'THE TERRORIST' HAS A BIG HEART.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic A simple film of striking beauty and hypnotic power, ``The Terrorist'' demonstrates the supreme value of a good story and an assured filmmaker. The movie, budgeted at a paltry $50,000, was shot on location in 17 days with a cast consisting entirely of non-professional actors. Santosh Sivan, one of India's most acclaimed cinematographers, who co-wrote and directed the film (and acted as his own director of photography), makes the most of his meager mea·ger also mea·gre adj. 1. Deficient in quantity, fullness, or extent; scanty. 2. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble: the meager soil of an eroded plain. 3. resources, however, delivering a powerful statement on the emotional cost of violence. The terrorist of the film's title is a wide-eyed, 19-year-old young woman named Malli (Ayesha Dharkar), who has spent most of her life in the jungles of South India South India is a commonly used term that is used in India to refer to the South-of-India or Southern India. The Southern part of the Indian peninsula is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the training to be a revolutionary. She's had plenty of practice to hone her skills, and her aptitude for murder lands her a prized assignment. She's to travel to the city and kill a politician, known only as the VIP. It's a suicide mission Noun 1. suicide mission - killing or injuring others while annihilating yourself; usually accomplished with a bomb martyr operation, sacrifice operation , one she's honored to accept. Smuggled smug·gle v. smug·gled, smug·gling, smug·gles v.tr. 1. To import or export without paying lawful customs charges or duties. 2. To bring in or take out illicitly or by stealth. to the city by a sweet-faced jungle sprite named Lotus (Vishwas, in a heart-rending performance), Malli takes a room with an old farmer, Vasu (Parmeshwaran), who's unaware of her job. Vasu is something of an agrarian philosopher, a decent man unlike anyone Malli has ever met. His kind-hearted actions prod Malli to reflect on her feelings for the first time in her life. ``The Terrorist'' doesn't dwell on politics. Sivan is more interested in human drama, and he tells Malli's story in a remarkably delicate and simple fashion. He's aided by the mesmerizing mes·mer·ize tr.v. mes·mer·ized, mes·mer·iz·ing, mes·mer·iz·es 1. To spellbind; enthrall: "He could mesmerize an audience by the sheer force of his presence" work of Dharkar, who is in nearly every frame of the movie. Watch Dharkar's eyes as Malli becomes more confused about her destiny. She is utterly spellbinding spell·bind tr.v. spell·bound , spell·bind·ing, spell·binds To hold under or as if under a spell; enchant or fascinate. [Back-formation from spellbound. . The film was inspired by the events surrounding the 1991 assassination Assassination See also Murder. assassins Fanatical Moslem sect that smoked hashish and murdered Crusaders (11th—12th centuries). [Islamic Hist.: Brewer Note-Book, 52] Brutus conspirator and assassin of Julius Caesar. [Br. of Indian prime minister Rajiv Ghandi, who was killed by a suicide bomber. Such acts defy explanation, but Sivan attempts to find one by burrowing in on the fragile logic of someone who chooses to be a martyr for a cause. It's a fascinating and harrowing journey, a gem of economy and elegance. The facts --The film: ``The Terrorist'' (not rated; contains intense violence). --The stars: Ayesha Dharkar. --Behind the scenes: Directed by Santosh Sivan. Screenplay by Sivan, Ravi Deshpande and Vijay Deveshwar. Released by Phaedra Cinema. --Running time: One hour, 35 minutes. --Playing: Nuart Theater in West Los Angeles
--Our rating: Three and one half stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Ayesha Dharkar, top, plays a terrorist who encounters Vishwas' elflike character, Lotus, in the jungle. |
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