Malli, le combat d'une vie

I just finished teaching a course in northern Thailand called "Understanding Cultures Through Cinema." This movie was the favorite of the class (and I had some great titles in there!). The students were very moved by the movie, and wrote great papers in response. This short line is my favorite example: "I liked (reviewer) because (that reviewer) doesn't say whether a terrorist who wanted to sacrifice her life was right or wrong. When your country is controlled by others, you want to have freedom." And this from a young sophomore who loves romantic comedies! Talk about a breakthrough!!! Culturally, the students tuned in to some important aspects that don't get noticed: Malli sharing meals with Mr. Vasu, the important moral role played by Lotus/Sorya, and the visual irony of the belt. I gave them a study guide question: How would YOU end this movie? The answers were poignant, and of course, they all mentioned the prevailing motif (which I won't mention here because that would be a spoiler, yes?).

When I first saw this movie, I gave it 9. After seeing it several times since, and especially seeing the reaction of my Thai students, I gladly raise it to 10. This is one of my top ten movies of all time.

The movie is about a girl who is sent on a mission to assassinate a VIP by becoming a human bomb. It can be related to the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. A notable fact is that no where in the movie is there a mention about the roots of the girl nor who the VIP is. It rather narrates the incidents that occur from the time she is chosen on this mission.

The movie has wonderful cinematography by Santosh Sivan and good performances by all the artists. All the artists were very natural making the movie more realistic.

The unconventional ending has done justice to the narration.

"The Terrorist" is a non-violent film about violence and the subtlety of its camera work and overall direction might remind you of a travelogue rather than a searing drama about political fanaticism. The film takes place in India and yet we don't have any information on what the conflict is nor do we see the rebel leader whose hand controls all the subversion. That really isn't important but what is important is studying the assassin, Malli, who has so many close-ups that it border on obsession as the filmmakers try to reveal the conflicts she has to resolve in her mind, from her eyes blinking at the drops of rain to her face to face encounter with her lover soldier to her final makeup before meeting her destiny. Three men reveal themselves to Malli at pivotal points and the film underscores it with a technique of keeping the background unfocused until it is called for - the lover soldier who sees Malli as an obscured vision, the boy Lotus who stands too late to see his fate, and the VIP as he is greeted by the young women. Never are explosions seen nor direct killings exposed, we only hear gun shots or the splatter of blood on the murderer's face or the bloodied machete. The film seems to tip its hand by introducing the likeable 'Mad Vasu' and his comatose wife with her outstretched hand of comfort but, in truth, we had no way of anticipating the ending. You might want to compare "The Terrorist" to "Day of the Jackal" or even "La Femme Nikita" but such comparisons would be unfair. "The Terrorist" is a much better film because it allows the audience to unravel the mind of an assassin, in isolation, without the prejudice of killed bodies or self-serving violence. "The Terrorist" is a powerful adventure into the lonely paths of the human soul.

This is a starkly sad and beautiful film by the Indian filmmaker Santosh Sivan, in the Tamil language with English subtitles. It was shot in 17 days on locations in Kerala and Madras with a cast made up entirely of nonprofessional actors on a small budget.

The theme, however, is large.

The lead character, Malli, exquisitely played by Ayesha Dharkar, is a 19-year old woman who lives in a terrorist camp, fighting for her unnamed country. Her eyes are large and her expressions innocent and strong and even though we see her actively participating in an execution, she wins the audience's heart immediately.

She is honored by being chosen to become a suicide bomber. A very important person will come to the town, she will put a garland around his neck, and blow him and herself up by pushing a button which will ignite the bombs strapped to her body. But will she really do it?

When she leaves the guerilla camp she is led through minefields by a young boy named Lotus. We glimpse the horror of the war through his eyes and his boyish bravery. Then she is taken on a boat to spend a few days with a elderly farmer named Vesu who doesn't suspect her mission. As she dresses for the final event, she is torn with conflict.

By subtle complexities in her acting, the audience is drawn in to Malli's dilemma. However, the director sometimes gets a little too arty, with too many close-ups with raindrops on her face. And, in order to show every single emotion, the action of the story moves too slow for my taste.

However, the beauty of the film lies not as much in the actual story, but in the director's ability to put a human face on terrorism. The mood is somber, the cinematography beautiful and the emotions of the individuals caught up in the drama are captured well.

I recommend this film for serious film buffs only who are willing to incorporate sadness and starkness into their movie-going experience. Others will find it too harsh.

The Terrorist has one of THE BEST turning points in it I've ever seen in a picture. It's a really great life vs death story - that puts bigger - messier stories to shame. Sure there are some audio problems and it's clearly been shot on the cheap, who cares.

If you're like me then only two things will ever matter for you - Story and Star.

The Terrorist has a story that draws you in then lays on of the best complications on you and the performance from Ayesha Dharkar is the kind of stuff that stars are made of.

If you haven't seen The Terrorist, do yourself a favour and watch it.