Agni Natchathiram- Analyzing the symmetric screenplay and unique structure

I like the way usually maniratnam introduce his characters in the movie. Strong visual motifs make the metaphor for the character in his films. P.C.shree ram's creative cinematography plays a major role in his movies. In one of my previous posts, I explain those framing elements of the scene from the Guru. Like that interpretations,  Agni Natchathiram also used powerful cinematography for creating a Symmetric structure to the plot. Both characters are introduced with the sun and star(literally by lamb). Like the film title itself. One stands for heat and energetic and another one cold and punishing.

 To create this structure Maniratnam shows the lack of control in both characters in their intro scenes.We see Shankar attacks his higher authority(interviewer), and also Gautham, but he didn't want to behave like that. Of course, Gautham's free will can't allow that but it works for Shankar. Gautham is a form of the law of control. So his characterization didn't allow that. It is very clear at the end Shankar freely enters the antagonist house and warn him harshly, but Gautham didn't.

Let us get into the story, the plot point is when Shankar attacks Gautam's house. And then the cat and mouse screenplay takes the story forward. We can separate every meeting moments of both characters. It can be achieved by analyzing "Who won the scene..?!". Let us look at the story map of the movie.From this map, it is well structured with respect to the timeline of the movie. Both characters have equal priority in their characterization. They have equally 3 winning moments in the film. And eventually, both are losers and winners. In this way, symmetrization is done its duty.

When we talk about characterization, it is clear that both characters find their pairs with respect to their morality. Shankar finds the girl who is same as him. And Gautham chooses from his moral point.In the ending momentsShankarar represented with matchsticks and in the whole film, Gautham showed as a star with his glittering suits. Also, Shankar is a loser at the daytimes and Gautham is a loser at night times. It creates the anger among each character by creating the opposite metaphors.(How dare he winning in my moments).

There is plenty of moments in the movie and which is worth studying screenplay.Maniratnam usually does it in his films. I pick Alai paayuthe for this type of symmetric structure.Eventually, it is the way how Agni Natchathiram nailed the storytelling terms in different perspective. It may old, but I suggest this movie to aspiring filmmakers who want to achieve on the part of good storytelling.

Kattradhu Thamizh-Cinema of Decay

  While watching some movies we said ourselves that this is a kind of inevitable emotions. Because the way the director create the character is so embarrassing, may be or may not be.And when it comes to struggling characters, especially when it comes to the protagonist.As a director, it is your responsibility that you should create the empathy for those characters. We already discussed in our previous posts, that how mysskin makes empathized journey in his movie Onaayum Aaatukuttiyum. So let us get into the argument. Katradhu Tamizh is remarkable debut by director ram.The journey of the protagonist is very tragic at the same time it is filled with some happiest moments. While seeing the film we can see the visuals, plot, and characters are almost quietly going destroy together. Ram takes nihilist and pessimist approach to create this mood.

 So like Stanley Kubrick we can tell this film as "quietly going decay together..". Prabhakar's childhood life mostly capture with the color of green. So the initial frames were filled with green color.Which reminds the song lyrics of kannadhasan-"Pasumai niraintha ninaivugale..".When the story moves, green is vanishing slightly in the movie. It turns gritty mode like dessert. Those reducing colors represent Prabhakar's life and how it turns so dark and grunge textured. As the result, the color tone is completely changed. While he narrating his life to the cameraman, those interchanging between green and gritty creates the insane among the audience.

 Ram handles many symbolic elements in the film. The railway tracks show Prabhakar's life. When something happens badly, we see that we are getting into the tunnel and in good moments we get outside from that dark side. Because there is a light at the end.In Prabhakar's childhood when the dog getting into the tunnel it died. And it became one of the most important moments in his life. So the tunnel idea simply sticks with his mind.The light at the end of the tunnel represents the possibility of success, happiness especially after a long period of difficulty.

  There is a lot of single serving subplot characters in the movies. And end with how bad they can end. They teach something to the protagonist. Almost every character gets separation from Prabhakar's life. Probably they are decayed characters. You may ask that if all characters are flawed, then what makes the journey of the story?. It is the characterization of Prabhakar. Even he trapped mentally, he never wants to stay in one place. He like telling stories, he is an explorer. This makes the story very interesting.We can compare Bala's Naan-Kadavul to this case. Almost every character in Naan kadavul literally flawed except protagonist. He is very static and never bends over on anything.

 In Katradhu Tamil, along with those elements we should talk about the nature of the plot. Ram is hugely obsessed with capturing the cultural things among new generations. His other movies also depict his interest in writing the cultural ethics. Like these visuals and pot, this movie project the decay of culture. And how social inequalities makes the dominative and subdued peoples. Of course, the directors do it, they install their own personal feelings in their films. Ram is not an exception.

So eventually we see both are getting into the darkness of the tunnel. They died. But the director didn't want to finish with a sad ending, they get out of the tunnel, like "light after tunnel..", which makes happy ending with the green frame. There are many movies wrote in years to depict the decaysation. But Katradhu Tamizh achieved it by the good writing. We can easily be labeled it as a cinema of decay.