Jan 9, 2011

The curse of hopelessness..

I watched this movie "The Duchess " starring Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes.The movie was very good and I love british movies depicting their past.This is a true story though and a sad one at that.

To live in a loveless marriage,to give up love for someone you really dont care a damn for,to live  a life which is basically a facade.I actually felt for the main character who happens to be the Duchess in the movie.She watches her husband fathering children with maids,having affairs,even keeping a mistress in the same house.And his justification being,"I promised you a marriage with everything and In return all I ask for is a male heir and loyalty without fail."

She does give him a son after being raped by him,which then gives her this break from keeping up appearances of being loyal to his face.She lives an unhappy life seeking refuge in the laughter of her children.SHe bears him 2 girls and a boy,brings up a maid's daughter as her own as well and lives as friends with the mistress and her kids.

I think she had a big heart.Even though she is rich beyond her means,she preferred being a hands on mom.SHe loved her daughters to bits,even though the father showed no interest in them coz they were female.SHe forgave the mistress who was initially her best friend and lived with her her till her death.

Another issue that captured my mind was even in a british society,or the so called western generation, a male child was worth more than a female.A woman meant nothing if she didnt bear a son.Imagine what a barren woman would have to go through.Actually I did look up and she was considered a nothing in any named class of people,be it rich or poor.It is so sad,but a male child ,I think,meant an assurance for the parents who when grew old needed help.So the more ,the merrier.

Anyways,Im glad for not been born back then.The old ages.

Thats the reason I love these movies.An insight into their culture or it could be any movie with english subtitles and as long as it remained true to itself,I would love watching it.Books are a great alternative but then again when you are able to see something,you dont ponder too much and go slow.When I read a book,I hate taking breaks and disturbances.I have to get into the mood and thus be able to run my imagination wild and undisturbed.It usually when Im completely relaxed,people will be calling up or I will suddenly remember some chore or my husband will start talking.We usually wont utter a syllable for an hours and then when something I love comes on,my hubby will start talking about some thing and I will go in mind," R u freakin kiddin me...Mehmood plz lambi bath na karna!" But then since we dont yak that much,I just give up and join in in his yakking.

Iam sure it happens to many of you guys as well.Do write in names of movies which you think is sort of an eye opener to what our society is truly like or how it used to be.Chandi Bar,Allah ke Bandey,Khuda ke liye,etc. were some such movies I truly loved.

1 comment:

  1. Astitva comes to my mind. The 'typical' wife. self-sacrificing, suffering in silence. The scene where tabu sobs & touches the floor of the home she has built/mopped over the years. once married, its all abt husband & house. she cant ask or even deserve anything more. & to have strayed is just too much.
    der really r so many movies like dat that touch ur soul. u suddenly truly "feel" for the character & blessed dat it didn happen to u

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