Movie Review: Sita Sings the Blues ... like Epically

by B Condon 3:37 PM

 

 

 

Sita and Rama as their God-counter parts which book end the movie

It's at the top of my recommendation list when it comes to movies - the pickiest topic in my world known to man. So simple but so many layers to it - Nina Paley's story of her first marriage falling apart paralleling with a slightly accommodated storyline of the relationship of Hindi myth, or to the Hindus, their bible, of the Great Rama, an avatar of Vishnu and his wife Sita, a consort to Rama and an avatar of the Goddess Lakshmi on earth. What Paley does with this relationship, instead of showing Rama as superhuman and the center of Sita's story, as he is considered to be to be a secondary character in pure feminist fashion. Or is it?

Going between three sources of animation (flash, 2D graphics both in regular animation as well as a mimic of Rajput painting and squigglevision), the story of Sita's so-called infidelity to Rama unfolds as she is tested continuously of her virtue although she continuously loves him (see musical sequences) through fire and water, from which she is saved by a plethora of Gods multiple times. Finally pregnant and Rama believing the child (or children as we find as she has twins) is a child of the man who kidnapped her, Ravana, who he saved her from and yet denied her quickly afterward, Rama sends Sita in the woods to fend for herself.

Paley puts herself in the contemporary and autobiographical half of the story where her husband moves to India a few months for work, interrupting their happy quiet life with their cat Lexi and their New York apartment, then tragedy strikes unexpectedly after a very cute intermission, courtesy of giving homage to Bollywood, and Paley getting a new cat and starting to read the Ramayana.

While some people may sit uncomfortably during the beautiful 2D animation scenes making parallels between Betty Boop and the 2D version of Sita as Sita sings slow monotonous songs (courtesy of the tightly copyrighted Annette Hanshaw songs which allowed Paley to make the movie on a creative commons license)  about her love for Rama or my favorite "Who's that Knocking At My Door?" which is happening during a battle with a few Tarantino movements provided by animator Jake Friedman which bridges between adult humor while still being cute and loveable. That's what "Sita Sings the Blues" basically is. And have I mentioned the improvisational shadow puppets who make in depth conversation and critique of the Rama and Sita story? It's funny and you may find yourself quoting a few lines on a daily basis such as "Assemble the monkey warriors" or "Her breasts like... BIG... ROUND... FIRM... JUICY... LOTUSES."

It may have come out two years ago, but this is the "greatest break-up story ever told" or so the tag-line says.

And in light of the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License Paley officiated it under in 2009, you can watch it for free **Link!** here **Link!** Hell, you can edit it for your own amusement if you wanted.