Sustain

At various points in life, there are good people, beliefs, music and other things which get you through troubled waters. These become the foci around which you pin yourself, so that when time (and escape velocity) are attained, you can let go and continue on a path tangential to the curve :P Here I attempt to chronicle some songs which reflected the times of yours truly at different phases.

Sometimes they nourished seeds on barren lands, sometimes they got boats across choppy waters, sometimes they became the tree in an oasis for the eagle to rest and regroup, sometimes they lent credence to a fledgling thought and sometimes they pumped sound into my ears, so that all other thoughts could just stay boxed in. Most of all, they sustained.

If - Bread

Album   : Manna
Year      : 1971
Line-up : David Gates - vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards, James Griffin - vocals, guitar, keyboards, Robb Royer - guitar, bass, keyboards, Mike Botts - drums

Bread was a soft-rock band from the U.S. This song is the melting pot of melancholy, all hues of blue, yearning, longing, remembrance, and everything else that connects these things. The lyrics are very poetic and romantic, although with a dark edge to them .The darkness is complimented by the hauntingly beautiful voice of David Gates, and I am left trying to figure out what I feel when to this timeless song. The words transport you to another place and time. The reverb adds the extra dreamy effect to this soothing song. There are some sights, sounds and experiences which move you to bits when you go through them. This is one such.

Thank you - Led Zeppelin

Album    : Led Zeppelin 2
Year       : 1969
Lineup    : John Bonham – drums, John Paul Jones – bass guitar, Jimmy Page – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals, Robert Plant – lead vocals, harmonica.

One of the sweetest songs by Led Zeppelin. I used to go on a cornucopia of listening to this over and over again. I recall a day when I had listened to this for more than fifty times, back to back!! A simple and soulful intro leads us to the calming vocals of Robert Plant. The lyrics are truly beautiful and very poetic. It reminds us of the golden age of true music with feelings and deep lyrics which made so much sense! The mellow notes of the piano creates a truly magical atmosphere when listening to this song :)

Son Of Alerik - Deep Purple

Album  : Perfect Strangers
Year     : 1984
Line-up : Ritchie Blackmore – guitar, Jon Lord – organ, keyboards, Ian Paice – drums, Ian Gillan – vocals, Roger Glover – bass.

I do not recall when I heard this song first, it must have been at around the same time when I discovered the deepest hues of purple. Mention Deep Purple, and they are known for smoke on the water. They do have many more amazing songs, this one being one of them. An instrumental, it lends meaning to my thought - the solo of a song is that part which cannot be expressed in words. Some of the purest things cannot be uttered. They may only be expressed through music. This song stirs the deepest corners of your heart and brings some indescribable feelings to the surface! Do not miss Jon Lord's magic at 01:15. Flawless sorcery, as he takes us through light years of an intense trip in a few seconds :)  At one time, I had this song on loop for days and days together, such was its pull. I've tried to understand why this song is called so, all I've come to know is that Alerik was a Visgoth king. Classic rock at its best!

“I think nostalgia is great, as long as you don’t start earning too much money off of it”
- Glover ,1985

Nostalgia 1 - Thaikkudam Bridge

Album   : - - (single)
Year      : 2013
Line-up : Siddarth Menon - vocals, Govind Menon - vocals, violin, Vipin Lal - vocals, Christin Jose - vocals, Mithun Raj - lead guitar, Anish - drums, Vian Fernandez - bass guitar, Ruthin Thej - keyboard

Thaikkudam Bridge is a band from Kerala. Consisting of musicians from throughout the country, they sing in Malayalam. Nostalgia 1 is a collection of old Malayalam songs, covered by this band. The production quality here is excellent, and we see them performing live on a show called Music Mojo, on Kappa TV. The song begins slow, with the soulful vocals of Siddarth , Govind , Vipin  and Christin before launching into an explosive crescendo with the violin and lead guitar. Vian and Ruthin are a treat to watch as they launch into synchronized headbanging, and you can't help but join them! The hand off from violin to lead guitars is the high point of this beautiful arrangement! It simply doesn't matter if you don't understand a word of Malayalam. This song is really tight!!

