Microfilmmaker Magazine - Film Critiques - Final Film Critique: Suddha, Pg. 3 of 3


	*Final Critique: Suddha, Pg. 3*

Use of Audio
I was also very impressed with the audio in this film. The dialogue was clear and, had I been able to understand that language, I would have had no trouble in understanding it. There were a few moments where the words sounded slurred together, but it was hard to tell whether that was due to my misunderstanding of the language or because of minor audio problems.

What I really loved, though, was the ambient noise. It was both consistent and clear -- something that is very hard to get, especially while shooting on location. I especially liked the sound effect of the ticking clock that could be heard in certain rooms of the house. It kind of lends a nice homage to some of the old Hitchcock movies or to the famous passage of time montages in Citizen Kane. It also really adds to the feel of the movie as regards the subject matter -- after the death of a loved one, it is so hard to continue on; but the ticking of the clock is a constant reminder that time continues to march forward.

This film contains practically no music, except for the occasional accapella singing of two of the characters and whatever music can be heard on the radio. On the one hand, I kind of wished for some more music to occasionally punctuate the empty spaces where there is no dialogue. After all, one of the draws of a foreign film is the inclusion of its native music. But, on the other hand, I really like the fact that the music is only heard through the radio, and the consistency of the ambient noise adds to the simplistic feel of the movie. Since the music isn't used to cover up bad audio or missing dialogue, it's really up to the discretion of the director -- and in this case, I think he made a good choice.


One thing that makes Suddha easy to understand for English speakers...	...are clean and clear subtitles that are properly outlined in black.

Use of Budget
The budget for this film ($3,000) is pretty small as far as microfilms go in America. While things may be less expensive in India, considering traveling expenses into what looks like a remote location for shooting, use of Sony's PD150 camera, reflectors and mirrors, and a large cast of actors, it seems as though these filmmakers pulled off a lot for such a small budget.

Lasting Appeal
The subject of this film is one that everyone has or will have to deal with in their lifetime, and in that respect, it is a film that transcends culture. Anyone who has ever been closely touched by the death of a family member will be able to identify with the issues that the characters in this movie face. I also think that aficionados of Bollywood films will love this movie, due to its beautiful look. (Additionally, the fact that the main part of this film was shot in an area of India that is almost never filmed gives viewers a glimpse of something truly special and unusual.)

The only issue that concerns me is the culture barrier to a mainstream following in America. Many Americans don't want to read subtitles, unless they are on films in which their marriage of cinematography and music is so amazing that they force themselves to be noticed, as in the case of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon or The Passion of the Christ. On the other hand, many don't like over-dubbed films, unless they feature over-the-top kungfu action, as is seen in the popularity of Jackie Chan and Jet Li films. So, with the exception of the more artsy crowd, I'm not sure if this film would be able to find a following in mainstream America. (Of course, this doesn't mean that it couldn't win an Academy Award.)

Conclusion
The story of this film is timeless - no culture is immune to the death of a loved one. Every one has a different way of dealing with death, but that doesn't stop the fact that it will always be a painful and difficult time of transition. Even though American audiences may not fully understand all of what is going on, we can all identify with the hard times that come in these situations.

Content

      7.8

Visual Look

      9.3

Use of Audio

8.5

Use of Budget

9.0

           Lasting Appeal

           6.5

Overall Score

  8.2

The author of half a dozen screen plays, two novels, and a proficient camera-woman in her own right, Monika DeLeeuw-Taylor is Microfilmmaker's lead writing analyst and one of our top film reviewers. When she's not writing a critique for Microfilmmaker, she's writing screenplays for Viking Productions.