Asoka
So that is a Bollywood movie. *pokes it with a stick*
I find your tendency to randomly break out into song and dance rather disconcerting in an historical epic and your hero's tendency to randomly have a nosebleed for no apparent reason rather odd. Despite what little I know of his history telling me he'd live for quite a while, I kept expecting it to be revealed that he had a deadly illness that would suddenly cause him to dramatically and tragically die. But mostly, we are good.
Asoka is about an Indian king by the same name who had an extremely violent and bloody early life, but is better known for casting aside all those nasty violent things and leading through peace and buddhism for a few decades after he cut a bloody swath through India. The movie focuses of the superviolent part of his life, ending with the "peace is good" revelation.
I admit, the first 25 or so minutes, I was really, really bored. Maybe it's because I know squat about the history and politics of the times, so everything beyond the obvious meant little to me, but it just seemed...dull. Normally I like politics in my fiction. In fact, part of the reason I like period dramas so much is because they tend to have interesting political maneuverings and hijinks to spice things up, but here, they just...didn't interest me. I though Asoka was basically a cocky braggart whose only real redeeming quality was that he could back it up(and he was a mama's boy, and mama's boy's who can still be badasses are a good thing...like Kougaiji) and found his feuding with his brothers over who would succeed the throne to be dull. But I had been promised things like bloodlust and enemies as lovers and more bloodlust and war elephants(which there need to be more of) and "my true love is dead" bloodlust and screaming ash smeared face angst and more battlefield reunions(almost but not quite...but we'll let that slide) and other such fun things, so I remained strong.
Finally Asoka's mother was more stubborn than he was Asoka left the court and exited the competition to be king because his mother was more stubborn than him because his mother, fearing his death, took a vow of silence that would only be broken if he left palace life. She was a very stubborn woman and he never stood a chance.
So off he went, travelling the roads anonymously as Pawan, an out of work soldier, until he met Kaurwaki, a princess of a nearby kingdom who, along with her younger brother, Arya, and her father's general, Bheema, was fleeing the assassins. There was spying on bathing and rescueing from assassins and adventures and sword lessons and winning her heart through bonding with her brother and disapproval from the general(who I suspect had a thing for Kaurwaki) and all that fun stuff that lures you into the happy comfy shippy place before sending it all to *hem*.
Then he received word that his mother was ill and, when he got back from checking on her(she was fine, just needed a plot contrivance to separate Asoka from Kaurwaki and Arya wanted to make sure he was still a mama's boy), the village where he had left Kaurwaki and Arya had been burned down and he was told they were dead. Cue angst and smearing ash on his face and screaming angst and bloodlust. Asoka sets off on a bloody rampage to unite all India and brood over his Lost Love in his downtime, while Kaurwaki sets off looking for him...except she's looking for a normal soldier named Pawan, not Prince Asoka.
All in all, despite the boring politics(which, surprisingly, stayed boring even when the rest got better) I liked it. The story(though even I could tell they were taking liberties) was interesting, as were Asoka and Kaurwaki. I also really liked Devi, or Lost Love Recovery Girl, who fared much better in the end than I expected(I was expecting her to die to add to Asoka's angst or turn evil, not to be able to break free, something I don't think anyone can really blame her for, all things considered.) It also had a fair bit of impressive imagery, especially all the bloody hands, and some amazing fight scenes, for something that didn't involve wirework(and still pretty impressive anyway.)
My only complaint is that it feels like I either only watched part one, or the movie ended 30 minutes too early. Even with my limited knowledge, I know the whole point of Asoka's story is that he spent so much of his bloody life in violence, but became a man who led by, and is remembered for, peace. Stopping the movie just as he realizes that he'd become a monster and switches to peace felt like it was ending midclimax...it was building to the payoff...and stopped, had a voiceover, and started the end credits. Even though it was already about as long as I can handle a movie being, I felt there should have been more.
Also, it is a very pretty movie and I would link to
telophase's screencaps, but I apparently forgot to bookmark it when she linked me a while back.
I think I am cautiously open for Bollywood recs...as long as they don't ALL randomly break into unexplained nosebleeds...I'm pretty sure the random song and dance routines make more sense when it's not being a serious historical epic. Two that've been mentioned that I think I'm interested in are Main Hoon Na(mob bodyguard undercover as student and falls for his teacher) and one whose title I do not recall, but that has effectively been described as "Bollywood does Harry Potter."
Also, for a pregnant woman, Devi had an amazingly flat and trim tummy. I am possibly in awe of her tummy.
ETA:
telophase's picspams are here and here. Looking at them, I am reminded of how inappropriately it cracked me up when Kaurwaki collapses and one point, and there's this severed leg a ew inches from her face.