The pursuit of vikings - Amon Amarth

Album   : Fate of Norns (Norns are female beings who rule the destiny of Gods and men)
Year      : 2004
Line-up : Johan Hegg – vocals, Olavi Mikkonen – Lead Guitar, Johan Söderberg – Rhythm guitar, Ted Lundström – bass guitar, Fredrik Andersson – drums

Amon Amarth is a melodic death metal band from Sweden. I had listened to the opening of one of their songs at a function at work. I had no clue what song that was, until I stumbled on it on youtube - and I was hooked!! This song really makes you want to grow a big beard, long hair, raise a deep, guttural war cry and head bang really heavily. Their synchronized windmill headbanging in this song is crazy!! I'm not really a fan of really heavy music, but this band and song are something special. You can feel the relentless, overpowering lava thunder down the slopes, engulfing everything in its wake and incinerating everything. The drumming is simply unforgiving and just obliterates everything else. You'll be left gasping for air at the end of the song!! If nothing gets you going, just listen to this song, and you'll be screaming for more!!

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Blue Ruin

Dwight isn't a psycho killer, nor does he look like one. There is nothing in his outlook which suggests so. But, he has undergone tremendous loss, which has turned his world upside-down, and revenge with a capital R is the only way for him to express his rage and seek peace. One can see it in his eyes. A lost - kind of look, not judging anything, concealing the unfathomable rage. On the path to avenge the wrong doers, he will overcome anything. He has absolutely nothing to lose. This is a movie about Dwight's transformation and his path towards unforgiving retribution.

He has become a vagrant, on the fringes of society, waiting for 'the' moment to unleash tremendous pain in a calculated way, without batting an eyelid. When news arrives, he calmly prepares to wreck havoc.There are quite a few scenes which will make you think why the director has included. They contribute nothing to the story line but make the movie so much more real, and less movie-like. You feel there are many black swans, but there aren't :) There are scenes where you expect to be alarmed, but you won't be :) Watch closely and you'll see what I mean. There are long periods of silence in the movie, but we are taken very close to Dwight's thoughts, and to the anarchy that has consumed him. The beauty of the movie is that it may be unlike anything you've seen before - it keeps you guessing.

There are many moments where you will grit your teeth to digest what you're watching. Many sequences are stark, cold and gruesome. This is a tremendous movie with a very menacing slow pace which will keep you glued to your seats. Very fine cinema! Macon Blair has delivered a stunning performance and carries the whole movie on his shoulders.

Don't watch it if you expect a full- blown action movie with all guns blazing. Watch it if you can appreciate the pauses, the silence, and the moments that weigh heavily during them. Watch it if you're willing to be taken on a mind ride and can stomach a lot of thrill! This is a really great movie.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Living is easy with eyes closed

"Go, wanderer. You won't have arrived until you've lost it all"

An English teacher in Spain uses the Beatles lyrics to teach English to his students, apart from imparting the deep meaning of their songs :) He listens to the radio in an effort to write the song lyrics in his notebook. He cannot understand/ listen to some words well. On hearing that John Lennon is in Almeria to shoot a movie, the Beatles - obsessed teacher makes a pilgrimage  to meet him :) He wants to show John his notebook. On the way, he picks up two hitch hikers - one pregnant girl and a rebellious teen. Against all odds, he meets John. John playfully fills in the blanks 'with crayons matching words (Like Yellow submarine in yellow colour) :) Word has it that the Beatles began to include lyrics in their albums after this incident.

The fab four

Inspired by true incidents, this movie chronicles a phase during September and October of 1966, when John Lennon was in Spain to act in a movie - How I won the war. He stayed in a house called Santa Isabel where he is supposed to have gotten inspired to write 'Strawberry fields forever'.  The movie's name is derived from a line in this song (doh!).

The movie is a visual delight. Almeria and its sun-kissed surroundings are captured beautifully. The camera slides ever so gently giving us very relaxing shots of the characters and of town. Javier Cámara is very convincing as Antonio, the effusive teacher. He is the selfless man with a very generous heart. Natalia de Molina is extremely enchanting as Belén, the pregnant hitch hiker, although the trouble in her life may not be apparent in her face. Her radiance overcomes all else in the movie :)

Baby you can drive my car

For the Beatles fan who worships every bit of history behind each of their songs, this will no doubt be gold class. It adds the extra dimension in the Beatles universe in your mind. Watch this while in the throes of Beatlemania for added excitement :) The last sequence is enough to melt one's heart for some reason. The wind in your hair and the sun in hers, as we amble down on a snaking road by the ocean, with 'Strawberry fields forever' playing on an old cassette player. What more does one need?

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Bolshoi booze

There are things you watch , there are things you observe and there are characters who you become, unconsciously. So overpowering are their traits that you cannot help but do what they do, speak what they speak and behave like they do. To strive and to emulate them becomes your way of tribute. It does not matter if you fall face first while doing so. After all, what are we, but the product of our influences?

True story

The hours spent in this irresistible pass time come to mind. The meaning of addiction is realized. It simply did not matter what official work or personal plans you had the next day. All that mattered was that you had to cave in to the temptation of watching the next episode, as they were experts in ending one with you hanging on the edge :) I remember sitting through the first two seasons in a single weekend once!

