Niv_Savariego
Paruthiveeran is a great effort. With remarkable photography and great performances by the main actors. Karthik plays Paruthiveeran, a low-class orphan who is used to being a free personality, doing whatever he likes without any concern for custom or law. Priyamani plays Muthagalu, a stubborn, free minded, educated girl who is in love with him. They are, in fact, cross-cousins, and so, in a way (according to rural custom), should marry. But there was caste inter-marriage, and so, Paruthiveeran is considered unsuitable.Once Paruthiveeran falls in love with Muthagalu, everything changes. In a way, both have to sacrifice their freedom (and therefor themselves). This is a love that cannot be, but also cannot be stopped. It ends, perhaps appropriately, and very typical of Tamil folk stories and cinema (Kaadhal for example), in shocking tragedy.The story is original and compelling. Both characters are not generic, they surprise us with their decisions and choices. There is an inner tension between freedom and love (independence and belonging) and the tragic but inevitable way they conflict with each other. There are several great cinematic moments and inventions. The one in which Paruthiveeran, after tattooing his name next to his lover's on his chest, reaches for a peacock feather and caresses it, is memorable. The film tempers with some generic conventions - no makeup, no professional dancing and lip syncing. Some outside shots are taken from inside buildings, giving us a kind of 'peeping' feel. In one memorable shot, Muthagalu's father sits in a corner of his yard sadly watching as an entire day goes by.There are two 'spaces' in the film. The first - the open land, shot widely, almost 180 degrees of earth kissing sky. It is rural land, vast, limitless but also hopeless, unchanging. And the other space - an inside, between the walls of the house. The place were laws are kept and honor is upheld. It is a violent space, where freedom has to obey dignity, and so, our heroes have to act violently in order to stay free of it. Once they begin to love each other mutually, they pass from the first space to the second - from chance meetings outside, to planned ones inside. Like the earth and the sky, our couple's confinement signals their doom, they can only live outside, meet by chance, do whatever they wish to do, but only love each other in sudden bursts never by commitment. Once they let their love bond them, they start obeying its law, which crushes them. This is the inside, our second space, where change is possible, but our heroes can't survive it, their past freedom becomes their undoing (Paruthiveeran's friends, used to his visiting whores, attack Muthagalu, who is alone and unprotected because she has alienated her family).There is a tendency, among some western viewers, to regard any non-American or European cinema as some kind of an exotic artifact, showing us "how people live over there". If we wish to appreciate a movie for what it is, this arrogant attitude should change. This is not a film about "the caste problem" (there is no "caste problem", caste is a valid social construct with its own set of conflicts and paradoxes like any other). While some cultural knowledge may help, you don't have to speak Tamil to enjoy this film. It is a great work of art, coming from a remarkable cinematic tradition. An instant classic that has brought tears to my eyes.Tamil cinema deserves to be much more well known worldwide. Its main point of strength, for me, is in the way it uniquely utilizes folk elements (as opposed to "pop" elements), contesting hegemonic perceptions without being subversive. It is a mature cinema, yielding many excellent movies, with its own distinct film grammar and editing techniques. Paruthiveeran is a good entry point.
scorpion83
As the movies promos, trailers and stills promised a total catchy & natural village subject, I went in to see this movie on the opening day and I wasn't disappointed in any form.The story was very simple and an age old one but the way Ameer has handled the script was just too good !! The film moves from the present to a series of flashbacks which are very well interwined and leaves the viewers in total aaaaah. The dialogues are totally down south TN and very natural indeed.The acting department too has supported the works of the director in an exceptional way. Be it Karthik (never can anyone say that its his first film), Priya, Saravanan or Ponvannan, its flawless throughout the way and you will remember these characters for long even after the move folds out. A special mention must be made for Yuvan's background score which brought in the right kind of magic for this offbeat film.A tragic ending is the perfect one for this beautifully narrated poem and kudos to Ameer for going through with it doing total justice to his work.When lookin into the negative side of this movie, Ameer could have taken care to reduce the abusive actions and words a bit. One wonders whether there is something called as a censor board !! Hello people in the board .. its time to wake-up!! And Karthk watch out for your expressions, as in certain scenes it reminded us of your bro !!In today's movie buzz its very rare to find a movie that has an excellent screenplay, wonderful acting and good technical backup. Paruthi Veeran is one such gem. Don't miss this movie !! Its tamil cinema at its best !!My rating for this one would be a high 8.5 out of 10.
