Have you ever lived a sick man's life?
Have you ever seen light through the blind eye?
Tears rolling down, what they had to say?
Have you ever asked the price they had to pay?
Too vast the world is
but can there be an inch of land?
Where I can stand alone and safe
Hold my dreams in my hand!!!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Stept up to the plate
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at the United Nations on Sept. 20.
You can count on a few things during the U.N.’s annual General Assembly. The traffic will be bad, the speeches will be worthy (if a bit dull)—and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will say something absurd. This year the Iranian leader suggested that U.S. officials orchestrated the 9/11 attacks to save Israel and “reverse the declining American economy.” (Has he noticed the actual effect of the war on terror on America’s fiscal state?) It continues to be a pity that a great civilization like Iran is represented by such a character.
In other ways, however, the atmosphere this year was muted. I asked Israeli President Shimon Peres, who has been going to such gatherings for decades, for his read of the mood. “There is more worry than there used to be,” Peres said. He described a general atmosphere of unease and uncertainty amid which emerging nations were jostling for influence. “I don’t think it’s that America is going down, but the world is becoming larger and more complicated.”
There has been much worry about the activities of countries like Brazil and Turkey, with many Americans arguing that the two countries have become troublemakers, cutting deals with Ahmadinejad and turning away from America. But we have to understand the dynamic that is altering the power status of these countries. Twenty years ago Brazil was struggling to cast off a long legacy of dictatorship, hyperinflation, and debt. Today it is a stable democracy with impressive fiscal management, a roaring economy, and a wildly popular president. Its foreign policy reflects this confidence and a desire to break free of its older constraints.
In a speech in Geneva on Sept. 11, Brazil’s intelligent and ambitious foreign minister, Celso Amorim, explained that even eight years ago, the United States absorbed 28 percent of Brazil’s exports, but now buys only 10 percent, surpassed by China. Africa, too, is now a major trading partner for Brazil. In explaining the country’s new interest in Middle Eastern affairs, Amorim pointed out that Brazil’s 12 million Arabs would constitute the fourth or fifth-largest Arab nation in the world. Recently, in another speech, Amorim urged Brazil to be bold and expansive in its conception of its interests. “It is unusual to hear that countries should act in accordance with their means,” he said. “But the greatest mistake one could make is to underestimate [Brazil’s potential].”
Then consider Turkey. Twenty years ago, it too was perceived as a basket-case economy, dependent on American largesse, protected by the American security umbrella, and quietly seeking approval from Europe. It needed the West. But now Turkey has a booming economy, has an increasingly confident democracy, and is a major regional power. It is growing faster than every European country, and its bonds are safer than those of many Southern European nations.
What Took the UN So Long?
A Newsweek Starter Kit explains why it took the Security Council so much time to sanction Iran.
Its foreign policy is becoming not so much Islamic as Ottoman, reestablishing a sphere of influence it had for 400 years. Abdullah Gül, Turkey’s sophisticated president, explains that while Turkey remains resolutely a part of the West, it is increasingly influential in the Middle East, Central Asia, and beyond. “Turkey is becoming a source of inspiration for other countries in the region,” he said to me while in New York last week.
The newly rising powers—China, India, Brazil—rightly insist that they be more centrally involved in the structures of power and global decision making. But when given the opportunity, do they step up to the plate and act as great powers with broad interests? On trade? Energy use? Climate change?
No. Many of these countries want to be deferred to on matters of regional peace and stability. Yet they continue to pursue their national interests even more zealously. Perhaps the most egregious example is South Africa, which has insisted that it is Africa’s natural leader. Yet the country has been shamefully absent in the efforts to rescue the people of Zimbabwe and Sudan from the tragedies unfolding in their lands.
Says Shimon Peres, “You can call yourself a decision maker, but if you are not ready to donate, to sacrifice life, to take risks—not because your country is being attacked but because peace is being put into danger—then it’s more of a perception than reality.”
Fareed Zakaria
I wrote my first column for NEWSWEEK 14 years ago to the month. This is my last. I have been honored to write for a truly great magazine and a wonderful group of readers. Thank you.
You can count on a few things during the U.N.’s annual General Assembly. The traffic will be bad, the speeches will be worthy (if a bit dull)—and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will say something absurd. This year the Iranian leader suggested that U.S. officials orchestrated the 9/11 attacks to save Israel and “reverse the declining American economy.” (Has he noticed the actual effect of the war on terror on America’s fiscal state?) It continues to be a pity that a great civilization like Iran is represented by such a character.
In other ways, however, the atmosphere this year was muted. I asked Israeli President Shimon Peres, who has been going to such gatherings for decades, for his read of the mood. “There is more worry than there used to be,” Peres said. He described a general atmosphere of unease and uncertainty amid which emerging nations were jostling for influence. “I don’t think it’s that America is going down, but the world is becoming larger and more complicated.”
There has been much worry about the activities of countries like Brazil and Turkey, with many Americans arguing that the two countries have become troublemakers, cutting deals with Ahmadinejad and turning away from America. But we have to understand the dynamic that is altering the power status of these countries. Twenty years ago Brazil was struggling to cast off a long legacy of dictatorship, hyperinflation, and debt. Today it is a stable democracy with impressive fiscal management, a roaring economy, and a wildly popular president. Its foreign policy reflects this confidence and a desire to break free of its older constraints.
In a speech in Geneva on Sept. 11, Brazil’s intelligent and ambitious foreign minister, Celso Amorim, explained that even eight years ago, the United States absorbed 28 percent of Brazil’s exports, but now buys only 10 percent, surpassed by China. Africa, too, is now a major trading partner for Brazil. In explaining the country’s new interest in Middle Eastern affairs, Amorim pointed out that Brazil’s 12 million Arabs would constitute the fourth or fifth-largest Arab nation in the world. Recently, in another speech, Amorim urged Brazil to be bold and expansive in its conception of its interests. “It is unusual to hear that countries should act in accordance with their means,” he said. “But the greatest mistake one could make is to underestimate [Brazil’s potential].”
Then consider Turkey. Twenty years ago, it too was perceived as a basket-case economy, dependent on American largesse, protected by the American security umbrella, and quietly seeking approval from Europe. It needed the West. But now Turkey has a booming economy, has an increasingly confident democracy, and is a major regional power. It is growing faster than every European country, and its bonds are safer than those of many Southern European nations.
What Took the UN So Long?
A Newsweek Starter Kit explains why it took the Security Council so much time to sanction Iran.
Its foreign policy is becoming not so much Islamic as Ottoman, reestablishing a sphere of influence it had for 400 years. Abdullah Gül, Turkey’s sophisticated president, explains that while Turkey remains resolutely a part of the West, it is increasingly influential in the Middle East, Central Asia, and beyond. “Turkey is becoming a source of inspiration for other countries in the region,” he said to me while in New York last week.
The newly rising powers—China, India, Brazil—rightly insist that they be more centrally involved in the structures of power and global decision making. But when given the opportunity, do they step up to the plate and act as great powers with broad interests? On trade? Energy use? Climate change?
No. Many of these countries want to be deferred to on matters of regional peace and stability. Yet they continue to pursue their national interests even more zealously. Perhaps the most egregious example is South Africa, which has insisted that it is Africa’s natural leader. Yet the country has been shamefully absent in the efforts to rescue the people of Zimbabwe and Sudan from the tragedies unfolding in their lands.
Says Shimon Peres, “You can call yourself a decision maker, but if you are not ready to donate, to sacrifice life, to take risks—not because your country is being attacked but because peace is being put into danger—then it’s more of a perception than reality.”
Fareed Zakaria
I wrote my first column for NEWSWEEK 14 years ago to the month. This is my last. I have been honored to write for a truly great magazine and a wonderful group of readers. Thank you.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Eulogy of Her Friendship
...That it really began in the days when the Love Laws were made. The laws that lay down who should be loved, and how. And how much. However, for practical purposes, in a hopelessly practical world…(Roy - The God of Small Things)
The beauty of the world was plucked the very day when these love laws ere created, they say, for the betterment of society itself...I scoff at! It yielded nothing but devised a wall between human beings and their very engine of life, between human spirit and its very 'RAISN DE'TRE'' of existence. No, I get puzzled and take my words back for a little while - Kudos to all love law makers instead for creating a wall, you have saved me, yes i would say you rescued me! - For love hurts, when you fail despite streneous efforts, to let someone know how much you love him/her. Thngs have both upsides and downsides - i set forth downsides not least to placate myself!
Yes, after all many ups and downs, twists and turns they have agreed to disagree. Much to their dismay, there were conspicuously a host of miscomunications, misunderstandings and I better know, chasm in their ways of thinking. I always felt like these two litlle Romeo and Juliet were from two oppposite poles but again she had with all her efforts cocooned a hope that these would turn dwarf and would be easily annihilated by her unwaverng love for him. Regretfully time has changed - Romeo and Juliet are no longer the captives of their family enmity but are enmeshed in their own egos' and insincerities.
There she failed Shruti! "I love my 'Prince', I still do"...she told me in her ailing voice ,"but failed to sort out our misunderstanings - every time we sit to resolve, it escalates into bigger one and for a time being shuts all doors of communication between us. we again sit for the next time, and there, the problem repeats. languished in agonies, here I say - Words are not enough to suggest how i am feeling right now. and you know - what aches the most - when you feel that you haven't been able to let someone know how much you love him - this feellng sucks you Shruti." My heart ached for her. since i am a witness to their replationship and i know it right from the start. I have seen her in her worst, in her best, stormed, and jostled upon by the ruthless forces of life - in her glees, in her smiles - and yet he was there ' in her eyes' unfazed as ever, at times inspring her, and other suggest her to rock the boat! Just watching the time passing by, this day is nearly gone...she must be feeling the same way even now......
