Rudaali (1992)

Director : Kalpani Lajmi

Rating : 4 out of 5

Watching an art film is very different from commercial films, which is very hard to proceed whether you do not care the character performances. Art films most prominent different from commercial is the performances. In commercial ones, you just only care the star power and popularity, but in art film just the character’s performances.
I am simply not a fans of Dimple Kapadia , since I know her in commercial hits like “Bobby” and “Saagar” as exposing sex symbol. But when I watched , her National Award winning role in “Rudaali” I just amazing .
Her performances, her unspoken sorrows, her body languages everything she done is just amazing and I cannot express how she is natural in the movie.

Set in the small village at Rajasthan , unfortunate woman named , Shanichari ,her life struggle and the traitional culture of India is the main plot of movie . This film title “Rudaali” means professional woman weeper at funeral ceremony.

This film open age Shanichari make friend with aged professional weeper (Rudaali) and tell her life story. Shanichari cannot cry throughout her life. She was left by her own mother and bought by drunker to marry him. Property owner favored her, she was call to him as a savant, and they have afire. When her husband died in village festival by plaque, she has to borrow 50 rupees from land load for her husband funeral and her son served at the land load 15 years. When her son came back after his loan, they happily live together but the fortune turns again when her son marries prostitute. Shanichari quarrels with the couple and her son leave her. Now, lonely Shanichari now live togather with the old Rudaali. She suggests her to become a fellow Rudaali with her. However, the problem is that Shanichari can't weep.

Even when the old woman dies, Shanichari comes to know that she was her mother, Shanichari's tears come back to her eyes after long years and she becomes a famous Rudaali taking over her mother's profession.

This film has different storyline from others and many special facts like ; performances, setting in desert of Rajasthan and have very good songs. My favorite one is “Dil Hoom Hoom Gare”(My heart beats with fear) with very sad melody and sweet voice of “Lataji” .
For me, this is one of the saddest films I have watched , and Dimpleji gives one the best performances that come deeply to my heart.

Elizabeth (1998)

Director : Shekhar Kapur

Rating : 3 out of 5

It should be the time I watch "The Golden Age" , but in Singapore this movie will release next year January.So I decided to watch again its prequel Sehkhar's Classics "Elizabath" . It's a saying that "Movies are greatest disaster for historical facts ." . "Elizabeth" is surely such kind of movie just emphasize in drama and totally ignore the historical facts.

The Hollywood debut director of India , Shekhar Kapur made us proud with this movie. The exciting storyline, excellent sets , make-up , costumes and excellent performances. Cate Blanchett (my favourite) as Elizabeth I of England is regarded as the very strong performance I have seen. A woman between love and duties and one whose cannot possess herself whose is the Queen. There is nothing to say for her performances and she became my favourite actress in Hollywood since I had watch it about 3 years ago.Even there are a lots of Claims of Anti-Catholicism for this film , as a viewer I love it .
And another character Geoffrey Rush as Francis Walsingham is very strong ,as a reliable ambassador and loyal "spymaster" of Queen. Anyway this is another should watch film for movie lover and very nice movie as a n0n-history people. For me I have to wait for its sequel Elizabeth: The Golden Age .

The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)

Director : Zhang Yimou

Rating : 3 out of 5

This movie make me remind the beautiful mind and honest spirit of country people , their helpful and quiet straight mind . The film tells the story of a peasant woman, Qiu Ju, who lives in a rural area of China. When her husband is kicked in the groin by the village chief , Qui Ju, despite her pregnancy, travels to a nearby town, and later a big city to deal with its bureaucrats and find justice. But the chief doesn't mind her and even help her when she was troubled in her child birth. But the end , at her child first month ceremony ,the counts take the chief , for her case to the city and she run along with the police car.

This story is very simple and this is just about human mind for justices and open-minded.Qui Ju not angry with the Chief and she just want him to prologize her husband. And the Chief also don't mind her and help her when she was in trouble.Moreover this film also show the Chinese traditional believes and their child policies.

Mr. Zhang try this movie to be more natural in every scenes. And Gong Li (talented Chinese Actress) give the outstanding , natural performances by her rural looks. But for me I just like this film and cannot make as my favourite.But should watch for drama and art film lovers.

Not One Less (1999)

Director:Zhang Yimou
Rating : 4 out of 5

Another heart warming movie from Zhang Yimou : "Not one less" give me a excellent and precious watching time. A beautiful storyline of teacher and student relationship , very natural direction and innocent performance by the central character will make you get a precious movie time. Yimou Zhang has given us a little gem, a beautiful story, with such wonderful participation by all those children, as well as the fine photography and Bao San's occasional accompanying music.

This movie is about 13 year-old substitute school teacher, Wei Minzhi (played by the actress of the same name), in the Chinese countryside who is placed in charge of the school after the previous teacher leaves temporarily for a month. Minzhi is told not to lose any students, and when one of the boys, Zhang Huike ; class troublemaker , takes off in search of work in the big city, she goes looking for him to bring him home .
This movie has no high-profile actor but all the casts are very brilliant . This moralist , documentary style film effectively blurring the boundaries between drama and life.

The the part of the film is relation between the young teacher and class troublemaker . She try to control him at first and punished him for this bad habits . But when he have to go city for his family financial issues , she try to find her (but also a teacher spirit , not only for her duty). This film also give us the spirit of unity , problem-solving skill , the knowledge and difficulties of rural education.
For all . "Not One Lee" is another must-watched film from early Zhang Yimou . For me this film reminds all of my school teachers and gratitude of them for being me today.