I read 'Nineteen Minutes' by Jodi Picoult. I judge a book and a movie by what effect it leaves on your mind after its completion. This one makes you think a hell lot. Its not a very well heard of book, so here's how it goes. In the first chapter of the book a guy who is 17 walks into his school and shoots down 10 of his mates and injures 19 others. The entire fiasco last for nineteen minutes and hence the title. Why he did it forms the rest of the story. Totally worth the 600 pages it had.
Next, I saw a pretty old movie "The Elephant Man". Without a doubt this is the first movie I'd want to show to my kids when they come to their senses. Apart from me I just know one person who has seen this movie since its pretty old and I'm sure that its never been heard before in India. Its about a guy whose mother was trampled to death by wild elephants when she was pregnant. The infant survives, but is badly deformed. Badly would actually be an understatement here. The person in question (John Merrick), is so terribly deformed that his head is very large and he has the temple of an elephant. He is used in a circus as a freak to make money. His face is disfigured beyond your imagination, that he can even give the Red Dragon serious competition. Google it in images to see for yourself. I dint have the heart to put it up here. The way people treat him and use him form the rest of the movie. A must watch for everyone. This one has actually been inspired by a true story and my heart goes out to the real elephant man.
The thing common in the movie as well as the book, is the shrewdness of human nature. I always thought that everyone is born equal and has equal rights to live. A friend of mine says that Everyone is just the same, what differs is the way they use their abilities. I don't know why people pick on other people. The book mentions about the guy being humiliated time and again by his so called friends, for no fault of his. And the way the person is treated in the movie is clearly a shame to the human race. Not everyone is a born genius. Not everyone is great looking or is famous. But there is one thing common in everyone and that is feelings. There is nothing more painful than when feelings are hurt. Who doesn't want to feel loved? If you cant make a person feel good then you have no rights to make him feel bad either.
Inferiority complex is an in built thing in humans. Some learn to live with it. Torture is something which no one deserves. Not even an animal. Rejection is a part of life and there is nothing wrong in that. Making fun of others is fun to a certain extent but when it starts troubling the other person its inhumane. "Cruelty is always fun, until you realise that someone is getting hurt". When you do realise and stop, good. But if you don't, then no words to describe what you are. Kids are picked on in school, college for beings studious. Girls who are not pretty are teased. Unpopular kids are looked down upon. This is something which has been happening in day to day life and it is pathetic. Every person is special in his own special way and everybody deserves to be loved. Every single person demands to be treated with respect irrespective of the way he looks, the number of limbs he has or what he can do.
It can be easily said that you cant understand how it feels until you have experienced it. But how hard is it to understand feelings. I have been a good student, popular enough to have not been picked upon. I dint know how rejection felt until recently. It hurts yes. Badly it does. But if a single episode in life hurts so much, think about the people who are being subjected to such things everyday. Its hard to believe that its so easy to inflict pain on other people. At the end of the day they are humans. Why is it so hard to get it.
If every person treated the other as to how they would like to be treated, the world would have been a much better place today. And if this feeling of cruelty, sadistic tendencies comes naturally to humans, I truly feel ashamed of being a part of the human race :-(
Well said.This book and movie will always occupy a special place in my heart.According to me,they should be sold/packaged along wih a box of tissues.(likewise with Eight Below;-)This needs to be mandatory viewing for all people,children and adults alike.Alas,as u mentioned,these movies are hardly known by the public(and in india,forget it)Indians spend copious amounts of blog space for reviewing movies like 'kurbaan';-)(though i am glad that is changing;-)Try to spread this movie through word of mouth,among friends,team,so everyone is aware such movies exist,and get them to self reflect which is the first step to a kinder society...
ReplyDeleteAlso,have u seen "Edward Scissorhands"? casting Johnny Depp
ReplyDeleteu might like it,very similar to elephant man but not as sad...
I have heard of it... have the book too on which its based.. Will read it n then u get me the movie..
ReplyDeleteAww comeon I had to put up the review of 'Kurbaan' to prevent people from watching it.. And I actually managed to save a lot of people :-)..