Their visit to Taaj Mahal, an epitome of love, the solemn prayings in the Mosque of the Fattehpur City must be haunting her now - as though no God were left unprayed to, as if they sought a favor from every religion and hence craved to be assured that no force on the heaven and earth could destroy their 'unity.' Darling, Gods are futile in the kingdom of human beings! Who knew, that small boy they met right after praying in the Mosque had been casting an evil eye upon her relation, who knew they were exhanging their fate at the cost of just some 1 RS (indian currency) and who the hell knew, in his ill-vioce, right then had a harbinger of this doomsday, when he said, "kunai din timi haru le estari nai runuparos."
I felt, in her explanations, as if she lived more than 3 years in only 3 weeks long stay in MAHARANI BAAG, NEW DELHI. They used to engross in their own cute pranks and follies, when everyone was listening to the lectures in a camouflage of interest though. They had created their own space invisible for others yet enough for them where they enlivened the present, weaved the future and shared the past. Treasures unlimited, if only they remain treasures with the pangs of time!
And this is my eulogy - a devout appreciattion to all her high held opinions about him...she could not make it till the end - how could a cart move with a wheel alone..but she was always there 100% when she was there.
The beauty of the world was plucked the very day when these love laws ere created, they say, for the betterment of society itself...I scoff at! It yielded nothing but devised a wall between human beings and their very engine of life, between human spirit and its very 'RAISN DE'TRE'' of existence. No, I get puzzled and take my words back for a little while - Kudos to all love law makers instead for creating a wall, you have saved me, yes i would say you rescued me! - For love hurts, when you fail despite streneous efforts, to let someone know how much you love him/her. Thngs have both upsides and downsides - i set forth downsides not least to placate myself!
Yes, after all many ups and downs, twists and turns they have agreed to disagree. Much to their dismay, there were conspicuously a host of miscomunications, misunderstandings and I better know, chasm in their ways of thinking. I always felt like these two litlle Romeo and Juliet were from two oppposite poles but again she had with all her efforts cocooned a hope that these would turn dwarf and would be easily annihilated by her unwaverng love for him. Regretfully time has changed - Romeo and Juliet are no longer the captives of their family enmity but are enmeshed in their own egos' and insincerities.
There she failed Shruti! "I love my 'Prince', I still do"...she told me in her ailing voice ,"but failed to sort out our misunderstanings - every time we sit to resolve, it escalates into bigger one and for a time being shuts all doors of communication between us. we again sit for the next time, and there, the problem repeats. languished in agonies, here I say - Words are not enough to suggest how i am feeling right now. and you know - what aches the most - when you feel that you haven't been able to let someone know how much you love him - this feellng sucks you Shruti." My heart ached for her. since i am a witness to their replationship and i know it right from the start. I have seen her in her worst, in her best, stormed, and jostled upon by the ruthless forces of life - in her glees, in her smiles - and yet he was there ' in her eyes' unfazed as ever, at times inspring her, and other suggest her to rock the boat! Just watching the time passing by, this day is nearly gone...she must be feeling the same way even now......
Their visit to Taaj Mahal, an epitome of love, the solemn prayings in the Mosque of the Fattehpur City must be haunting her now - as though no God were left unprayed to, as if they sought a favor from every religion and hence craved to be assured that no force on the heaven and earth could destroy their 'unity.' Darling, Gods are futile in the kingdom of human beings! Who knew, that small boy they met right after praying in the Mosque had been casting an evil eye upon her relation, who knew they were exhanging their fate at the cost of just some 1 RS (indian currency) and who the hell knew, in his ill-vioce, right then had a harbinger of this doomsday, when he said, "kunai din timi haru le estari nai runuparos."
I felt, in her explanations, as if she lived more than 3 years in only 3 weeks long stay in MAHARANI BAAG, NEW DELHI. They used to engross in their own cute pranks and follies, when everyone was listening to the lectures in a camouflage of interest though. They had created their own space invisible for others yet enough for them where they enlivened the present, weaved the future and shared the past. Treasures unlimited, if only they remain treasures with the pangs of time!
And this is my eulogy - a devout appreciattion to all her high held opinions about him...she could not make it till the end - how could a cart move with a wheel alone..but she was always there 100% when she was there.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Finding strength in absurdity (aljazeera)
Finding strength in absurdity?
For Mahmoud Abbas to keep talking as Israel constructs settlements would mean accepting the theft of Palestinian land.
Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has called on the Palestinians not to quit direct negotiations while at the same time refusing to extend a moratorium on Jewish settlement construction that ended on Sunday.
Settlers have reportedly resumed building in different parts of the occupied West Bank, making it difficult, if not impossible, for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to continue participating in the US-sponsored talks.
He is now expected to seek Arab support for a withdrawal from the talks at a special Arab League meeting on October 4.
Oslo's fatal flaw
The Israeli suggestion that Palestinians should continue to participate in the talks under these circumstances is essentially asking them to accept the theft of their land while pretending to negotiate over its future status.
The Palestinian demand for a complete halt to settlement expansion - rather than a mere freeze - is long overdue.
While the Oslo Accords stipulated that neither side should engage in actions that could prejudice the final outcome of talks, one of the major flaws of the whole Oslo process, which started in 1993, was that it did not clearly specify an end to settlement construction.
Of course, as settlement construction and the accompanying confiscation of land and displacement of Palestinians would greatly prejudice the final status of the occupied territories, Palestinian negotiators considered this to be covered by the clause. But Israel chose to ignore this - along with most of the other agreements signed since Oslo - escalating its land-grabbing and expanding its colonies across the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
As a result of this, the number of settlers has tripled and, according to an Israeli human rights group, the settlements - together with their surrounding infrastructure - control 42 per cent of the West Bank, while Israel has tightened its grip over East Jerusalem.
Thus when Barak Obama, the US president, called for an immediate halt, then back-tracked to a freeze, on settlement construction, the Palestinians saw an unprecedented opportunity to build an international consensus against the persistent Israeli colonisation of Arab lands.
Obama later dropped his demand that a freeze on settlement building be a prerequisite for the resumption of the then stalled direct negotiations and, using the threat to withdraw international and even Arab funding, effectively coerced the Palestinian side into reluctantly joining talks.
So Abbas attended the talks but insisted that the freeze be extended before delving into other issues, prompting Obama to reiterate his call that Israel extend the moratorium. When this was not forthcoming, Abbas did not immediately walk out - agreeing to give the Americans time to find a compromise that could salvage the shaky talks.
Signing away Palestinian rights
But, so far, the compromises floated by the Israeli media are in essence worse than the settlers' plans to increase construction.
One such proposal is that Israel adopts a partial freeze in smaller settlements while continuing to build in major settlement blocks.
Abbas, whose legitimacy is already under question in the absence of new elections, cannot afford to accept proposals that effectively amount to legitimising Israeli plans to annex the largest and most populated West Bank settlements.
Judging by the official Israeli rhetoric and the leaked proposals, Netanyahu seems determined to pursue the plan he once advocated to annex at least 40 per cent of the West Bank, in addition to East Jerusalem, as part of his vision for a final solution.
The Israeli side is relying mainly on US support and military force to impose such solutions on the Palestinians, in defiance of international law and UN resolutions.
As international law forbids the confiscation or annexation of lands under occupation, Netanyahu is trying to coerce the Palestinians into forfeiting their rights by signing their consent to such a move.
But while Abbas, and the Palestinian position generally, is weak - due mainly to the uneven power balance and partly to Palestinian divisions - he cannot afford to make such a major concession at any stage, let along prior to entering final status talks.
Reconciliation and retribution
Furthermore, the revival of reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah in Damascus last week has strengthened Abbas' position as president while simultaneously binding him more closely to the national goals of the Palestinian people.
If anything the prospect of failed negotiations has increased support for national reconciliation so as to prepare the Palestinian people for any potential Israeli - and possibly even American - retribution if and when the talks collapse.
Pressed by the Fatah movement to focus on reconciliation with Hamas, Abbas is now less likely to accept any compromise that would undermine those efforts.
He recently said that participating in negotiations as settlement building continued would "be a waste of time". He ought now to heed those words as it will not only be a waste of time but a waste of Palestinian land, while inflicting more suffering on the Palestinian people.
In fact, it is high time that Palestinians call not only for a freeze to settlement construction but a complete halt based on the understanding that the settlements are illegal colonies that obstruct the Palestinian right to self-determination and independence.
Lamis Andoni is an analyst and commentator on Middle Eastern and Palestinian affairs.
For Mahmoud Abbas to keep talking as Israel constructs settlements would mean accepting the theft of Palestinian land.
Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has called on the Palestinians not to quit direct negotiations while at the same time refusing to extend a moratorium on Jewish settlement construction that ended on Sunday.
Settlers have reportedly resumed building in different parts of the occupied West Bank, making it difficult, if not impossible, for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, to continue participating in the US-sponsored talks.
He is now expected to seek Arab support for a withdrawal from the talks at a special Arab League meeting on October 4.
Oslo's fatal flaw
The Israeli suggestion that Palestinians should continue to participate in the talks under these circumstances is essentially asking them to accept the theft of their land while pretending to negotiate over its future status.
The Palestinian demand for a complete halt to settlement expansion - rather than a mere freeze - is long overdue.
While the Oslo Accords stipulated that neither side should engage in actions that could prejudice the final outcome of talks, one of the major flaws of the whole Oslo process, which started in 1993, was that it did not clearly specify an end to settlement construction.
Of course, as settlement construction and the accompanying confiscation of land and displacement of Palestinians would greatly prejudice the final status of the occupied territories, Palestinian negotiators considered this to be covered by the clause. But Israel chose to ignore this - along with most of the other agreements signed since Oslo - escalating its land-grabbing and expanding its colonies across the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
As a result of this, the number of settlers has tripled and, according to an Israeli human rights group, the settlements - together with their surrounding infrastructure - control 42 per cent of the West Bank, while Israel has tightened its grip over East Jerusalem.
Thus when Barak Obama, the US president, called for an immediate halt, then back-tracked to a freeze, on settlement construction, the Palestinians saw an unprecedented opportunity to build an international consensus against the persistent Israeli colonisation of Arab lands.
