Samsara: Boner Nirvana
It could have been a simple, minimalistic, resonating fable on the nature of human desire and renunciation, something out of a slightly perverse Jataka Tale (one hidden by a secret society of megalomaniac monks?? The Buddha Code anyone?), with even a smarter-than-your-average animal thrown in for a not-so-subtle-metaphor. But Director Pan Nalin seems more inclined to peddle exotica/erotica than get to the essence of the philosophy he has chosen to explore. Personally, I have no problem with erotica (understatement) but it’s the psuedo-sense of eastern philosophy and mysticism he tries to invoke in this lined-from-end-to-end-with-sledgehammered-metaphor movie that grated my nerves into cheddar towards the later part of the second half.
The movie begins with promise and of course, metaphor. A young monk rises from arduous solitary meditation only to find that he still leaves stains on his robe every night. And thus, he proceeds to unlearn all that he has mastered in his hermetic life and proceeds to experience worldly desires which is basically when the erotica comes in and to give Pan Nalin due credit, the guy seems to have quite a way with it. Until here the movie has a sense of earnestness which then proceeds to unravel into pretentiousness, boredom, a Jackie Chan moment which involves the monk making a dive across a table and some magic realism discourse on Buddha’s wife, Yashodhara which pops out of almost nowhere.
Magic Realism? Yeah right
High points of the movie include a fascinating ‘Sex Ed:The Buddhist Way’ scene featuring a silent monk that plays more like an existentially lonely Hugh Hefner in a cave moment rather than the revelation it is supposed to be, but still plays well for it’s all out corniness.
Don;t go by the posters- it’s the best thing about the movie other than the lush cinematography which complements the wondrous scenery that is Ladakh and of course, here i go again:- The Erotica.
Strictly for the mystically naive or the irrepressibly horny.
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hehe !! nice review.
but i watched it few years back. the sense of high it gave me , i still remember it :))
probably u can call it pretentious when he uses his same tricks for valley of flowers. i didnt even try watching it.
aaahhhaaaa
to ye lo phir
.
quote-It could have been a simple, minimalistic, - unquote
. why?
why it should be simple.
just because it is related with mysticism
this is common conception that spirituality began with simplicity.
mind you, this is outward simplicity.
anything mystical should be simple in “appearance”
.
i object
only mystical could be real grandeur
.
the reason behind this conception
- worldly people try to live in grandeur. actually whole life is nothing but a struggle to make it more and more grandeur. and, they feel inside that this is futile. every worldly man someday or other feels that all that he has been doing is futile. he does not respect himself much. his search has been of grandeur.
.
so when a worldly man think of spirituality. he associate it with simplicity. because he has been trying to live the life of grandeur. and he knows through his experience that it is futile.
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out of this experience comes the conception that any thing spiritual, ought to be simple.
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if some one is still living the life of grandeur, how could he be spiritual. what is the difference than, between spiritual and non spiritual.
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there is difference, and it runs deeper than that
imagine a worldly man and a sadhu, standing side by side, in dazzling armani suits.
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now imagine these same man in a ‘langoti’, standing side by side
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the difference, you can not recognize a worldly man without his suit. he will look utterly poor. he depends on armani. on the other hand. the sadhu will be looking his same luminous self, armani or no armani.
.
that’s the difference
.
his grandeur comes from within
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those who hanker for armani are the people who lack inner grandeur
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sadhu don’t hanker for armani, mil gaya to pahen liya, nahien mila, nahien pahena
.
the sadhu, who can wear armani and still chooses not to wear it, is compromising. he is compromising for worldly peoples respect. he knows that worldly people respect only those who appear simple.
but than
he is fake, because a real sadhu, don’t care what other thinks. actually it could be a basic line of differentiation, as long as you care about other opinion, you are worldly, the day you stop caring about others opinion, you are spiritual.
quote - But Director Pan Nalin seems more inclined to peddle exotica/erotica than get to the essence of the philosophy he has chosen to explore - unquote
what is the essence of the philosophy
is it greater than life itself
exotica/erotica is part of life, just being that, it has more value, than any philosophy possible. philosophy is about life, life is not about philosophy.
.
this statement assumes that there is something beyond life. philosophy is excercise to find that. the essence, which is not in life.
