There are special movies for each one of us and for me it is and will always be Godfather.
Nonetheless, a few have always been close behind – for entirely personal reasons, and one such movie that always haunts me is Clint Eastwood/ Elli Wallach/ Lee Van Cliff starrer – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. For many movie buffs, it is just another cowboy movie, a western flick. For a few, the movie is tantamount to the immortal Elli Wallach dialogue “When you gotta shoot, shoot! Don’t talk!” And all of the rest would probably recall a movie that was made once, that depicted the adventure of three people, each with a different motive, set against the backdrop of American Civil War.
I chanced to see the movie this Saturday evening on Zee Studio for about an hour, before the infamous summer time power cut of Calcutta snatched the pleasure of the rest from me. All along I watched it like I was watching it for the first time, again.
Why is this movie special? Why after having watched it some 10 times before, I still relish each and every moment? Arguably, there have been better Western movies that Hollywood has gifted us. Then what in The GBnU influences me so much?
The answer lies in pictures within picture. The GBnU, along with a handful few movies is a masterpiece of casual inclusion of a wide spectrum of contrasting pictures that it has taken on its stride while narrating us the main story – which to me is a hallmark of a ‘special indeed’ movie.
For me, I see desolate and hostile landscapes, I see a ravaging war, I see complete disregard for human lives, I see total lawlessness and casual impunity for men of God; I see how each one fights for his own self even while half asleep. I see utter and absolute chaos.
And along with those snippets, I also see the train tracks, the small settlements, the precision of purpose, the determination at work; the toughness of soul, the fleeting sign of humanity at work, when Blondie passes a cigar to the dying man or covers him with his jacket. I see two mutually opposed men teaming up for a common vision, I see them fighting a war on both sides, and while watchers might like to call them opportunists in search of gold – I see contradictory pictures that hint at a great nation being built, the start of a great civilization – a rookie nation that would go on to dominate the rest of the world in times to come.
I am not a film critic. I admire the power of Rajiv Mansand or a writer friend of mine Siidhartha Sarma, to scribble effortlessly about Krazzy4 or Dark Knight – but for me, writing about a movie I like… it takes a lot of stab. There are not many movies that I would want to write about. But The Good, The Bad and The Ugly would forever remain a special one that needs a mention.
Nonetheless, a few have always been close behind – for entirely personal reasons, and one such movie that always haunts me is Clint Eastwood/ Elli Wallach/ Lee Van Cliff starrer – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. For many movie buffs, it is just another cowboy movie, a western flick. For a few, the movie is tantamount to the immortal Elli Wallach dialogue “When you gotta shoot, shoot! Don’t talk!” And all of the rest would probably recall a movie that was made once, that depicted the adventure of three people, each with a different motive, set against the backdrop of American Civil War.
I chanced to see the movie this Saturday evening on Zee Studio for about an hour, before the infamous summer time power cut of Calcutta snatched the pleasure of the rest from me. All along I watched it like I was watching it for the first time, again.
Why is this movie special? Why after having watched it some 10 times before, I still relish each and every moment? Arguably, there have been better Western movies that Hollywood has gifted us. Then what in The GBnU influences me so much?
The answer lies in pictures within picture. The GBnU, along with a handful few movies is a masterpiece of casual inclusion of a wide spectrum of contrasting pictures that it has taken on its stride while narrating us the main story – which to me is a hallmark of a ‘special indeed’ movie.
For me, I see desolate and hostile landscapes, I see a ravaging war, I see complete disregard for human lives, I see total lawlessness and casual impunity for men of God; I see how each one fights for his own self even while half asleep. I see utter and absolute chaos.
And along with those snippets, I also see the train tracks, the small settlements, the precision of purpose, the determination at work; the toughness of soul, the fleeting sign of humanity at work, when Blondie passes a cigar to the dying man or covers him with his jacket. I see two mutually opposed men teaming up for a common vision, I see them fighting a war on both sides, and while watchers might like to call them opportunists in search of gold – I see contradictory pictures that hint at a great nation being built, the start of a great civilization – a rookie nation that would go on to dominate the rest of the world in times to come.
I am not a film critic. I admire the power of Rajiv Mansand or a writer friend of mine Siidhartha Sarma, to scribble effortlessly about Krazzy4 or Dark Knight – but for me, writing about a movie I like… it takes a lot of stab. There are not many movies that I would want to write about. But The Good, The Bad and The Ugly would forever remain a special one that needs a mention.
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