By @MovieMadari
By the time the movie ended and people were getting up from their seats too slowly, I felt either they were sleepy or they were too stunned to move. Soon, I found out the answer.
Film Society of Surat in association with Cinemaholics screened THE BOY IN THE STRIPED PYJAMAS yesterday at Valentine Multiplex and patrons experienced some moving cinema. The story that revolved around a boy named Bruno, the son of an officer in Hitler's Army showed a very different perspective on holocaust movies. A camp, though nameless in the movie but can be auschwitz or any other, is shown from the eyes of two eight-year olds, one within the camp and one outside of it. It involves rather subtly and often euphemistically depicted scenes of how a concentration camp is seen. And the climax is something that leaves you stunned for several minutes if not more.
The audience or patrons as I like to call them slowly moved out of their seats, some just acknowledging the movie with a smile or a nod while some being more vocal. Wife of a well known celebrity and a regular with FSS was crying well past the exit gates. Another patron was telling how she won't be able to sleep tonight and one patron just walk past in a dazed manner, too disturbed to react.
Yes, the movie created ripples. Some may have enjoyed it and some may have thought why should they see such a movie after a hard day's work. But my answer to it lies in my age old belief that good cinema is the one that stimulates our emotions. Whether it is laughter or love or joy or patriotism or even a little sadness, if you take something back home from the amazement called the silver screen, Cinema wins. So when our patrons left the theatre, they should not be afraid to take a little back home, even if its a knot in the stomach.
