Vaanaprastham - Der letzte Tanz

Just watch it for his eyes...and that's enough reason.

Vanaprastham was already told, reviewed, judged and all and it seems inappropriate to talk now. I went through the film some years ago and now without any reason, I want to revisit and that was the purpose for me. One thing with no compromise and no objection I can entirely see Kunjhikuttan and his each Kathakali character. The films blend in his character he performed as Arjuna but it begins with his shifting from female character and then other shift from Arjuna to a Villian character (kathakali character). Overall it is completely a shifting of Kunjhikuttan along with Kathakali characters to his behavior. Shaji N Karun, a well-crafted filmmaker who is so much cared about the assembly of all other flavors for the film. Especially the Cinematography, Music, etc are so peculiar and all are done by the Veterans.

Fantastic movie. Mohanlal acting in this movie is probably the best in the world. The intensity through his eyes are phenomenal. He is the God of Acting. A must Watch film. It is a masterpiece.

I am luckier since I didn't miss Vaanaprastham the latest movie from Shaji N Karun when it was in box office.

The movie talks about the identity crisis of Kunjikuttan the Kathakali dancer facing in his life. Although he is accomplished dancer his family life is a failure. His wife advises his Krishana( his daughter) keep away from the Poothana because he is full of poison and it might kill her.

His character "Arjun" in "Subra arohanam" makes Subhra ( Shuhasini ) attracted towards him. Subhra breaks away later when she have a child in him. She tells " I Love the Arjunan Not Kunjikuutan". Kunjikuttan love and passion towards his son which in turn is a search for his identity makes him dance a beautiful love scene in Kathakali (Subhra arhohanam) with his daughter.

Kathkali dances performed in the movie gets slow, fast , violent, romantic and even ugly with movie!!!!!!!! As the other two shaji's movies(Pirvai & swam) it also have to tell a lot about father son relationship.

Is a beautifully and articulately cinematographed formalist piece of drama that does the Indian tradition of melodramatic film proud. It is a film of mirrors ..where the strict defined roles hold up a mirror to undefined, imperfect humanity with no answers...and no questions.Where formal Indian dance(kathakali) holds up a mirror to classics so perfect that humans define themselves in the melodramatic masks of epics. and formalist concepts of art, such as truth, nobility and beauty defines themselves into the drama in such a way that what is left for humans that wear the masks is only weakness, bewilderment ...duty and weariness.

The film is structured as a set of pure cinema (and minimal and melodramatic) events intercut with Kathakali dance performances that reflect the basic emotional drama underlying the scene. The director makes sure that we understand that this is no mere narrative device. the characters in the film don and disturb the masks and makeup of characters in the play...and in myth easily as if they have a very blurred line between present time and fictional reality.

Wwe end up looking for the truth in reflected, broken mirror fragments, reflecting it off one another- one side colored with formal myth, the other with minimalist melodrama. The failing of the film is in its certainity that objective truth can be found in art (it is by no means certain...we are all,IMO, and to quote newton , just children playing in the sands of time amusing ourselves with the discovery of a colorful shell here and there...). The tension with this film is that it succeedes as the formalist art that it critiques , thus, holding a mirror unto itself.