To this day, I try to walk like Michael Scofield did, in Prison Break. A cool, steady walk, hands in pockets or in overalls as the snowflake soaks his environment into his photographic memory. 

The cool and calm calculus of reason

Attention to detail is life. No stone is left unturned. He is the strategist immaculate. I also began looking at time in this way!:

Time

The moment of reckoning was the unveiling and purpose of the tattoos. The myriad and elaborate schemes to achieve the objective were planned to the dot. Cute poison, Bolshoi booze, English, Fitz or Percy were words which me and blue fish invoked everywhere at will, many times to others irritation :P . Above all, the bond between the bros and the lengths they would go to for each other were at the delicate core of this saga.

Link played his part to perfection, the  furrows of injustice manifesting in his tough look. Dr. Sara Tancredi lent her grace always, balancing the tense moments with her poise, calm and serene eyes :) Mahone and Kellerman were suits in their own right, claiming the boundaries of right and wrong within their limitations of mind, family, and country. T Bag exemplified menace and cunning. It was a great cast!

The planning phases evoked ideas from Chemistry, structures, electricity, geology and history and soothed my trivia- seeking mind. The reconnaissance was worthy of the highest levels of spying and I also scan boards like Scofield does here, so entrenched was the series' influence on me :P

The subsequent seasons seem like discordant notes in an otherwise brilliant, dazzling and captivating sonata. But that will never diminish the wonderful memories of experiencing the first two seasons of this wonderful series.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Oslo, August 31st

"I remember Oslo, as such. It's people, I don't remember". What is a city, if not a recollection of memories? What is it you remember about the place you moved into, years ago?

The movie opens with a montage of people narrating what they remember about Oslo, overlapped with visuals of town. This creates a beautiful, dream-like effect as we are eased into the movie. We are taken through 24 Hrs in the life of a recovering addict. Things just begin, with no introduction to the characters or their backgrounds. Which is a good thing, as we should not become judgmental, isn't it?

A chance at redemption brings Anders to Oslo, and it is familiar territory for him. Is it melancholy, or is it nostalgia? He has to make the choice. They say it is good to visit places from your past which have not changed. That way you realise how you have changed. So true, is it not?

There are a few gems of sequences which absolutely enchanted me. One is a conversation between Anders and his friend Thomas. It seems like a boring conversation, but it is filled with philosophy. Thomas flits through the minutiae of family life with him mocking himself, and Anders gives us a glimpse of the anarchy in his mind. All this culminates with a delicate goodbye between the old friends, shot in the most beautiful way. Is this the point when things go spiraling downwards?

Old friends

We are almost inside the mind of the protagonist. Long shots, out of focus scenes gradually focusing on Anders, scenes cut into each other. The mind puts itself into other peoples lives, built of their conversations. We become an observer, on the fringes of society, wondering what it must be like, to be 'mainstream' again? For some reason, this song plays in my head and seems quite apt, too. The camera becomes the protagonists mind. The isolation is constructed beautifully, with some stunning locations as backdrop.

Tune in, tune out

The family angle is mentioned fleetingly but is not explored deeply. The ghosts of old girlfriends raise their heads a few times. All we know is that, there are scars and there are wounds. At the end, Anders finds his peace, in his own way. The movie 'completes itself'. If you watch it, you'll see what I imply. That is some form of closure, cinematically.

I've got to say, this is one of the most finely-cut movies in the cinematography(Jakob Ihre) and editing sections (Olivier Bugge Cout). Hats off!

Live in the moment

Anders Danielsen Lie has lived his character to the dot. He delivers a stunning performance, as his silence and torment speaks more than his words. The pain flows from his eyes. A really fine piece of acting. Hans Olav Brenner delivers a solid performance as Thomas. This is an off beat movie, where the subject of addiction has not been treated like a taboo, but an honest attempt has been made to show things in the most unbiased way.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Nicky's family

We live in a sad time when money speaks and brains are being deadened by relentless onslaught to thoroughly stultifying content. The less IQ you have (or the more cleavage you are willing to show) the more 'successful' you might be!(and rich, too!). There is an almost-rabid desire to 'be on airtime' - it just does not matter why. No wonder we have 'reality TV' based on everything - teenage pregnancy, obesity, dating, breaking up, living and dying. Life has become a caricature of itself.

There is no time to wait and save the little puppy crossing the road. There is no patience to speak to your 'childhood friends', if at all you happen to meet for dinner. Cos, hey! We have to 'like' our own update, don't we? We can't keep our hands off our phones, and our eyes off the screens. Narcissism knows no end.

