Man of the Story - Vishwanathan

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Kathapurushan" )

directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
India 1996

The titular MAN OF THE STORY is Kunjunni (played by Vishwanathan as an adult - previously the adolescent version of the protagonist of Gopalakrishnan's MUKHAMUKHAM/FACE TO FACE - and Akhil as a child), a child born to a wealthy landowning family but "not destined to feel paternal warmth" (his mother soon becomes ill and confined to bed and his father abandons them for another woman). Although he lives a sheltered life at home, he starts to recognize the class divisions existing within his own home that create a barrier between himself and father-figure servant Veluchar (Babu Nampoothiri, MAHARAJA TALKIES) as well as his playmate Meenakshi (played by Mini Nair as an adult and later TV serial star Sreeja Chandran as a child). In the outside world - first experienced as a child at school - he is first made aware of the glowing resentment of his family's feudal background by a school teacher who causes him to develop a stutter. His growth is punctuated by clashes with oppressive authority figures as he supports social movements and then resists them as each become rigid and restrictive. His writing is banned and he is beaten in prison, yet he perseveres. Through his social growth, he also comes to terms with personal resentments.

Eric Cotenas

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DVD Review: Second Run DVD - Region 0 - PAL

Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for the Review!

DVD Box Cover		CLICK to order from:
Distribution	Second Run DVD Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:42:20 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 8.46 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate
Audio	Malayalamn Dolby Digital 2.0 mono
Subtitles	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Second Run DVD Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • Interview with director Adoor Gopalakrishnan (4:3; 16:10) • Liner Notes Booklet by DVD Release Date: 20 August 2012 Amaray Chapters 12

Comments

Second Run's fullscreen (original aspect ratio), dual-layer disc sports a very high bitrate and a crisp image. Forest greens, lavender sashes, and saffron gowns pop. Reel changes sport some dings and scratches, but the The Dolby Digital 2.0 mono track is clean, and the optional English subtitles are error-free.

Director Adoor Gopalakrishnan is featured in a succinct yet informative interview in which he says he specifically chose the title "Man of the Story" because the protagonist isn't particularly heroic but has lived through a significant period of history. He discusses the few autobiographic aspects of the story (he was a breech birth and the film is shot in his ancestors' house) and where it differs. While he discusses his protagonist's idealism, the prompter asks him if he himself is an idealist. He replies that if he weren't, he would be making (Bollywood) movies in Bombay. The liner notes booklet go some extra way towards contextualizing the film's timeframe (but viewers unfamiliar with Indian political history might still want to look up some of the events). Although not overflowing with extras, Second Run's DVD feels comprehensive.

- Eric Cotenas

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