Raavan

This movie just opened June 18 and we went to see it at Tulsa's AMC Southgate 20. It would be difficult to appreciate this movie without knowing the traditional tellings of the Ramayana well -- not just the story but also the iconography because Bachchan is playing with the images of Raavan as the mad demon in his performance. It could read as weirdly over-the-top without keeping in mind the village performances of the Ramayana and Diwali celebrations in which the ten-headed Raavan is burned in effigy. If you think about these while watching (which is probably the only way Indians can watch it), it's a fascinating artistic endeavor. If you go to it thinking of Hollywood action movies, it's going to be a strange experience. In any event, it is a gritty and grimy experience in which both the hero and the villain are morally ambiguous.

You do need to have a stomach for violence to enjoy this experience. Maybe Indians go to see it like many American Christians go to see The Passion of the Christ, not seeing it as a gore-fest, but as the telling of an important story. (I can't judge because I find both unpleasant to watch.)

Still, it is visually spectacular though it could have been cut down to a 90-minute film without loosing much besides interesting camera work. We get a couple of wild dance numbers that feel reasonably integrated and natural. They will seem less contrived if you come to the film with some experience watching Bollywood films. -Bridget Cowlishaw