Moulin Rouge! [antikvár]

WORDS IN THE VERNACULAR CM AND I SAT IN THE GIGANTIC AUDITORIUM OF AN 'ICECREAM PALACE' CINEMA IN RAJASTHAN, INDIA. ALONG WITH A COUPLE OF THOUSAND CINEMA-GOING LOCALS STARING UP AT THE SCREEN I EXPERIENCED MY FIRST 'BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL*. THE FILM SWUNG EFFORTLESSLY FROM SLAPSTICK HUMOUR AND HINDI POP SONG SEQUENCES TO CONFRONTING VIOLENCE AND MOVING TRAGEDY. THREE HOURS PASSED EASILY, PINNED TO OUR SEATS WATCHING A FILM IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE WITH NO SUBTITLES. AFTER SEEING THAT FILM I WAS LEFT WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL AND ITS OUTRAGEOUS COMIC TRAGIC STORYTELLING SUCCEEDED BECAUSE OF A DEAL THAT EXISTS BETWEEN THE FILM AND ITS AUDIENCE. IN THIS ARRANGEMENT THE PRETENCE THAT WHAT IS TO BE EXPERIENCED IS IN ANY WAY REAL IS SWEPT AWAY. THE AUDIENCE IS CONSTANTLY MADE AWARE THAT THEY ARE ALWAYS WATCHING A FILM, NOT REALITY. MOREOVER, THEY ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE, HENCE THE LOUD REACTIONS AND TALKING AT THE SCREEN AS IF THEY WERE AT A LIVE THEATRE SHOW. I FELT THE FILI WAS A DISTANT COUSIN TO OUR FIRST FILM STRICTLY BALLROOM. IT WAS A KIND OF THEATRICALISE CINEMA BUT THIS INDIAN FILM WASN'T 1UST MUSICAL COMEDY IT WAS EQUAL PART TRAGEDY. AT THE EN AS WE WANDERED OFF INTO THE WARM INDIAN NIGHT I THOUGHT TO MYSELF: COULD A CONTRACT LIKE THl BE STRUCK WITH AN AUDIENCE IN THE WEST? THAT WAS SEVEN YEARS AGO