In such a time, this story of an English stockbroker during the early days of WW2 overpowers all else and makes up pause and think about a million things. What did he do? Oh, nothing much, really, apart from saving 600 -odd Jewish kids from Auschwitz and other gas chambers. And did not breathe about it to anyone for half a century. He insists that he wasn't doing anything special, adding, 'I just saw what was going on and did what I could to help.' This is an exceptional story from a time which cannot be reasoned out, however hard you try.

Sir Nicholas Winton

There are some extremely painful dramatizations of moments beyond words here. One cannot even begin to imagine the range of emotions felt by everyone who went through this. Most of the kids themselves would be too young to remember anything. Can you imagine living almost your entire life before coming face to face with the random stranger, who is the reason you (and your grandkids) are present today? This is about paramount sacrifice, relentless selflessness and hoping against hope. It is about raw, basic human emotions.

Some moments here absolutely moved me to shreds. There are plenty of folks interviewed, who reminisce through the fog of ages to look at the nostalgic train ride, which changed everything for them . You will remember the simple pleasures of childhood that make an imprint forever - a simple meal, the kind man, a reassuring word. It is beautiful to realize how the smallest things matter a lot. When you see wizened old men and women recollect little incidents from their childhood , it is hard to not soften up. Some of the questions posed by such movies create cannot be answered.

Most of all,I guess, we understand the effect that one man with good intentions can have (of course, with a little help from his friends) on the world. The ripple effect is awe- inspiring and quite hard to sum up, and comprehend. I'm not sure what your reaction will be to this movie, but I was thoroughly depressed after watching it. Anyone who is interested in WW2 should not miss this.

If we decide to measure our life by the good impact on others, then Sir Nicholas Winton would be God.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*

Das Boot: Director's cut

We are conditioned to form stereotypes everywhere. Cinema and media are rife with examples. We are brainwashed to believe that one side is always good, and everyone else is the enemy. Our opinions, ideology and thoughts are forged by what we consume and who we associate with. Mega conglomerates control the media, and political ideology aims to polarize the masses. We divide everyone and everything based on Language, geography, colour ,religion, and everything else in between. In such a time, Das boot stands out with its honest attempt in portraying men during war. There are no heroes or villains here, just crewmen doing their job, and listening to their Captain.

Das boot (The boat) is a German movie about a U-boat and its crew, set during WW2. The movie is based on a 1973 German book by Lothar-Günther Buchheim, who in fact was a war correspondent. He had worked for the propaganda department of the German Navy during WW2. Lt. Werner's character in this movie is said to based on Buchheim. 

Almost the entire movie consists events which happen inside the submarine. There is no hurrying, as we are introduced to each and every character and their stories. Nothing sticks out, and like going through the pages of a good book, we get to identify with the characters - the longing lover, the loving husband, and the energy of youth.

Jürgen Prochnow delivers a terrific performance as the U- boat's stoic, rock - solid, war hardened and unflinching captain. Brilliant leadership traits are on display here. Like a rock on a rough shore, his eyes betray little emotion. Faced with utmost adversity, he is unfazed and issues commands with absolutely no hint of fear. 'I need proper reports', he thunders, when his submarine is on the brink of sinking. Make no mistake, his subtle changes in expression reveal a range of emotions - hope, triumph, dedication and sadness. At no point confuse his demeanor and harsh words as those from a soulless man.

There are some absolutely gripping nail-biting sequences when the U-boat attacks enemy ships and dives, to evade anti-submarine weapons. The atmosphere is fraught with tension and the seconds move like hours. Many times I felt like I had stepped into Maat (Petty Officer) Hinrich's shoes (The radioman and sonar controller, who is the window to the outside world, while underwater). The sonar pings piercing the silence created an atmosphere of heightened awareness and I was riveted. The sounds will stay with me for a long time.

See sounds

At 3.5 Hours, it is a very long movie. But at no point I felt this. There is enough drama and tension to keep you firmly glued to your seat. Do not expect a traditional plot, character or ending. Nothing can categorize the movie, that is the brilliance.

I was amazed at the cinematography, at how the camera moved fluidly within the cramped spaces of the submarine. We feel that we are a part of the movie, living and breathing with its characters. The crew's myriad expressions are captured very well. The editing is top - notch.This is an immersive experience, best seen in the biggest of screens.

Anyone remotely interested in WW2 should not miss this masterpiece. I'm very sure I'm going to watch this gem again. Watch this version with subtitles.

*I do not own any of these images. All pictures courtesy their respective owners*