andreirublev

It is about time that we stop using the term "voyeur" to describe every film where the audience is given an opportunity to gaze at women. There is so much else in addition to the gazing, observing, and following. What the film captures is the harmony between the observer and the environment: a total immersion in its atmosphere. In an era where portable audio devices eliminate people's attention to their surroundings, the film almost feels like a timely persuasion: watch what you see, and listen to what you hear. Remember the essence of cinema: sound, images, and movements. The film also bears a sign of timelessness through its universal theme: a romantic's pursuit of his dreams in la vie quotidienne. As an ostensibly subjective film, it also includes many mysterious scenes where the identify of the observer is ambiguous. Some people think that those scenes come from the imagination of our protagonist - or could it be the filmmaker, or the viewer? This movie is nothing less than a timely and timeless masterpiece. It provides compelling evidence that cinema is far from dying; as a matter of fact, it has hardly been as exciting and alive.

Govind Nihalani's Drishti is totally Scenes from a Marriage. The male lead even looks and talks like Erland Josephson. The female lead can look as confused as Liv Ullmann. Nihalani infuses his characters with psychological struggles less complex than those of Bergman's, though not making them any less valid and cogent. The acting, obviously, is just as amazing.

The film is indeed beautiful to look at. Nihalani's compositions here are impressive, drawing out spaces that resonate with the alienation and breakdown between the couple. The interior shots, that take most of the film, are also remarkable in the use of various lighting sources and the ever flowing curtains. Also note the use of interiors versus open space that bring notable significance to the characters' mental landscape, illustrating the feeling of confinement and openness.

For anyone interested in films about marital discord, Drishti will satisfy, if not offering anything new. For anyone addicted to quality film-making, this is required viewing, especially when Indian art cinema is so buried underneath the country's overwhelming commercial films.