Obama later dropped his demand that a freeze on settlement building be a prerequisite for the resumption of the then stalled direct negotiations and, using the threat to withdraw international and even Arab funding, effectively coerced the Palestinian side into reluctantly joining talks.
So Abbas attended the talks but insisted that the freeze be extended before delving into other issues, prompting Obama to reiterate his call that Israel extend the moratorium. When this was not forthcoming, Abbas did not immediately walk out - agreeing to give the Americans time to find a compromise that could salvage the shaky talks.
Signing away Palestinian rights
But, so far, the compromises floated by the Israeli media are in essence worse than the settlers' plans to increase construction.
One such proposal is that Israel adopts a partial freeze in smaller settlements while continuing to build in major settlement blocks.
Abbas, whose legitimacy is already under question in the absence of new elections, cannot afford to accept proposals that effectively amount to legitimising Israeli plans to annex the largest and most populated West Bank settlements.
Judging by the official Israeli rhetoric and the leaked proposals, Netanyahu seems determined to pursue the plan he once advocated to annex at least 40 per cent of the West Bank, in addition to East Jerusalem, as part of his vision for a final solution.
The Israeli side is relying mainly on US support and military force to impose such solutions on the Palestinians, in defiance of international law and UN resolutions.
As international law forbids the confiscation or annexation of lands under occupation, Netanyahu is trying to coerce the Palestinians into forfeiting their rights by signing their consent to such a move.
But while Abbas, and the Palestinian position generally, is weak - due mainly to the uneven power balance and partly to Palestinian divisions - he cannot afford to make such a major concession at any stage, let along prior to entering final status talks.
Reconciliation and retribution
Furthermore, the revival of reconciliation talks between Hamas and Fatah in Damascus last week has strengthened Abbas' position as president while simultaneously binding him more closely to the national goals of the Palestinian people.
If anything the prospect of failed negotiations has increased support for national reconciliation so as to prepare the Palestinian people for any potential Israeli - and possibly even American - retribution if and when the talks collapse.
Pressed by the Fatah movement to focus on reconciliation with Hamas, Abbas is now less likely to accept any compromise that would undermine those efforts.
He recently said that participating in negotiations as settlement building continued would "be a waste of time". He ought now to heed those words as it will not only be a waste of time but a waste of Palestinian land, while inflicting more suffering on the Palestinian people.
In fact, it is high time that Palestinians call not only for a freeze to settlement construction but a complete halt based on the understanding that the settlements are illegal colonies that obstruct the Palestinian right to self-determination and independence.
Lamis Andoni is an analyst and commentator on Middle Eastern and Palestinian affairs.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Edward Samuel Milliband wins the leadership
Edward Samuel Milliband (Ed Milliband) has finally won the leadership of Labour Party after 4 months long bid with 4 other runners including his own brother David Milliband. Graduated from Oxford University in Philosophy, Economis and Politics, and grown up in the aegis of his Marxist father, Milliband shares some 23 years long affiliation with Labour Party, Both the brothers worked in Gordon's admiinistration, Ed Milliband sharing a less high profile as a climate change and energy Secretary. Lauded for his intellect, Milliband however is remarkably unpopular for his presentation styles and is often passed ocmments over for his laidback attitude, when put against David Milliband. As young as Tony Blair when the latter won the landslide victory in Labour pary leadership following the sudden demise of his predecessor Johm Smith, Miliband however has a long road to go before he can put himself on par with the United Kingdom's youngest PM (after 1812), Labour Party's longest serving PM and not the least the only person to have led the Labour Party to three consecutive general election victories, Mr. Tony Blair. And the road is not all rosy!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
From Hell
Release: October 19, 2001 (U.S.)
Directed by: Allen and Albert Hughes
Written by: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (graphic novel), Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias (screenplay)
Starring:
Johnny Depp as Inspector Frederick Abberline
Heather Graham as Mary Kelly
Ian Holm as Sir William Gull
Robbie Coltrane as Sergeant Peter Godley
Ian Richardson as Sir Charles Warren
The morbid fascination we have with serial killers and their crimes, and the tantalizing nature of an unsolved mystery have provided the inspiration for many a horror movie over the decades. Be it the vicarious thrill of imagining committing crimes as atrocious as serial killings, or imagining catching the depraved lunatic who commits these crimes and dishing out justice. Or perhaps it's a desire to solve the unsolvable, to succeed where so many others have failed. By revisiting the mysteries perhaps we can uncover some clue, some overlooked fact, some evidence that has been missed. To finally unmask those who exist only in shadow, and memory. Serial killers, and unsolved mysteries. Two elements that fascinate, shock, scare, and yes, entertain. It only makes good filmmaking sense to combine them. With From Hell, directors Allen and Albert Hughes take the first modern serial killer, and the most long-running and intriguing unsolved mystery of all time, and fashion them into one of the better horror films of the last decade.
"The Hughes Brothers" as they are known have a somewhat eclectic career. I don't know if they work as collaboratively as the Coens, or if one takes the technical side and the other the creative. But I do know they turn out some good films. Dead Presidents (1995), comes to mind - an underrated "ghetto" flick with some good performances. In 2001 they turned their sights to a ghetto tale of a different time and place: the story of Jack the Ripper.
From Hell begins by literally dropping us into the lice infested darkness of 1888 East End London, Whitechapel district to be exact. Old Jack's stomping ground. The Hughes Brothers, rather than try to give us a history lesson, have gone with an adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, which in turn went with the Freemasons/Royal conspiracy theory (which I can't elaborate on without spoiling the plot), and rather than a documentary-accurate representation of 1880's London, they've gone with a distinct visual style - utilizing bold colors & deep shadows, reasonably flashy direction, and attractive main stars. The first scene, a long tracking shot down into the alleys and along the streets, past hookers plying their trade, drunks staggering in the gutters and horse-drawn carts passing under gas lit arcs of filthy cobblestones, is cinematic brilliance and evidence of the Hughes Brothers' attention to detail and consummate filmmaking skill. There is a lot to like visually: one scene that particularly stands out is the time lapse photography after Jack kills one of his victims, showing the police examining the body and shocked onlookers gawking. Just before this sequence is another very creepy and effective shot: Jack finishes his dirty work then walks away into the foggy night, literally vanishing, ghost-like, into the shadows.
Police Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) is assigned the unenviable task of tracking down the Whitechapel murderer who would infamously become known as Jack the Ripper - who in reality stalked and murdered at least five women in the latter half of 1888. Abberline is aided in this task by the excellent British actor Robbie Coltrane who plays his partner Sergeant Peter Godley. Their relationship brings to mind echoes of Holmes and Watson. It seems the Ripper has his sights on Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) and her close knit band of streetwalkers. As the girls are viciously killed one by one, Abberline's investigation leads him from the dark alleys of Whitechapel to the lofty halls of Queen Victoria's palace, and begins to uncover a truth so disquieting those with vested interests will do almost anything to make sure it never gets out.
Much (fun) has been made of Johnny Depp's cockney accent and Heather Graham looking just a little too healthy for an 1880's Whitechapel prostitute in From Hell. When it is taken into account that the accent and indeed Depp’s performance are stylized to match that of the film, the accent is not distracting at all. Depp is a fine actor who nailed the distinct personality based on all accounts of Abberline perfectly. Graham doesn’t fare so well with the accent, and yes she's a little too clean and has all her teeth (which was a rarity back then) - but this is a story, a legend if you will. We can excuse a little beauty in an otherwise ugly tale.
The murders in From Hellare presented as brutal and ugly. The details (which in reality were unbearably grisly) are mostly left to the imagination, but we are still left with a strong impression: these poor women died in horrible ways. When you're dealing with an actual event, there's no room for highly stylized violence - these were real people, with real feelings and real lives that were ended suddenly and without any reason besides the whim of a madman. They deserve respect, and don't take up any more screen time than they have to. The story focuses on Abberline and his attempts to find the killer, and uncover the sinister truth.
Everyone knows the Ripper story, at least in passing, but the Hughes Brothers have crafted a tale with From Hell that is more fiction than historical fact; a commentary on class society and the way something as abhorrent as murder can cut through societal layers (pun intended) and expose the dark side of a supposedly "enlightened age". Of course it wouldn't be a movie without a love story and Abberline finds time amidst the chaos to fall for the "hooker with a heart of gold" Kelly.
Performances in From Hell are strong across-the-board. I get a kick out of Robbie Coltrane's many euphemisms for prostitute, such as "bang-tail" and "pinchprick". I also get a kick out of watching Depp lose himself in a role that seems like it was written with him, and only him, in mind. Depp's Abberline is an opium-smoking, absinthe-drinking, troubled soul who relies on hallucinatory visions to help him solve the case. Depp is a remarkably versatile actor and is, as usual, perfect in the role. Mention should also be made of the late Sir Ian Richardson who plays the pompous, racist Metro Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren who assigns Abberline to the case. His ridiculous assertion that an educated man could not be responsible for such heinous crimes, and his theory "what about the Jews? A Jew butcher..." is priceless line delivery and excellent characterization. The prejudices held by many "upper class" people both then and now are clearly illustrated.
The inimitable Sir Ian Holm as Sir William Gull, the Queen's personal physician, cannot go without mention. Holm is brilliant in From Hell as the deluded and sinister Gull, an advocate of the grotesque medical procedure known as lobotomy. The lobotomy scene in this film is more disturbing than the actual murder scenes. Rounding out the cast are Jason Flemyng as Gull's put-upon coachman Netley, Mark Dexter as Prince Albert (whose dalliances with the unfortunate Ann Crook provide the basis for the whole "Royal Conspiracy" thing), and Katrin Cartlige, Susan Lynch, Lesley Sharp, Annabelle Apsion and Samantha Spiro as the unfortunate victims: Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Katherine Eddowes, Polly Nichols and Martha Tabram.
