27 Rat-trap
- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Rat-trap
....
Rat-trap
(Elippathayam)
A film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
India / 1981
Second Run DVD 027
"A brilliant character study" - Sight and Sound
In Indian cinema, Adoor Gopalakrishnan is considered the true heir to Satyajit Ray. The first film to bring him international acclaim, Rat-Trap is outstanding for it's characterisations and detail. Set in Kerala in the early 1980's, the film takes a look into the life of a lazy feudal lord, unable to accept the socio-economic changes, who subsequently falls prey to the metaphorical rat-trap set by his own arrogance. Our first release from the Indian sub continent this will be the first time this film has appeared on DVD.
....
Rat-trap
(Elippathayam)
A film by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
India / 1981
Second Run DVD 027
"A brilliant character study" - Sight and Sound
In Indian cinema, Adoor Gopalakrishnan is considered the true heir to Satyajit Ray. The first film to bring him international acclaim, Rat-Trap is outstanding for it's characterisations and detail. Set in Kerala in the early 1980's, the film takes a look into the life of a lazy feudal lord, unable to accept the socio-economic changes, who subsequently falls prey to the metaphorical rat-trap set by his own arrogance. Our first release from the Indian sub continent this will be the first time this film has appeared on DVD.
- colinr0380
- Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
- Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK
Wow! This sounds like a great film, and you have introduced me to yet another director whose work I'd not previously been aware of! I did a search and found an interesting article where the director chooses his ten favourite Indian films, and an interview with him:
Elipathayam (The Rat Trap) is even more tightly controlled and regulated. It is a detailed study of a character at many levels -- psychological, physical, social, even genetic, based on his roots. I gave primary colours to the characters' clothes and a predominant gray to the background. The music was also much more than a mere background score; it was employed as a significant constituent of the film in its thematic development.
- franco
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:32 pm
- Location: Vancouver
- What A Disgrace
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- What A Disgrace
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- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Definite now to be a June release. Just finalising on the edit of the new interview with the Director. Exact day of June will be confirmed in our forthcoming Newsletter.Any update on when this is expected to come out?
In the meantime, something we just learnt - RAT-TRAP had won the British Film Institute Award for the most original and imaginative film of the year in 1982.
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- What A Disgrace
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- domino harvey
- Dot Com Dom
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- a.khan
- Joined: Sat May 20, 2006 3:28 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Bikey
- Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 4:09 am
Thank you all very much - you make our Designer very happy with your kind words about our Cover art.
RAT-TRAP's release date is now confirmed for 23rd June. And the DVD contains a newly-filmed interview with Adoor G, as well as having a booklet essay.
Can't wait for you to discover this terrific film...
RAT-TRAP's release date is now confirmed for 23rd June. And the DVD contains a newly-filmed interview with Adoor G, as well as having a booklet essay.
Can't wait for you to discover this terrific film...
- meanwhile
- Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2005 6:22 am
Because I watched this for the first time very late last night this extraordinary film has now assumed an appropriately hallucinatory intensity in my mind. Right from the first frames that clearly delineate the objects, colours and textures of the old feudal house in which the brother and sisters live, you know you are in good hands and can just let yourself be carried along with the film's style and structure. The eerie soundtrack too and its moments of slowed, treated music give an edgy, uneasy, menacing quality that underlines the decay prevalant in the place. This was my first Gopalakrishnan film. I need to see more. I can't think that anyone will be disappointed in this one.
- MichaelB
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
- Location: Worthing
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- What A Disgrace
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I'm not sure that the IMDB message board crowd is quite the audience for this film.
In any case, you are correct that it is extremely, unexpectedly powerful. I definitely see the thematic (and occasionally aesthetic) links to Ray. The transfer looks a little raw and grainy to my eyes, but that could possibly be a hallmark of Indian independent cinema back then.
It's interesting that Gopalkrishnan seems to be extremely active still today. Including the above-mentioned FOUR WOMEN, I'd be interested to know in which ways his craft has developed/changed since RAT TRAP. If he's maintained the quality of the latter film over the last 25 years, how can this guy not be better known and appreciated?
In any case, you are correct that it is extremely, unexpectedly powerful. I definitely see the thematic (and occasionally aesthetic) links to Ray. The transfer looks a little raw and grainy to my eyes, but that could possibly be a hallmark of Indian independent cinema back then.
It's interesting that Gopalkrishnan seems to be extremely active still today. Including the above-mentioned FOUR WOMEN, I'd be interested to know in which ways his craft has developed/changed since RAT TRAP. If he's maintained the quality of the latter film over the last 25 years, how can this guy not be better known and appreciated?
- Cold Bishop
- Joined: Tue May 30, 2006 9:45 pm
- Location: Portland, OR
- jsteffe
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:00 am
- Location: Atlanta, GA
Funny timing, this DVD release... my boyfriend (who's from Kerala) recently told me about Malayalam parallel cinema and it sounded fascinating! Gopalakrishnan's SHADOW KILL is already on DVD here in the US, but I wasn't able to find *any* of the other directors he mentioned, including G. Aravindan, Shaji Karun, and John Abraham. The only Malyalam cinema you can get are recent popular films.franco wrote:This is simply the best news for me this year. I wonder if SecondRun had plans to release films by Govindan Aravindan as well. It's time for Malayalam cinema to be represented in digital format.
Besides Aravindan, I'm really eager to locate Shaji Karun's PIRAVI. And I'm greatly looking forward to sitting down and watching the two Gopalakrishnan DVDs later this summer. Thanks, Second Run!
- jsteffe
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 9:00 am
- Location: Atlanta, GA
I finally saw this DVD. A flat-out masterpiece, worth a blind purchase if any of you are curious.
I was really struck not just with the realism of detail, but the film's conceptual rigor--the way visual and audio patterns are repeated and accumulate significance over the course of the film. Gopalakrishnan also has a remarkable gift for mise-en-scene.
The print used may not be in great condition, but it's as good as any smaller-budget Indian film I've seen from that period. The transfer was also fine, though there was some prominent ghosting in one or two scenes. Still, anyone who is in the least curious should just go ahead and purchase it outright. This is one of the biggest rediscoveries I've come across in international cinema recently.
I was really struck not just with the realism of detail, but the film's conceptual rigor--the way visual and audio patterns are repeated and accumulate significance over the course of the film. Gopalakrishnan also has a remarkable gift for mise-en-scene.
The print used may not be in great condition, but it's as good as any smaller-budget Indian film I've seen from that period. The transfer was also fine, though there was some prominent ghosting in one or two scenes. Still, anyone who is in the least curious should just go ahead and purchase it outright. This is one of the biggest rediscoveries I've come across in international cinema recently.