- Nizhalkuthu
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Nizhalkuthu 
DVD coverDirected by Adoor Gopalakrishnan Produced by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
Joël FargesWritten by Adoor Gopalakrishnan Starring Oduvil Unnikrishnan
SukumariMusic by Ilayaraja Cinematography Mankada Ravi Varma
Sunny JosephEditing by Ajith Distributed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan Productions
Artcam International
Les Films du ParadoxeRelease date(s) September 7, 2002 Running time 90 minutes Country India Language Malayalam Nizhalkuthu (English: Shadow Kill, French: Le Serviteur de Kali, Malayalam: നിഴല്ക്കുത്ത്) is a 2002 Indian film directed, written and co-produced by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. The film explores the recesses of the human consciousness. The film stars Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Narain (actor), Murali, Sukumari, Reeja, Nedumudi Venu, Vijayaraghavan, Jagathi Sreekumar and Tara Kalyan. It premiered on 7 September 2002 at the Venice Film Festival in Italy.
Contents
Overview
The title of the film Nizhalkuthu (Shadow Kill) refers to a popular play Nizhalkuthu Attakatha, adapted from the Mahabharata, about the inherent unjustness of certain punishments. In the play, the Kauravas force a witch hunter to kill the Pandavas by stabbing their shadows. However, the witch hunter's wife finds this out and is enraged. To punish her husband by making him feel what, Kunti, the mother of Pandavas must feel, she kills their child in the same way.
The film reflects that death penalty is probably in the same vein. We may---like the witch hunter's wife---be handing out punishments that are equally ridiculous under the false perception that we are doing justice, if not being directly criminal like the witch hunter.
the hangman and his son
Adoor's usuall cinematographer Mankada Ravi Varma filmed half of the project. But he was later replaced by Sunny Joseph, since the former fell ill and was later found to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease.[1][2]
Plot
The plot is set in the 1940s in a village of Travancore, British India. Kaliyappan, the last hangman of Travancore dynasty is dragging his remaining life by consuming alcohol and worshipping the Mother Goddess. The reason for this self-destruction is the remorse born out of the feeling that the last man he hanged was an innocent.
While pulling on his life by boozing, worshiping the Goddess and treating people with the ash obtained by burning the hanging rope, one day the King's messenger once again arrive with the Kings order of appointing him for executing a convict termed as 'a killer, proved beyond doubt'. He leaves to the jail with his Gandhian, freedom fighter son to assist him in his job.
As a tradition, the hangman has to spend the eve of the execution awake. When alcohol fails to keep Kaliyappan awake, the jailer starts telling a 'spicy tale' to keep him awake, the tale of a 13 year old girl raped and killed by her own brother-in-law and an innocent musician boy convicted for this charge.
When Kaliyappan comes to know the condemned person he is about to hang is that very same musician boy, he breaks down. The job of executing the convict is passed on to his assistant, his son. The Gandhian, freedom fighter son completes the job. His motivations are not spelt out, but the choice of title hints that the son perhaps punishes the father by reminding him that any of his prior executions may have been a farce just like this one.
Just like the witch hunter's wife in Mahabharata, the son's sense of punishment completely ignores the innocent victim who would be executed. We are reminded that what we think of something as just may not always be so.
Cast
- Oduvil Unnikrishnan as Kaliyappan the executioner
- Sukumari as Marakatam, his wife
- Reeja as Mallika, the younger daughter
- Thara Kalyan as Madhavy, the older daughter
- Murali as Vasu, Madhavy's Husband
- Sivakumar as Mallika's Lover
- Narain (actor) as Muthu, Kaliyappan's son
- Nedumudi Venu as Jailer
- Vijayaraghavan as Jailer
- Jagathy Sreekumar as Maharajah's Officer
- Indrans as Barber
- Kukku Parameshwaram as Woman seeking treatment in Kaliyappan
Critical reception
The film received critical praise. Richard Phillips of World Socialist Web Site said, "Shadow Kill provides an accurate and disturbing glimpse of the state apparatus created by the British colonial rulers and their local Indian agents and the treatment of those at the bottom of the pecking order. It is a dark and disturbing film with strong performances by its experienced cast. Oduvil Unnikrishnan as Kaliyappan is particularly noteworthy."[3]
Laura and Robin Clifford of Reeling Reviews rated the film C+ and said, "While beautiful to look at, the film is slow moving and oddly sadistic."[4]
Gautaman Bhaskaran of The Hindu stated, "Adoor Gopalakrishnan's latest celluloid creation is a profound statement on capital punishment. At the core is the human emotion of guilt which tests and tortures the hangman and gives the picture a poignantly novel angle."[5]
The reviewer of Rediff.com concluded, "Nizhalkuthu, in the final analysis, comes across as a masterwork; a film that seeps in through the eyes and envelops the mind and doesn't let go".[6]
Awards
- Kerala State Film Awards
- Best Actor - Oduvil Unnikrishnan
- Second Best Actor - Jagathy Sreekumar
- Best Costume Designer - S. B. Satheesh
- Best Editor - Ajithkumar
- Best Sound Recordist - N. Harikumar
- Others
- Bombay International Film Festival - FIPRESCI Prize
References
- ^ "Painting with light". The Hindu. Sep 07, 2007. http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2007/09/07/stories/2007090750230100.htm.