From Hell is dark, sinister, moody, and operatic in it's gothic scope. It did pretty poorly both at the box office and critically upon it's release as people seemed to expect either a straight horror film or a factual account of the Ripper's crimes. From Hell is neither. It's a darkly beautiful tale of tormented souls and the darkest side of human nature.
(Yahoomovies)
Directed by: Allen and Albert Hughes
Written by: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (graphic novel), Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias (screenplay)
Starring:
Johnny Depp as Inspector Frederick Abberline
Heather Graham as Mary Kelly
Ian Holm as Sir William Gull
Robbie Coltrane as Sergeant Peter Godley
Ian Richardson as Sir Charles Warren
The morbid fascination we have with serial killers and their crimes, and the tantalizing nature of an unsolved mystery have provided the inspiration for many a horror movie over the decades. Be it the vicarious thrill of imagining committing crimes as atrocious as serial killings, or imagining catching the depraved lunatic who commits these crimes and dishing out justice. Or perhaps it's a desire to solve the unsolvable, to succeed where so many others have failed. By revisiting the mysteries perhaps we can uncover some clue, some overlooked fact, some evidence that has been missed. To finally unmask those who exist only in shadow, and memory. Serial killers, and unsolved mysteries. Two elements that fascinate, shock, scare, and yes, entertain. It only makes good filmmaking sense to combine them. With From Hell, directors Allen and Albert Hughes take the first modern serial killer, and the most long-running and intriguing unsolved mystery of all time, and fashion them into one of the better horror films of the last decade.
"The Hughes Brothers" as they are known have a somewhat eclectic career. I don't know if they work as collaboratively as the Coens, or if one takes the technical side and the other the creative. But I do know they turn out some good films. Dead Presidents (1995), comes to mind - an underrated "ghetto" flick with some good performances. In 2001 they turned their sights to a ghetto tale of a different time and place: the story of Jack the Ripper.
From Hell begins by literally dropping us into the lice infested darkness of 1888 East End London, Whitechapel district to be exact. Old Jack's stomping ground. The Hughes Brothers, rather than try to give us a history lesson, have gone with an adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, which in turn went with the Freemasons/Royal conspiracy theory (which I can't elaborate on without spoiling the plot), and rather than a documentary-accurate representation of 1880's London, they've gone with a distinct visual style - utilizing bold colors & deep shadows, reasonably flashy direction, and attractive main stars. The first scene, a long tracking shot down into the alleys and along the streets, past hookers plying their trade, drunks staggering in the gutters and horse-drawn carts passing under gas lit arcs of filthy cobblestones, is cinematic brilliance and evidence of the Hughes Brothers' attention to detail and consummate filmmaking skill. There is a lot to like visually: one scene that particularly stands out is the time lapse photography after Jack kills one of his victims, showing the police examining the body and shocked onlookers gawking. Just before this sequence is another very creepy and effective shot: Jack finishes his dirty work then walks away into the foggy night, literally vanishing, ghost-like, into the shadows.
Police Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) is assigned the unenviable task of tracking down the Whitechapel murderer who would infamously become known as Jack the Ripper - who in reality stalked and murdered at least five women in the latter half of 1888. Abberline is aided in this task by the excellent British actor Robbie Coltrane who plays his partner Sergeant Peter Godley. Their relationship brings to mind echoes of Holmes and Watson. It seems the Ripper has his sights on Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) and her close knit band of streetwalkers. As the girls are viciously killed one by one, Abberline's investigation leads him from the dark alleys of Whitechapel to the lofty halls of Queen Victoria's palace, and begins to uncover a truth so disquieting those with vested interests will do almost anything to make sure it never gets out.
Much (fun) has been made of Johnny Depp's cockney accent and Heather Graham looking just a little too healthy for an 1880's Whitechapel prostitute in From Hell. When it is taken into account that the accent and indeed Depp’s performance are stylized to match that of the film, the accent is not distracting at all. Depp is a fine actor who nailed the distinct personality based on all accounts of Abberline perfectly. Graham doesn’t fare so well with the accent, and yes she's a little too clean and has all her teeth (which was a rarity back then) - but this is a story, a legend if you will. We can excuse a little beauty in an otherwise ugly tale.
The murders in From Hellare presented as brutal and ugly. The details (which in reality were unbearably grisly) are mostly left to the imagination, but we are still left with a strong impression: these poor women died in horrible ways. When you're dealing with an actual event, there's no room for highly stylized violence - these were real people, with real feelings and real lives that were ended suddenly and without any reason besides the whim of a madman. They deserve respect, and don't take up any more screen time than they have to. The story focuses on Abberline and his attempts to find the killer, and uncover the sinister truth.
Everyone knows the Ripper story, at least in passing, but the Hughes Brothers have crafted a tale with From Hell that is more fiction than historical fact; a commentary on class society and the way something as abhorrent as murder can cut through societal layers (pun intended) and expose the dark side of a supposedly "enlightened age". Of course it wouldn't be a movie without a love story and Abberline finds time amidst the chaos to fall for the "hooker with a heart of gold" Kelly.
Performances in From Hell are strong across-the-board. I get a kick out of Robbie Coltrane's many euphemisms for prostitute, such as "bang-tail" and "pinchprick". I also get a kick out of watching Depp lose himself in a role that seems like it was written with him, and only him, in mind. Depp's Abberline is an opium-smoking, absinthe-drinking, troubled soul who relies on hallucinatory visions to help him solve the case. Depp is a remarkably versatile actor and is, as usual, perfect in the role. Mention should also be made of the late Sir Ian Richardson who plays the pompous, racist Metro Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren who assigns Abberline to the case. His ridiculous assertion that an educated man could not be responsible for such heinous crimes, and his theory "what about the Jews? A Jew butcher..." is priceless line delivery and excellent characterization. The prejudices held by many "upper class" people both then and now are clearly illustrated.
The inimitable Sir Ian Holm as Sir William Gull, the Queen's personal physician, cannot go without mention. Holm is brilliant in From Hell as the deluded and sinister Gull, an advocate of the grotesque medical procedure known as lobotomy. The lobotomy scene in this film is more disturbing than the actual murder scenes. Rounding out the cast are Jason Flemyng as Gull's put-upon coachman Netley, Mark Dexter as Prince Albert (whose dalliances with the unfortunate Ann Crook provide the basis for the whole "Royal Conspiracy" thing), and Katrin Cartlige, Susan Lynch, Lesley Sharp, Annabelle Apsion and Samantha Spiro as the unfortunate victims: Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Katherine Eddowes, Polly Nichols and Martha Tabram.
From Hell is dark, sinister, moody, and operatic in it's gothic scope. It did pretty poorly both at the box office and critically upon it's release as people seemed to expect either a straight horror film or a factual account of the Ripper's crimes. From Hell is neither. It's a darkly beautiful tale of tormented souls and the darkest side of human nature.
(Yahoomovies)
From Hell
Release: October 19, 2001 (U.S.)
Directed by: Allen and Albert Hughes
Written by: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (graphic novel), Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias (screenplay)
Starring:
Johnny Depp as Inspector Frederick Abberline
Heather Graham as Mary Kelly
Ian Holm as Sir William Gull
Robbie Coltrane as Sergeant Peter Godley
Ian Richardson as Sir Charles Warren
The morbid fascination we have with serial killers and their crimes, and the tantalizing nature of an unsolved mystery have provided the inspiration for many a horror movie over the decades. Be it the vicarious thrill of imagining committing crimes as atrocious as serial killings, or imagining catching the depraved lunatic who commits these crimes and dishing out justice. Or perhaps it's a desire to solve the unsolvable, to succeed where so many others have failed. By revisiting the mysteries perhaps we can uncover some clue, some overlooked fact, some evidence that has been missed. To finally unmask those who exist only in shadow, and memory. Serial killers, and unsolved mysteries. Two elements that fascinate, shock, scare, and yes, entertain. It only makes good filmmaking sense to combine them. With From Hell, directors Allen and Albert Hughes take the first modern serial killer, and the most long-running and intriguing unsolved mystery of all time, and fashion them into one of the better horror films of the last decade.
"The Hughes Brothers" as they are known have a somewhat eclectic career. I don't know if they work as collaboratively as the Coens, or if one takes the technical side and the other the creative. But I do know they turn out some good films. Dead Presidents (1995), comes to mind - an underrated "ghetto" flick with some good performances. In 2001 they turned their sights to a ghetto tale of a different time and place: the story of Jack the Ripper.
From Hell begins by literally dropping us into the lice infested darkness of 1888 East End London, Whitechapel district to be exact. Old Jack's stomping ground. The Hughes Brothers, rather than try to give us a history lesson, have gone with an adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, which in turn went with the Freemasons/Royal conspiracy theory (which I can't elaborate on without spoiling the plot), and rather than a documentary-accurate representation of 1880's London, they've gone with a distinct visual style - utilizing bold colors & deep shadows, reasonably flashy direction, and attractive main stars. The first scene, a long tracking shot down into the alleys and along the streets, past hookers plying their trade, drunks staggering in the gutters and horse-drawn carts passing under gas lit arcs of filthy cobblestones, is cinematic brilliance and evidence of the Hughes Brothers' attention to detail and consummate filmmaking skill. There is a lot to like visually: one scene that particularly stands out is the time lapse photography after Jack kills one of his victims, showing the police examining the body and shocked onlookers gawking. Just before this sequence is another very creepy and effective shot: Jack finishes his dirty work then walks away into the foggy night, literally vanishing, ghost-like, into the shadows.
Police Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) is assigned the unenviable task of tracking down the Whitechapel murderer who would infamously become known as Jack the Ripper - who in reality stalked and murdered at least five women in the latter half of 1888. Abberline is aided in this task by the excellent British actor Robbie Coltrane who plays his partner Sergeant Peter Godley. Their relationship brings to mind echoes of Holmes and Watson. It seems the Ripper has his sights on Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) and her close knit band of streetwalkers. As the girls are viciously killed one by one, Abberline's investigation leads him from the dark alleys of Whitechapel to the lofty halls of Queen Victoria's palace, and begins to uncover a truth so disquieting those with vested interests will do almost anything to make sure it never gets out.
