movie: Sita Sings the Blues

[meganbmoore]

Sita Sings the Blues is an independent animated film by Nina Paley focusing on the role of Sita, the wife of Rama, in the Ramayana. It’s also a semi-autobiographical recounting of an episode in Paley’s own life that reflects on Sita’s tale, and her relationship with Rama

Comments

[etrangere]

wow. That looks awesome.

[etrangere]

well, that was equal part problematic and awesome.

[meganbmoore]

Yup. Though I think it's hard to say what problematic elements are the movie, and which are from the actual myth.

[etrangere]

I have more issue with the appropriation than with the sexism (which is commented enough in the movie that it doesn't annoy me). Doubly more after I read the FAQ at the website where the author just brush off such kinds of criticism with no examination at all.

[ivy_chan]

That looks...seriously awesome. And also explains your icon. XD *goes to view*

[meganbmoore]

Yeah, I may switch it out for one that makes sense if you aren't familiar with Sita.

[ivy_chan]

I know Sita, but the animation/style of the icon wasn't familiar. I just thought it was from a cartoon series I didn't watch.

[meganbmoore]

*sigh* I meant the movie. A moment of fail on my part, as my friend and I have just been calling it "Sita," and I forgot that others wouldn't immediately draw that conclusion.

[retsuko]

I see what you mean about the fire dance sequence--even the few moments of it in the trailer are simply gorgeous. I'll definitely check this out.

[keelieinblack]

Ooh, Sita! I have some weird and conflicted feelings about it as a whole, but as a creative work it's stunning. The vector animated sequences really are the best part--they made me dig out my own Annette Henshaw CDs, for one--but for some reason have a special love for the shadow puppet commentary, with the three of them debating whether or not Sita wore jewelry or trying to figure out why she didn't hop on Hanuman's back and escape from Ravana that way.

[meganbmoore]

What's really thrown me both times I've watched it with the shadow puppets is when one of them stops and wonders if they should be praising Ravana for not raping Sita. (Just, you know, telling her that he'll kill her if she doesn't have sex with him in a certain time period. *rolls eyes*) And they quickly follow it up the comment that no, you shouldn't praise someone for not committing rape because you shouldn't rape in the first place, but it just throws me that it's brought up that way at all.

[themachinehead]

I thought it was a pretty funny call-back to the earlier discussed point of Ravana being called a great scholar and a good king when the tellings of the story become increasingly about him being a mustache-twirling villain. But then again, I'm a dude.

[meganbmoore]

Sita's treatment in her story is sexist. In the scene in the icon, she just spent months incaptivity, rejecting the captor who said that if she didn't have sex with him in a certain timeframe, he'd kill her. Her husband rescues her, but before there's even time to exchange hellos he says he only saved her from obligation, and she'd obviously been unfaithful, and so was no longer worthy of him. Literally dumping her on the ground as she does so. The movie itself is essentially about how the legend, which praises Rama, is sexist.