- ^ "Indian cinematographer Varma dies: He worked on Adoor Gopalakrishnan's films". Variety. Nov. 24, 2010. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118027967?refCatId=13.
- ^ Richard Phillips (August 7, 2003). "Two perceptive Indian films". World Socialist Web Site. http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/aug2003/sff3-a07.shtml. Retrieved April 09, 2011.
- ^ Laura, Robin Clifford. "Nizhalkkuthu ("Shadow Kill") (In competition, Upstream) India". Reeling Reviews. http://www.reelingreviews.com/venice9-06-02.htm#shadowkill. Retrieved April 09, 2011.
- ^ Gautaman Bhaskaran (February 14, 2003). "And thereby hangs a humane tale...". The Hindu. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/fr/2003/02/14/stories/2003021400970100.htm. Retrieved April 09, 2011.
- ^ "Nizhalkuthu is a masterwork". Rediff.com. May 06, 2003. http://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/may/06nizha.htm. Retrieved April 09, 2011.
External links
- Nizhalkuthu at the Internet Movie Database
- Stills and pictures at Outnow.ch
Feature films directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan Swayamvaram (1972) • Kodiyettam (1977) • Elippathayam (1981) • Mukhamukham (1984) • Anantaram (1987) • Mathilukal (1989) • Vidheyan (1993) • Kathapurushan (1995) • Nizhalkuthu (2003) •Naalu Pennungal (2007) • Oru Pennum Randaanum (2008) •National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam 1954–1963 Neelakuyil (1955) · No Award (1956) · No Award (1957) · Padatha Painkili (1958) · No Award (1959) · No Award (1960) · No Award (1961) · Mudiyanaya Puthran (1962) · No Award (1963)
1964–1980 Ninamaninja Kalpadukal (1964) · Thacholi Othenan (1965) · Kavyamela (1966) · Kunjali Marakkar (1967) Anveshichu Kandethiyilla (1968) · Adhyapika (1969) · Adimakal (1970) · Ezhuthatha Katha (1971) · Karakanakkadal (1972) · Panitheeratha Veedu (1973) · Gayathri (1974) · Uttarayanam (1975) · Swapnadanam (1976) · Manimuzhakkam (1977) · Kodiyettam (1978) · Thampu (1979) · Peruvazhiyambalam (1980)
1981–2000 Yagam (1981) · Elippathayam (1982) · Chappa (1983) · Malamukalile Daivam (1984) · Mukhamukham (1985) · Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam (1986) · Uppu (1987) · Purushartham (1988) · Rukmini (1989) · Mathilukal (1990) · Vasthuhara (1991) · Kadavu (1992) · Swaroopam (1993) · Vidheyan (1994) · Sukrutham (1995) · Ormakalundayirikkanam (1996) · Desadanam (1997) · Mangamma (1998) · Agnisakshi (1999) · Punaradhivasam (2000)
2001–present Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal (2001) · Sayanam (2001) · Danny (2002) · Nizhalkuthu (2003) · Sabhalam (2004) · Akale (2005) · Thanmathra (2006) · Drishtantham (2007) · Ore Kadal (2008) · Thirakkatha (2009) · Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (2010) · Veettilekkulla Vazhi (2011)
Categories:- 2002 films
- Indian films
- Malayalam-language films
- 2000s drama films
- 2000s Malayalam-language films
- Films with a capital punishment theme
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