Much (fun) has been made of Johnny Depp's cockney accent and Heather Graham looking just a little too healthy for an 1880's Whitechapel prostitute in From Hell. When it is taken into account that the accent and indeed Depp’s performance are stylized to match that of the film, the accent is not distracting at all. Depp is a fine actor who nailed the distinct personality based on all accounts of Abberline perfectly. Graham doesn’t fare so well with the accent, and yes she's a little too clean and has all her teeth (which was a rarity back then) - but this is a story, a legend if you will. We can excuse a little beauty in an otherwise ugly tale.
The murders in From Hellare presented as brutal and ugly. The details (which in reality were unbearably grisly) are mostly left to the imagination, but we are still left with a strong impression: these poor women died in horrible ways. When you're dealing with an actual event, there's no room for highly stylized violence - these were real people, with real feelings and real lives that were ended suddenly and without any reason besides the whim of a madman. They deserve respect, and don't take up any more screen time than they have to. The story focuses on Abberline and his attempts to find the killer, and uncover the sinister truth.
Everyone knows the Ripper story, at least in passing, but the Hughes Brothers have crafted a tale with From Hell that is more fiction than historical fact; a commentary on class society and the way something as abhorrent as murder can cut through societal layers (pun intended) and expose the dark side of a supposedly "enlightened age". Of course it wouldn't be a movie without a love story and Abberline finds time amidst the chaos to fall for the "hooker with a heart of gold" Kelly.
Performances in From Hell are strong across-the-board. I get a kick out of Robbie Coltrane's many euphemisms for prostitute, such as "bang-tail" and "pinchprick". I also get a kick out of watching Depp lose himself in a role that seems like it was written with him, and only him, in mind. Depp's Abberline is an opium-smoking, absinthe-drinking, troubled soul who relies on hallucinatory visions to help him solve the case. Depp is a remarkably versatile actor and is, as usual, perfect in the role. Mention should also be made of the late Sir Ian Richardson who plays the pompous, racist Metro Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren who assigns Abberline to the case. His ridiculous assertion that an educated man could not be responsible for such heinous crimes, and his theory "what about the Jews? A Jew butcher..." is priceless line delivery and excellent characterization. The prejudices held by many "upper class" people both then and now are clearly illustrated.
The inimitable Sir Ian Holm as Sir William Gull, the Queen's personal physician, cannot go without mention. Holm is brilliant in From Hell as the deluded and sinister Gull, an advocate of the grotesque medical procedure known as lobotomy. The lobotomy scene in this film is more disturbing than the actual murder scenes. Rounding out the cast are Jason Flemyng as Gull's put-upon coachman Netley, Mark Dexter as Prince Albert (whose dalliances with the unfortunate Ann Crook provide the basis for the whole "Royal Conspiracy" thing), and Katrin Cartlige, Susan Lynch, Lesley Sharp, Annabelle Apsion and Samantha Spiro as the unfortunate victims: Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Katherine Eddowes, Polly Nichols and Martha Tabram.
From Hell is dark, sinister, moody, and operatic in it's gothic scope. It did pretty poorly both at the box office and critically upon it's release as people seemed to expect either a straight horror film or a factual account of the Ripper's crimes. From Hell is neither. It's a darkly beautiful tale of tormented souls and the darkest side of human nature.
(Yahoomovies)
Directed by: Allen and Albert Hughes
Written by: Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (graphic novel), Terry Hayes and Rafael Yglesias (screenplay)
Starring:
Johnny Depp as Inspector Frederick Abberline
Heather Graham as Mary Kelly
Ian Holm as Sir William Gull
Robbie Coltrane as Sergeant Peter Godley
Ian Richardson as Sir Charles Warren
The morbid fascination we have with serial killers and their crimes, and the tantalizing nature of an unsolved mystery have provided the inspiration for many a horror movie over the decades. Be it the vicarious thrill of imagining committing crimes as atrocious as serial killings, or imagining catching the depraved lunatic who commits these crimes and dishing out justice. Or perhaps it's a desire to solve the unsolvable, to succeed where so many others have failed. By revisiting the mysteries perhaps we can uncover some clue, some overlooked fact, some evidence that has been missed. To finally unmask those who exist only in shadow, and memory. Serial killers, and unsolved mysteries. Two elements that fascinate, shock, scare, and yes, entertain. It only makes good filmmaking sense to combine them. With From Hell, directors Allen and Albert Hughes take the first modern serial killer, and the most long-running and intriguing unsolved mystery of all time, and fashion them into one of the better horror films of the last decade.
"The Hughes Brothers" as they are known have a somewhat eclectic career. I don't know if they work as collaboratively as the Coens, or if one takes the technical side and the other the creative. But I do know they turn out some good films. Dead Presidents (1995), comes to mind - an underrated "ghetto" flick with some good performances. In 2001 they turned their sights to a ghetto tale of a different time and place: the story of Jack the Ripper.
From Hell begins by literally dropping us into the lice infested darkness of 1888 East End London, Whitechapel district to be exact. Old Jack's stomping ground. The Hughes Brothers, rather than try to give us a history lesson, have gone with an adaptation of Alan Moore's graphic novel, which in turn went with the Freemasons/Royal conspiracy theory (which I can't elaborate on without spoiling the plot), and rather than a documentary-accurate representation of 1880's London, they've gone with a distinct visual style - utilizing bold colors & deep shadows, reasonably flashy direction, and attractive main stars. The first scene, a long tracking shot down into the alleys and along the streets, past hookers plying their trade, drunks staggering in the gutters and horse-drawn carts passing under gas lit arcs of filthy cobblestones, is cinematic brilliance and evidence of the Hughes Brothers' attention to detail and consummate filmmaking skill. There is a lot to like visually: one scene that particularly stands out is the time lapse photography after Jack kills one of his victims, showing the police examining the body and shocked onlookers gawking. Just before this sequence is another very creepy and effective shot: Jack finishes his dirty work then walks away into the foggy night, literally vanishing, ghost-like, into the shadows.
Police Inspector Fred Abberline (Johnny Depp) is assigned the unenviable task of tracking down the Whitechapel murderer who would infamously become known as Jack the Ripper - who in reality stalked and murdered at least five women in the latter half of 1888. Abberline is aided in this task by the excellent British actor Robbie Coltrane who plays his partner Sergeant Peter Godley. Their relationship brings to mind echoes of Holmes and Watson. It seems the Ripper has his sights on Mary Kelly (Heather Graham) and her close knit band of streetwalkers. As the girls are viciously killed one by one, Abberline's investigation leads him from the dark alleys of Whitechapel to the lofty halls of Queen Victoria's palace, and begins to uncover a truth so disquieting those with vested interests will do almost anything to make sure it never gets out.
Much (fun) has been made of Johnny Depp's cockney accent and Heather Graham looking just a little too healthy for an 1880's Whitechapel prostitute in From Hell. When it is taken into account that the accent and indeed Depp’s performance are stylized to match that of the film, the accent is not distracting at all. Depp is a fine actor who nailed the distinct personality based on all accounts of Abberline perfectly. Graham doesn’t fare so well with the accent, and yes she's a little too clean and has all her teeth (which was a rarity back then) - but this is a story, a legend if you will. We can excuse a little beauty in an otherwise ugly tale.
The murders in From Hellare presented as brutal and ugly. The details (which in reality were unbearably grisly) are mostly left to the imagination, but we are still left with a strong impression: these poor women died in horrible ways. When you're dealing with an actual event, there's no room for highly stylized violence - these were real people, with real feelings and real lives that were ended suddenly and without any reason besides the whim of a madman. They deserve respect, and don't take up any more screen time than they have to. The story focuses on Abberline and his attempts to find the killer, and uncover the sinister truth.
Everyone knows the Ripper story, at least in passing, but the Hughes Brothers have crafted a tale with From Hell that is more fiction than historical fact; a commentary on class society and the way something as abhorrent as murder can cut through societal layers (pun intended) and expose the dark side of a supposedly "enlightened age". Of course it wouldn't be a movie without a love story and Abberline finds time amidst the chaos to fall for the "hooker with a heart of gold" Kelly.
Performances in From Hell are strong across-the-board. I get a kick out of Robbie Coltrane's many euphemisms for prostitute, such as "bang-tail" and "pinchprick". I also get a kick out of watching Depp lose himself in a role that seems like it was written with him, and only him, in mind. Depp's Abberline is an opium-smoking, absinthe-drinking, troubled soul who relies on hallucinatory visions to help him solve the case. Depp is a remarkably versatile actor and is, as usual, perfect in the role. Mention should also be made of the late Sir Ian Richardson who plays the pompous, racist Metro Police Commissioner Sir Charles Warren who assigns Abberline to the case. His ridiculous assertion that an educated man could not be responsible for such heinous crimes, and his theory "what about the Jews? A Jew butcher..." is priceless line delivery and excellent characterization. The prejudices held by many "upper class" people both then and now are clearly illustrated.
The inimitable Sir Ian Holm as Sir William Gull, the Queen's personal physician, cannot go without mention. Holm is brilliant in From Hell as the deluded and sinister Gull, an advocate of the grotesque medical procedure known as lobotomy. The lobotomy scene in this film is more disturbing than the actual murder scenes. Rounding out the cast are Jason Flemyng as Gull's put-upon coachman Netley, Mark Dexter as Prince Albert (whose dalliances with the unfortunate Ann Crook provide the basis for the whole "Royal Conspiracy" thing), and Katrin Cartlige, Susan Lynch, Lesley Sharp, Annabelle Apsion and Samantha Spiro as the unfortunate victims: Annie Chapman, Liz Stride, Katherine Eddowes, Polly Nichols and Martha Tabram.
