Sita Sings the Blues, now on DVD

NeeliAankhen

Sorry if there is a thread about this.

This is a stunningly original animated feature, which brings the story of Ram and Sita (from the Ramayana, of course) to life in a dazzling way.

There's the Ram-Sita story itself - a devoted wife is kidnapped and rescued, then put (idiotically) to the test by a husband who refuses to believe in her chastity. Then - Sita's laments are given voice by the Jazz Age singer Annette Hanshaw, in torch songs like Mean To me. And then - the story of the filmmaker's own unexpected abandonment by her own husband is woven in with Sita's story.

In addition - wacky and smart commentary from some shadow puppets tells you all you'd like to know about the epic and its histor.

Many visual styles are used brilliantly, all Indian except for the plain style used for the story of Nina Paley, the filmmaker.

It's so good - check it out on Amazon and imdb, then buy it. Very good for family viewing, comparative mythology/religion learning, as it does just what you want to do with a myth, which is - make it totally real without diminishing its centuries of power.

PS Amazon has it.

AwayFromHome

Hi,

While I agree with you, millions of Indians would disagree with the idea that Ram and Sita are a myth.
Just as millions elsewhere would disagree that Jesus is a myth. (no secret about my inclinations there, either).
But thanks for the heads up - will try to get it, and I'm sure it's enlightening.

thirdreel

AwayFromHome, the first definition of "myth" in the dictionary is "A traditional, typically ancient story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that serves as a fundamental type in the worldview of a people, as by explaining aspects of the natural world or delineating the psychology, customs, or ideals of society." Read Karen Armstrong's A Short History of Myth to understand why "myth" really shouldn't be considered slanderous.

namaste_cat

Thanks NeeliAnken I have this DVD, and although my kids are older now, they still enjoyed it. They have read the Ramayana w/ me, and watched shows about them, but this was nice in a different way. To them.

I should say my husband (American) hated it esp the contemporary stuff w/ Nina. And he thought it was disrespectful toward the Ramayana. Hmm, trying to think of a Bible equivalent here, is there one w/ animated Jesus w/ puppets and whatzits?

I fall somewhere between my kids and hubby - liked parts of it ok, I guess.

NeeliAankhen

I think comedy about Jesus, God, the devil, Noah, etc is fairly commonplace in sketch comedy on programs like Saturday Night Live, also on cartoon programs.

I think Monty Python made a full-length humor movie about a Jesus-like character.

mysoulstillwandering

lol...

NeeliAankhen

Good review with lots of screencaps here on the blog Memsaab Story:

http://memsaabstory.wordpress.com/20...008/#more-9765

anyone still wondering if bible/Jesus cartoons and humor are commonplace (though this is not exclusively humorous, it's a Sita-focused re-telling of the story, with a light touch and a woman's perspective) -- just do searches on YouTube for "Jesus jokes," "Jesus humor," "Bible jokes," etc.

AwayFromHome

I probably won't - my own shortcoming.

But, puhlease, don't tell me that the notion of Jesus as a myth would go over well for most Christians. That was my point.

namaste_cat

And mine too! Esp since OP came back w/ comparing this movie to parodies...

NeeliAankhen

You wondered if there were animated stories about Jesus, and I provided an answer.

I never think that disrespectfulness of another person has a place in any conversation, so I won't continue in this one.

For anybody who wants a thoughtful discussion of this film, there is plenty to be had, including at the blog I linked to above.