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Reviews
Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
A bleak world!
'1984' is based on the eerily prophetic novel of the same name by George Orwell which shows a bleak world from which there is no escape for people from the tyranny of a few as they seek to control the masses through a steady dose of patriotic wars, constant misinformation and by changing the history itself. In this world, not only saying things as they are is unimaginable but even thinking them through is a crime as the citizenry needs to be dumbed down into a servile and mindless horde. Knowledge is power and it must be destroyed so that the perceived reality can be more easily shaped by oppressors who will settle for nothing less than blind devotion from people to perpetuate their own rule. A greatly disturbing film and a wonderful adaptation of a timeless classic. This is cinema in its finest hour!
Shang xue lu shang (2004)
A credit to all womankind!
Young Xiaoyan is a bright girl who is devoted to her studies and is determined to study her way out of poverty. As her school increases the fees beyond the family budget, her mother would prefer to pay school fees for her much less deserving brothers rather than for her. Undaunted and refusing to be considered inferior on account of her gender, she shows exceptional fortitude and robust common sense in attempting to earn her school fees herself. In these times, when most students take going to school for granted, viewing this film is a truly humbling experience. Young women like Xiaoyan are a credit to all womankind.
Hotaru no haka (1988)
The true cost of war
'Grave of the Fireflies' is an unforgettable masterpiece (and an award-winning film at the International Children's Film Festival) which tells the story of two Japanese children whose parents have died in the war. It is a stunning portrait of the struggle they have to face just to stay alive in the face of apathy shown to them by their relatives and countrymen. This hauntingly poetic story is delivered with breath-taking visuals and a riveting narration that most animation films don't even come close to achieving. 'Grave of the Fireflies' is an emotional experience so powerful that it leaves you reeling in shock as you witness the true cost of war.
Vechera na khutore bliz Dikanki (1961)
A Charming Love Story
The film 'Night before Christmas' is based on a short story from Nikolai Gogol's work 'Evenings on a farm near Dikanka'. The story opens with a stunning winter scenery of Dikanka, Ukraine with a witch flying across the night sky and the devil roaming around and tormenting people. Meanwhile, the simple village blacksmith, Vakula is pining away for a dazzlingly beautiful village lass, Oksana. With a caprice that matches her beauty, she teases the blacksmith to bring her the Tsaritsa's slippers. In his love for Oksana, the blacksmith really sets out to St. Petersburg to ask Queen Catherine the Great for her slippers. 'Night before Christmas' is a love story that is charming in its simplicity.