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this is not the case, nothing is beyond life, life is all, essence or whatever.
or
life is its own essence, all that one need is to live life intelligently, and find the essence
or
live unintelligent and squander it
quote - A young monk rises from arduous solitary meditation only to find that he still leaves stains on his robe every night - unquote
this is wrong
one can not go that for
and still leave stain on his robe
monk should have been shown a little lower in the rank
quote - experience worldly desires which is basically when the erotica comes in and to give Pan Nalin due credit, the guy seems to have quite a way with it - unquote
.
did you feel the did difference in execution of sex scenes. there are of two types. in one sex is a means to a goal. in other sex - the process - is goal in itself.
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in first there is hurry, to reach the goal. that’s why it is basically violent. nearer to animals.
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in other, the process is the goal, no body is looking for a quick unburden
.
to pan nalin’s credit he did manage to shoot this difference in celluloid.
second half drags
.
the monk is not a competant actor
.
one this is striking about pan nalin’s women lead. they are real women. a woman, you can not think as sexy, unless she wants you to think so. a woman who at first glance, give the feel of the mystery, not of the sex object. and that, you can not say about angelina joly. pan nalin has an eye for that
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movie is beautiful without any second thought
.
‘mystically naive’
these two are mutually exclusive words. either one is mystical or one is naive. talking about mysticism does not make one mystic, mysticism is of being, not of intellect. the day i will become a mystic i will no longer be naive. as of now i am naive, and you can say, hopeful mystic.
oh !! i felt the same with Samsara, i had high hopes with the movie and its theme , even the promos were quite appealing and profound.
well.. i dont say its a bad movie but ya i say it didnt meet my expectation. it missed somthing … wht I dont know ?
Sid what did you think of Valley of Flowers ? Btw is Deep Focus online ?
Samsara is a movie that is aesthetic and most people find something to relate to in this movie. But there is that one person that just does not. If acting in the movie feels not at the top level, is due to the fact that most actors in this movie were not, but Buddhist volunteers. One thing I have to say about PFC posts now is that if you dislike a movie, please make an honest attempt to write. Don’t say the movie was half-ass, with your very own half-ass post. Not just this post, but every other that has been popping up lately on PFC.
coincidentally, early morning i was reading abt hermann hesse and his works which includes ’siddhartha’
i have to get down to watching the movie someday soon.
Saw Samsara during a theatrical screening in Pune. and hence most of the erotica was edited out and hence never thought of the movie as an erotic tale. I loved the movie and really loved the visuals and the silence thats there in the movie. Have not seen any other Pan Nalin movie so really cant compare.
I did think the journey and growth of a young adult and his confusions is portrayed beautifully. And the silence in the movie was truly haunting.
Maybe some of my view might be biased as I am huge Pan Nalin fan. For me SAMSARA is one of the best film ever made in India. I watch Bollywood, Hollywood, world cinema… I have been lucky enough to travel abroad several times. And so proud to hear praises for Pan Nalin and his work. For me, SAMSARA is the ONLY film which truly attempts to find “Indian” or “Asian” cinematic language. Most of our movies always exploit existing film forms like Neo-Realism or Expressionism. or American Narrative. SAMSARA is a brilliant effort to find “Indianness” in every cinematic element: cinematography, colors, sound design, story structure, ways of directing actors (most were non-professional actors). And man you need guts to use silences like Pan Nalin does. I was breathless when I saw VALLEY OF FLOWERS in Brazil being played to packed multiplex audience and the film was apparently playing in some 30 odd cinemas. A matter of pride for India’s non-Bollywood existance. And then there is nearly 10-12 minutes sequence in the film in complete silence -absolutely stunning and masterly crafted. Again like SAMSARA, Pan Nalin’s VALLEY OF FLOWERS is a fantastic attempt to tell a true “Asian” love story. Both Pan Nalin’s movies are most original in their theme, content and command of cinematic language.
And above all, which Indian Filmmaker has such a wide following from Spain to New Zealand to Russia to Mexico to Brazil?? That too in just two features?? I sincerely wish Pan Nalin should make more movies, cant wait to see his next!! I was also at Locarno Festival few years ago when special GALA screening was SAMSARA held outdoor with 7000 people!!! Standing ovation of 10 minutes!! It is sad that Indian Media and Film Fraternity has completely sidelined this Brilliant filmmaker. The otherday in New York I was talking to well-known screenwriter James V Hart who has scripted films for Copola and many other Hollywood big-wigs. He said in India there is a brilliant scriptwriter Pan Nalin? I did not know that Nalin is the only Indian to be invited twice to screenwriters Lab! It is high time we recognise and respect Pan Nalin. It is high time corporates in India take notice of this charming filmmaker whose films have run critically and commercially well almost all over the world grossing Rs 100 crores or more…