From Hell is dark, sinister, moody, and operatic in it's gothic scope. It did pretty poorly both at the box office and critically upon it's release as people seemed to expect either a straight horror film or a factual account of the Ripper's crimes. From Hell is neither. It's a darkly beautiful tale of tormented souls and the darkest side of human nature.
(Yahoomovies)
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Do Bigha Zamin
Poverty is not a thing to be but a thing to make. The acute poverty which we observe today must have its origination back in the historical period when might was right and when zamindars were everything. They were the open mafias; to provide the debt when they had nothing to eat and to confiscate everything when they accumulate something out of it. The monster beneath them was masked with something that the villagers could hardly notice the time when they were robbed and even they noticed their voice went in vain since law was blind and authority couldn't go against the power. It was the birth of poverty and is not dying even till today. Poverty thus cannot be comprehended unless we understand the history
At least the spectators were deep down absorbed computing the history and stories in do bigha zamin, a film shown in martin chautari this Thursday. A neo realistic film on the premise of land confiscation was really full of pathos. It was the depiction of how the zamindar plays poly tricks and catches the poverty stricken villagers in its trap. Now starts the story how a poor family struggles to retain it. The farmland was a mother for the farmers, indeed how can they forgo their own mother? They enter the city with expectations to earn some amount. Calcutta but was developed so, how could it shelter the undeveloped farmers. How can the one survive in the world that recognized nothing but money?
The innocence of child and maturity was really captivating. I prefer to say a matured child and an innocent youth. He has no fault of his own but still is compelled to endure the hardship and work by all his labor. He possesses that sight to see the catastrophe the family is suffering though his eyes are small and he has that endurance to toil though his body is tiny. Such is the fate of poor. At a long last no ways out. It had to occur as long as the as the zamindars exist.
Wealth is theft. Perhaps it may be true. It may be true in case of zamindar who steals the wealth on the part of farmer, for nothing at all. Wealth is theft perhaps for the modern capitalist in Marxian language for the surplus value they tend to create every other step. Wealth is theft perhaps we all are stealing property of some kind or other if not directly money. Zamindar in case of film was the symbol of this very irony. And we steal just to survive. Nonetheless the purpose for which one does so determines the justification at the end of it all.
.
Is theft a crime again? At least we cannot say yes after we see the film. A child is aware that he should not steal but what to do if there is nothing but to save the dying father. What's the significance of laws made for the qualitative survival when there is no guarantee of life itself. Theft is thus not a crime but a result of crime committed by autocratic authority, zamindar here in film. The film in this regard is a solid description on how social evils rise and mounts. This fact can be better perceived with the existentialist's viewpoint though the film does not say anything on its own. It stays silent and just lets us speak the rest.
No ideas whether it can be equated with modern day or not but development stood as the means by which zamindars inflated his pocket. Establishment of mill in blank sense can be the matter of welfare but what about the compensation to the farmers for whom the land is the only means of survival. Development without understanding other attached elements is just a naïve, a cry for moon. The film thus prances ahead and furthermore puts questions to us–how development ought to be multifaceted concept, likewise how can the cultural values be integrated in development, since the stereotype put before female can also be traced as the reason behind poverty. To simplify, female should not work outside earned the dominance and if I am not mistaken it in many ways triggered their poverty to much more level.
The film anyways was convincing. Sometimes the hall erupted into laughter and sometimes it was pin drop silent the film after all made us ponder and killed us with questions. We cannot answer because it's not we but our history that created questions. We are just following the trend; waiting for some angel to break it once and for all.
At least the spectators were deep down absorbed computing the history and stories in do bigha zamin, a film shown in martin chautari this Thursday. A neo realistic film on the premise of land confiscation was really full of pathos. It was the depiction of how the zamindar plays poly tricks and catches the poverty stricken villagers in its trap. Now starts the story how a poor family struggles to retain it. The farmland was a mother for the farmers, indeed how can they forgo their own mother? They enter the city with expectations to earn some amount. Calcutta but was developed so, how could it shelter the undeveloped farmers. How can the one survive in the world that recognized nothing but money?
The innocence of child and maturity was really captivating. I prefer to say a matured child and an innocent youth. He has no fault of his own but still is compelled to endure the hardship and work by all his labor. He possesses that sight to see the catastrophe the family is suffering though his eyes are small and he has that endurance to toil though his body is tiny. Such is the fate of poor. At a long last no ways out. It had to occur as long as the as the zamindars exist.
Wealth is theft. Perhaps it may be true. It may be true in case of zamindar who steals the wealth on the part of farmer, for nothing at all. Wealth is theft perhaps for the modern capitalist in Marxian language for the surplus value they tend to create every other step. Wealth is theft perhaps we all are stealing property of some kind or other if not directly money. Zamindar in case of film was the symbol of this very irony. And we steal just to survive. Nonetheless the purpose for which one does so determines the justification at the end of it all.
.
Is theft a crime again? At least we cannot say yes after we see the film. A child is aware that he should not steal but what to do if there is nothing but to save the dying father. What's the significance of laws made for the qualitative survival when there is no guarantee of life itself. Theft is thus not a crime but a result of crime committed by autocratic authority, zamindar here in film. The film in this regard is a solid description on how social evils rise and mounts. This fact can be better perceived with the existentialist's viewpoint though the film does not say anything on its own. It stays silent and just lets us speak the rest.
No ideas whether it can be equated with modern day or not but development stood as the means by which zamindars inflated his pocket. Establishment of mill in blank sense can be the matter of welfare but what about the compensation to the farmers for whom the land is the only means of survival. Development without understanding other attached elements is just a naïve, a cry for moon. The film thus prances ahead and furthermore puts questions to us–how development ought to be multifaceted concept, likewise how can the cultural values be integrated in development, since the stereotype put before female can also be traced as the reason behind poverty. To simplify, female should not work outside earned the dominance and if I am not mistaken it in many ways triggered their poverty to much more level.
The film anyways was convincing. Sometimes the hall erupted into laughter and sometimes it was pin drop silent the film after all made us ponder and killed us with questions. We cannot answer because it's not we but our history that created questions. We are just following the trend; waiting for some angel to break it once and for all.
Friday, July 2, 2010
faith won't fail - damsel monologue
'mumma. i lost my eyes.' i woke up at the middle of the night and yelled scared of the second retina detachment surgery scheduled for the next day. it was exactly a year ago. there i lay lamenting! time has elapased but it had nothing to bequeath me! much has cropped up since then but me and my eyes still same! alone here and praying for the same eye! oh heaven! lay your empathy on this tiny creature! shower all your uncanny grace for those ppl who love me dearly if not only for me! tell me my faith isn't false, whisper in my ears my conviction will be paid! for the faith itself and for the matter to convince the world that faith does exist! that faith is to see the unseen, hear the unheard and touch the untouched like i am doing now. i went throgh 5 major surgeries for the same eye. each had some lesson to teach me. coming to this point i have learnt enough that no reason on the earth would suffice this yet another litmus test!
i went full in tears. i panicked, i fret and here i expressed myself in whatever crazy ways i could. the pessimistic voice of doctor strikes to my ear and right there at somewhere i can hear a faint voice cheering me up. no sooner i started gazing at his petrified face i could witness those lines crumbling in timidity, slowly fading away and finally landing up as good omens. smiling at me and saying 'hey, these all are too ephemeral, you gotta win....' Nay! i can read optimism unleashed in between those petrified lines!
oh heaven! pull your socks up and brace yourself to wring my heart, there you can't. faiths are aplomb. hopes are impregnable. See how your efforts wil be watered away! Wanna try still more?
i went full in tears. i panicked, i fret and here i expressed myself in whatever crazy ways i could. the pessimistic voice of doctor strikes to my ear and right there at somewhere i can hear a faint voice cheering me up. no sooner i started gazing at his petrified face i could witness those lines crumbling in timidity, slowly fading away and finally landing up as good omens. smiling at me and saying 'hey, these all are too ephemeral, you gotta win....' Nay! i can read optimism unleashed in between those petrified lines!
oh heaven! pull your socks up and brace yourself to wring my heart, there you can't. faiths are aplomb. hopes are impregnable. See how your efforts wil be watered away! Wanna try still more?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
In your absence
We were not quite on the same boats. But still we had so meticulously created space in between where we could become one and get dissolved in one another. And that moment! was the best of all ecstasies life could gift me ever! Now i want to ink sth on them but what? i was never told.
Peeping from the window alone, I see the same stars but they don't look any brighter. I feel the same wind kissing me but withered on the vine is its aura and it no longer soothes me. I can no longer feel like weightlessly swinging in the air. A loner heart here no more feels like flowing in river wryingly glaring at those departed peebles on the unknown bay, which neither belongs to the land nor does to the water itself. How far that peeble, once appeared to me at a stone throw from the broiling water really was?
Ever since i met you you have always been a bastion in my highs and lows of life. Definitely the one to weather that unforgettable storm was me and myself. Nobody on the earth could be 'me' afterall. But in your eyes my aches disappeard and there i could touch my dreams equally unfazed as ever. At the risk of sounding corny, I would say you were the only one who cocooned me from the adverse aftermath. You inspired me, lent ear to this battered and bruised 'infante' and pushed me to take further steps. That, as you told, wasnt the end of life. I am here now.
I am starving for words to let you know how arid my days are here without you. Let the distance separate us, let the time build its own wall but can never flag is the love between. You have written so much on my memory that no effort can erase it and you have inscribed so clear that no finest rewriting can distort the lines. Distance, they say, makes the heart grow fonder!
Peeping from the window alone, I see the same stars but they don't look any brighter. I feel the same wind kissing me but withered on the vine is its aura and it no longer soothes me. I can no longer feel like weightlessly swinging in the air. A loner heart here no more feels like flowing in river wryingly glaring at those departed peebles on the unknown bay, which neither belongs to the land nor does to the water itself. How far that peeble, once appeared to me at a stone throw from the broiling water really was?
