plethora of desi movies. But, it is the rendition of the movie in the silent medium which proves to be the uplifting factor here. Once again, just like The Artist, we are awestruck
by the richness of expression provided by an awesome background score
which livens up the entire movie and is a star in itself. Accentuated by the fact that their expressions have
to do all the talking, the performances across the board are commendable, especially
by Sofia Ora who plays the young Carmen.
Replete with sizeable doses of mischief, romance, action and dark tones, this movie engages the viewers completely and can make us laugh and cry effortlessly. Movies like these are rare gems, not just beacuse such silent movies are so rarely made these days, but for their inherent brilliance to forge an instant and deep organic connection with the viewers.
A silent movie, that engages the viewers in a speechless state of enchantment, this is, indeed, A CLASSIC !
A MUST WATCH !!
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