I find your tendency to randomly break out into song and dance rather disconcerting in an historical epic and your hero's tendency to randomly have a nosebleed for no apparent reason rather odd. Despite what little I know of his history telling me he'd live for quite a while, I kept expecting it to be revealed that he had a deadly illness that would suddenly cause him to dramatically and tragically die. But mostly, we are good.
Asoka is about an Indian king by the same name who had an extremely violent and bloody early life, but is better known for casting aside all those nasty violent things and leading through peace and buddhism for a few decades after he cut a bloody swath through India. The movie focuses of the superviolent part of his life, ending with the "peace is good" revelation.
I admit, the first 25 or so minutes, I was really, really bored. Maybe it's because I know squat about the history and politics of the times, so everything beyond the obvious meant little to me, but it just seemed...dull. Normally I like politics in my fiction. In fact, part of the reason I like period dramas so much is because they tend to have interesting political maneuverings and hijinks to spice things up, but here, they just...didn't interest me. I though Asoka was basically a cocky braggart whose only real redeeming quality was that he could back it up(and he was a mama's boy, and mama's boy's who can still be badasses are a good thing...like Kougaiji) and found his feuding with his brothers over who would succeed the throne to be dull. But I had been promised things like bloodlust and enemies as lovers and more bloodlust and war elephants(which there need to be more of) and "my true love is dead" bloodlust and screaming ash smeared face angst and more battlefield reunions(almost but not quite...but we'll let that slide) and other such fun things, so I remained strong.
Finally Asoka's mother was more stubborn than he was Asoka left the court and exited the competition to be king because his mother was more stubborn than him because his mother, fearing his death, took a vow of silence that would only be broken if he left palace life. She was a very stubborn woman and he never stood a chance.
So off he went, travelling the roads anonymously as Pawan, an out of work soldier, until he met Kaurwaki, a princess of a nearby kingdom who, along with her younger brother, Arya, and her father's general, Bheema, was fleeing the assassins. There was spying on bathing and rescueing from assassins and adventures and sword lessons and winning her heart through bonding with her brother and disapproval from the general(who I suspect had a thing for Kaurwaki) and all that fun stuff that lures you into the happy comfy shippy place before sending it all to *hem*.
Then he received word that his mother was ill and, when he got back from checking on her(she was fine, just needed a plot contrivance to separate Asoka from Kaurwaki and Arya wanted to make sure he was still a mama's boy), the village where he had left Kaurwaki and Arya had been burned down and he was told they were dead. Cue angst and smearing ash on his face and screaming angst and bloodlust. Asoka sets off on a bloody rampage to unite all India and brood over his Lost Love in his downtime, while Kaurwaki sets off looking for him...except she's looking for a normal soldier named Pawan, not Prince Asoka.
All in all, despite the boring politics(which, surprisingly, stayed boring even when the rest got better) I liked it. The story(though even I could tell they were taking liberties) was interesting, as were Asoka and Kaurwaki. I also really liked Devi, or Lost Love Recovery Girl, who fared much better in the end than I expected(I was expecting her to die to add to Asoka's angst or turn evil, not to be able to break free, something I don't think anyone can really blame her for, all things considered.) It also had a fair bit of impressive imagery, especially all the bloody hands, and some amazing fight scenes, for something that didn't involve wirework(and still pretty impressive anyway.)
My only complaint is that it feels like I either only watched part one, or the movie ended 30 minutes too early. Even with my limited knowledge, I know the whole point of Asoka's story is that he spent so much of his bloody life in violence, but became a man who led by, and is remembered for, peace. Stopping the movie just as he realizes that he'd become a monster and switches to peace felt like it was ending midclimax...it was building to the payoff...and stopped, had a voiceover, and started the end credits. Even though it was already about as long as I can handle a movie being, I felt there should have been more.
Also, it is a very pretty movie and I would link to
telophase's screencaps, but I apparently forgot to bookmark it when she linked me a while back.
I think I am cautiously open for Bollywood recs...as long as they don't ALL randomly break into unexplained nosebleeds...I'm pretty sure the random song and dance routines make more sense when it's not being a serious historical epic. Two that've been mentioned that I think I'm interested in are Main Hoon Na(mob bodyguard undercover as student and falls for his teacher) and one whose title I do not recall, but that has effectively been described as "Bollywood does Harry Potter."
Also, for a pregnant woman, Devi had an amazingly flat and trim tummy. I am possibly in awe of her tummy.
ETA:
telophase's picspams are here and here. Looking at them, I am reminded of how inappropriately it cracked me up when Kaurwaki collapses and one point, and there's this severed leg a ew inches from her face.