Ever since i met you you have always been a bastion in my highs and lows of life. Definitely the one to weather that unforgettable storm was me and myself. Nobody on the earth could be 'me' afterall. But in your eyes my aches disappeard and there i could touch my dreams equally unfazed as ever. At the risk of sounding corny, I would say you were the only one who cocooned me from the adverse aftermath. You inspired me, lent ear to this battered and bruised 'infante' and pushed me to take further steps. That, as you told, wasnt the end of life. I am here now.
I am starving for words to let you know how arid my days are here without you. Let the distance separate us, let the time build its own wall but can never flag is the love between. You have written so much on my memory that no effort can erase it and you have inscribed so clear that no finest rewriting can distort the lines. Distance, they say, makes the heart grow fonder!
Friday, June 18, 2010
On the Road to Liberty
Well, today – its women’s day – a day of women in other words. The entire world is echoing with the mounting slogans on equality and women’s liberty. It’s nice to know that at least, once a year, the voice of feminists (equalists, in my words) are paid due respect. Thank god at least a day is there when every two legged anti social animal get to know that women are really starving of rights. And it’s a high time that the new emerging world of justice and globalization should leave no stone unturned to tail off any sort of abuse. Its simple thing perhaps every layman can well carve it out. But the question arises what is liberty esp. women’s liberty in this respect, who is to do what and from where the change is to be kicked off? The entire thrust lies upon how to define the word liberty in this semi conscious world.
Liberty at least for me is the autonomy – full authority to decide what one wants to do. If we relate as such, then women’s liberty would still be the mater of far cry. All in all the most irking matter is that still majority of women lack even the slightest notion of where they are and where they stand. Lack of the capacity to identify one’s position (relative) is the crux of the problem
No doubt, the women are still clashing with thunders of discriminations and I don’t think it is essential to pin down where their rights have been violated? Ask yourself, then pore over your domestic lives and then look around, it will be more than enough to fathom the bleak world of women. Really pathetic it is! Still the concept of housewives – this heart fed up with all these things is in quest for the word househusband as well. Getting weary of all those aching words, this delicate eardrum is seeing to hear ‘god bless! No matter whether you’ll have son or daughter, the caring is the thing that makes a difference!’’ At every crucial hour of life, a girl’s life is equated with dowry and at the time when a glittering rays of future is about to dawn, then no doubt she needs to get busy with wedding. Ultimately, toying with same kitchen appliances, getting their aspirations crushed with the curries and burnt with the fire is what their life ends up with. This blatant avarice in input have always compelled women to avow the inferior status as the only option.
Marriage, in fact constitutes slavery for women. For sure, Men and wife are the one but that one in our society is the husband. The discrimination thus intensifies even more breeding economic and social subjugation to men. Much regretfully, this relentless usurpation can be well mirrored in every sphere of development where the half skies barely get space to speak their mind. Even their sacrifices have never been esteemed in this materialistic world despite the fact that it is the motherly love and earthly inspiration upon which the entire civilization stands. For sure, this selfless edifice will one day need a crowning glory and the history long domination will beg a tremendous compensation.
Why the hell sovereign future of girls lurks as a vexing question in every family? Hats off Nepalese for we are shouting to create our destiny by ourselves! We are pronouncing so vigorously for our autonomy in every aspect which is true to the spirit of times as well but what about the women autonomy? Will the day come when the ladies can determine their fate by themselves? On the one hand we talk about liberalism and on the other; still we are giving continuity to the timeworn dogmas. Hey, wake up virginity is not to do with sex, its do with your attitude and heart. So, quelling their boundless potentials in the name of sensitive sex is merely the reflection of this totalitarian society.
Everyone has got his own share of right thus is not supposed to interfere upon others after all no man can do more than fill his own lungs though atmosphere is forty miles deep all around the globe. So let’s not make this world the hell of crime. The revolution in fact is to be initiated within the family after all it is where the rights are violated at most. So, let’s make haste before these appalling discriminations have distilled a great misfortune. For sure, everything changes down the lane of time but we always have every role to accelerate the snail paced development invited by time. And how many times we persist blaming our politicians? Let’s not flinch at least from today and let’s remain aplomb enough for the lame excuses to affect us. To cap it all, let’s put our efforts together so that one day the humanity will breathe freer and the world will grow brighter. That day of course paradise will be around our way. The discrimination ultimately will have lacked even the faintest space to spoil this human habitat once and for all.
(An article written for the women's day 2008)
Liberty at least for me is the autonomy – full authority to decide what one wants to do. If we relate as such, then women’s liberty would still be the mater of far cry. All in all the most irking matter is that still majority of women lack even the slightest notion of where they are and where they stand. Lack of the capacity to identify one’s position (relative) is the crux of the problem
No doubt, the women are still clashing with thunders of discriminations and I don’t think it is essential to pin down where their rights have been violated? Ask yourself, then pore over your domestic lives and then look around, it will be more than enough to fathom the bleak world of women. Really pathetic it is! Still the concept of housewives – this heart fed up with all these things is in quest for the word househusband as well. Getting weary of all those aching words, this delicate eardrum is seeing to hear ‘god bless! No matter whether you’ll have son or daughter, the caring is the thing that makes a difference!’’ At every crucial hour of life, a girl’s life is equated with dowry and at the time when a glittering rays of future is about to dawn, then no doubt she needs to get busy with wedding. Ultimately, toying with same kitchen appliances, getting their aspirations crushed with the curries and burnt with the fire is what their life ends up with. This blatant avarice in input have always compelled women to avow the inferior status as the only option.
Marriage, in fact constitutes slavery for women. For sure, Men and wife are the one but that one in our society is the husband. The discrimination thus intensifies even more breeding economic and social subjugation to men. Much regretfully, this relentless usurpation can be well mirrored in every sphere of development where the half skies barely get space to speak their mind. Even their sacrifices have never been esteemed in this materialistic world despite the fact that it is the motherly love and earthly inspiration upon which the entire civilization stands. For sure, this selfless edifice will one day need a crowning glory and the history long domination will beg a tremendous compensation.
Why the hell sovereign future of girls lurks as a vexing question in every family? Hats off Nepalese for we are shouting to create our destiny by ourselves! We are pronouncing so vigorously for our autonomy in every aspect which is true to the spirit of times as well but what about the women autonomy? Will the day come when the ladies can determine their fate by themselves? On the one hand we talk about liberalism and on the other; still we are giving continuity to the timeworn dogmas. Hey, wake up virginity is not to do with sex, its do with your attitude and heart. So, quelling their boundless potentials in the name of sensitive sex is merely the reflection of this totalitarian society.
Everyone has got his own share of right thus is not supposed to interfere upon others after all no man can do more than fill his own lungs though atmosphere is forty miles deep all around the globe. So let’s not make this world the hell of crime. The revolution in fact is to be initiated within the family after all it is where the rights are violated at most. So, let’s make haste before these appalling discriminations have distilled a great misfortune. For sure, everything changes down the lane of time but we always have every role to accelerate the snail paced development invited by time. And how many times we persist blaming our politicians? Let’s not flinch at least from today and let’s remain aplomb enough for the lame excuses to affect us. To cap it all, let’s put our efforts together so that one day the humanity will breathe freer and the world will grow brighter. That day of course paradise will be around our way. The discrimination ultimately will have lacked even the faintest space to spoil this human habitat once and for all.
(An article written for the women's day 2008)
Through the Lattice Window (Poem)
the day I was created was created the grave as well
that is waiting for me since the years ago
the trees I love the most will burn me that day
fumes of pyre will melt all my records away
in the secret pains and pleasures, my music is sure to fade
footprints will erode, image will dim, history wil bury again
my life, my biggest truth will be nothing but a myth
an allien to the world and a new life will be devised instead
nobody can see me even I blaze with sun
nobody can feel me even I merge with air
this is the trade of human life
to offer to the god till the flower blooms
and to spit over it once it wilthers down
even then,
every step destined to rule the world
to kiss the moon, nay! to wax and wane the star and sun
to swim in the streams of cloud, to swing in the huts of heart
to see the distance never seen, to walk the distance never trod
but my christ! my evangelina! I know
this is the dream where the earthly shadows fall
where our angels are raped cursed by Adam's tears
where our socrates dies and thus my paradise is lost
where the truth elopes within the rainbow of the world
as such,
I crave to win the world and so, I lose my life
marching to win the life will lose the battle with the world????
no, I can'ls dwell in this world, the world has to dwell on me
no, I can't go with this time, the time has to go with me
in this vast sandly desert, I'm searching a grain of sand
in this lifeless world of lives, I'm searching a true life
how can I behold the winds washing my dreams away?
how can I behold the sky gazing at me everyday?
how can I behold the winds washing my dreams away?
how can I behold the sky gazing at me everyday?
(this poem rife with confusions, composed nearly three years ago bagged me the first prize in the poem competition, S.M. College)
that is waiting for me since the years ago
the trees I love the most will burn me that day
fumes of pyre will melt all my records away
in the secret pains and pleasures, my music is sure to fade
footprints will erode, image will dim, history wil bury again
my life, my biggest truth will be nothing but a myth
an allien to the world and a new life will be devised instead
nobody can see me even I blaze with sun
nobody can feel me even I merge with air
this is the trade of human life
to offer to the god till the flower blooms
and to spit over it once it wilthers down
even then,
every step destined to rule the world
to kiss the moon, nay! to wax and wane the star and sun
to swim in the streams of cloud, to swing in the huts of heart
to see the distance never seen, to walk the distance never trod
but my christ! my evangelina! I know
this is the dream where the earthly shadows fall
where our angels are raped cursed by Adam's tears
where our socrates dies and thus my paradise is lost
where the truth elopes within the rainbow of the world
as such,
I crave to win the world and so, I lose my life
marching to win the life will lose the battle with the world????
no, I can'ls dwell in this world, the world has to dwell on me
no, I can't go with this time, the time has to go with me
in this vast sandly desert, I'm searching a grain of sand
in this lifeless world of lives, I'm searching a true life
how can I behold the winds washing my dreams away?
how can I behold the sky gazing at me everyday?
how can I behold the winds washing my dreams away?
how can I behold the sky gazing at me everyday?
(this poem rife with confusions, composed nearly three years ago bagged me the first prize in the poem competition, S.M. College)
The day I died
This is one of my best article not because of the content but because of the 'stream of the consciousness' it was written with. i just kicked off the asleep mood all of sudden, woke up from the bed and started writing at the middle of night when everything was so still and silent.........
Here goes my expressions..
I knew the day will knock the door, as every other usual day. But it will remain worlds apart from them. Those days I was relishing the life. Ii was tending to live the life in fact which I barely did in my all borne days. And now the entire physique is eager tremendously to die. The difference between the life and the death is what the contrast between those days and the very moment I’m coping with.
It’s a real uphill task for me to count how many times I’d turn my deaf ear when anyone reiterated ‘you are to pop off one day.’ I know, I used to stand aplomb reacting as if I was an inevitable exception to this call of nature. Death as I was taught was a mere wonder for me, those days and now life in contrast has proved nothing but surprise for this eloping creature. Oh no, I fret! Myriads of 'identitities' whom I cherished so nearly and dearly have already departed. Left are just the memories, private memories which none can read nor can purloin but even this is about to leave me alone. Of course, believe me after all nothing in the world was mine. Not even the cloth that I wore and the rest – no deal at all. Believe in reason than in your senses. Ha! Ha I was seeking my identity n the world which could never be mine. I can’t even imagine how I dared avowing this treacherous illusion as the faith – faith to stand over for ever. Yes, now I am getting why I couldn’t live much in my life? Born with the time, die with time – we all are slave to it. Aren’t we? What do we have in fact! Alone, a….l…o…n…e…and a…l…o…n…e…and a…l…o…ne…e…a deadly life, brimful of illusion Still want to live?
On the spur of the moment, a strange sort of emotion is sailing across the bloody ocean. A lump came to my throat. You know, the death which I learnt wasn’t a big surprise for me for I was sure that I’m going to live after my death and I know I died a score of times before I lived. I don’t know whether I was familiar to death or the death was familiar to me but fur sure, it had been a seasonal occasion in my life. Every time it haunted me, I was like bare behaving somewhat in abiotic manner. The emotions entirely snipped out of me and the dearth of love all around. Lack of even the faintest gut to harvest yet another life with inspiration! I was dead and it is what the death meant to me till the day. Amid plethora of debacles, landslides and melancholy, I stayed there estranged by the world of animates, thus turned out to inanimate. I used to be starved of everything that constitute life and thus I used to die those days.
You know I do have an enough experience of death. It is sour, not even the tiniest space for sugar. Could there be as well? Could there be life in death indeed? I don’t know but I’m sure I never experienced it. And am I going to die after my death? It’s a hidden mystery yet to be unearthed! Anyways, the experience of life and death circulated as occasional phenomenon throughout my borne days. But for the first time I’m heading to die for this outer world.
I hear people often saying that’s the utility of struggle if the ultimate destination is to chuck away? In case of mine, I struggled just to live as I always found a life in that struggle. Ecstasy of living emanated from it after all the best thing in this world can never be obtained for free. We need to pay something more than cash for which I had to struggle. The moment I flopped, I died. Then is failure the death? I’m sure but I died for there was no life.
Slowly, slowly with the passing seconds, everything altered. The globe which I could never measure reduced its size, that even the retina could store it as well. The scorching sun remained dim for me. The brightest thing turned out to be the darkest one. I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was perplexed! Perplexed with whatever enigmatic phenomenon was picking around me. The colour faded, went discolored. Is I really? Is there dark while dying? Perhaps, perhaps…that’s why Africans are still dying and many prostitutes at the darkest at the darkest midnight.
In the meantime, I hear the air echoed with terrible screech all round the corner. The lamentation of those inn fated infants, the motherly yelling of this world, an unfathomable afflictions of those pregnant women – earthly creator battling for two lives at a second, the mounting curses of those satis, the crucifixion of Jesus and the agonizing death of Socrates! The tedious parables of life so that I could weave a sigh of relief for being off this nasty world! Rather the hesitation groomed in me – hesitation for not being able to clamp down such inhumanly human evils. The hesitation amplified as I flirted with the fact that I could never be human in this human life. My struggle ultimately was equated too less! The struggle which I thought to have been ample ultimately less! I still wonder I still wonder why the human survive in so much illusion? Why, why and why?
All these left me with full of vexation. I pine for the glimpse of this world for the last every other second. But more I witness more ambivalent blossomed in me – strong ambivalence for this illusive world. I lay there cornered by all those desperate fellows. Alas! Their faces enshrouded with agonies and the mushrooms of pathos blossoming across their pathetic eyes! Amid the piles of that intimacy, I was seeking for the isolation and I was fishing for the departure amid all those entreaties for unity. The world has always stood paradoxical to me! But for the last tie my heart felt like weeping a lot on the bosom of my dear well wishers. THANKS FOR ACCOMPANYING ME ALBEIT IN ILLUSION. …after all till I have well fathomed that weeping is not a weakness , rather is a satisfaction – a source of satisfaction within myself. Then is it a weakness to search a satisfaction within myself when I can no way get outside. Is it? Is it a weakness? At least, not for me and now I don’t believe what the other people say.
My dearest and the nearest ones are helplessly praying for yet another second. Too fickle the human beings are and too powerless as well. Much astonishingly, can’t control even a second. Now the condition so faltered that it’s a difficult for me to dig out the beauty in that dazzling moon, freshness in the chirpy birds and a vastness in that damn ocean. Nothing is great but people tend to make it so. So fake the world is! So artificial the things are with which the people attempt to hide the realities. To no avail since it gets transpired to everyone some day near or far. People figure out everything then. And thus live their life in fullest for the first time. The day one lives, s/he is supposed to ‘die’. He has no space after all in this already dead world. I was on the verge of it.
Death thus is a moment when the people identify the world where they stand. This very process of identifying is getting slowly exhausted to me. Slowly, slowly… it was in its last leg. The world shrinks into an atom The pyre for me, the rivers flowing aside, the sky overhead everything!
e…..v….e……r….t…..h….i…n….g….waned. alvida to you all! S..l..o..w..l..y, s…..l……o…..w……l…..y i…..w….a……s….d…..y……i….n……g….i………..w…………..a………………..s………….d…………..y……………i…………………n……………..g.
But still, I don’t know whether I was dying or this world. ..still, in illusion????
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Classical Science Challenged
'No i don't, i believe in science and not in god.' It is not too much of a stretch to expect this answer if anybody is asked 'do you believe in god." I was one of them. I was training myself to believe only in empirical stuffs, something that can be testified, can be experimented, can be observed...and so forth, to discern only those things as valid and true which can exactly accomodate itself to the parameters of positivistic science. But now it remains challenged. The reality, lets say supreme reality is still out of line with the realms of classical science. And its not the spirituality questioned here but its the science that has yet to traverse the dimensions of 'spiritual reality' and lend a momentum to its 'measurement' version of science. Yeah not a small potato! Quantum physics must be exploring in those untrodded areas.
Truly, the world is so interconnected. 'Touch the rose and stars will be shaken' goes the saying. Whatever goes back is bound to come back!
Sometimes i chew it over if it gives meaning to relate this reciprocity with our traditional 'pitriarpan' too? It is conceived in spirituality that two objects if they have a common origin, will always remain to effect one another regardless of how far (light years) they are. A human body since built up of 'panchatatwa' - earth, fire, water, light and sky(sound) ends up in the same universe even after death (or from the standoint of universe, does this living or dead makes any difference) and so I wonder whether or not this 'pitriarpan' has anything to do with rendering positive impact to the 'dead' 'pitri', and vice versa, the giver and the receptor, by the rule, are rooted in the same origin. We tend to find myriads of such rites and rituals with one or the other scientific reasons behind . And all these waves of questions put my head in a whirl!
Unfortunately, we have failed to grasp the immense values of our own heritage and philosophies. We have accepted to be colonized and are accustomed to perceiving the world with the western eye to the extent our own wealth has remained our of sight. We should respect our matchless spiritual heritage. In similar vein, I staunchly opine they have the wonderful answers to the questions sorrounding life, universe and every other thing that concerns us. Making spirituality, meditation and yoga, routine of the day adds to our being and no wonder its propels us closer and closer to the 'true science'.
Truly, the world is so interconnected. 'Touch the rose and stars will be shaken' goes the saying. Whatever goes back is bound to come back!
Sometimes i chew it over if it gives meaning to relate this reciprocity with our traditional 'pitriarpan' too? It is conceived in spirituality that two objects if they have a common origin, will always remain to effect one another regardless of how far (light years) they are. A human body since built up of 'panchatatwa' - earth, fire, water, light and sky(sound) ends up in the same universe even after death (or from the standoint of universe, does this living or dead makes any difference) and so I wonder whether or not this 'pitriarpan' has anything to do with rendering positive impact to the 'dead' 'pitri', and vice versa, the giver and the receptor, by the rule, are rooted in the same origin. We tend to find myriads of such rites and rituals with one or the other scientific reasons behind . And all these waves of questions put my head in a whirl!
Unfortunately, we have failed to grasp the immense values of our own heritage and philosophies. We have accepted to be colonized and are accustomed to perceiving the world with the western eye to the extent our own wealth has remained our of sight. We should respect our matchless spiritual heritage. In similar vein, I staunchly opine they have the wonderful answers to the questions sorrounding life, universe and every other thing that concerns us. Making spirituality, meditation and yoga, routine of the day adds to our being and no wonder its propels us closer and closer to the 'true science'.
Spirituality and science in the truest of their terms, differ only in their approaches and not in findings. I bet!
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