The Late Review, Concludes.

I remember reading Mr. Muktha Srinivasan’s book on History of Tamil film industry. In this he mentions that Tamil movie production lost its way during 70s. Most producers and directors were confused and totally misguided. There was huge dip in production quality. This movie proves this to be 100% true. Celluloid was taken over by Hindi movies.
I really don't want justifiy by saying Hindi movies were worse than this, so what, we were also a stinker.

What is difference between a stage drama and a movie? Movies like “Thirusulam” did not seem to distinguish the difference. This was an over acted stage drama shot on a 35mm. After all, movie making on the celluloid is an art of story telling where the director uses his creativity to screen play the story line using powerful visuals and emotions.

If you watch this movie, except for song that was shot outdoors, most of the shots were taken from a camera that was nailed to the floor. Artists come in front of the camera rather than camera covering them. Camera, the powerful visual tool was treated similar to a microphone on a stage drama. Out door! concept never considered, and camera angles and shots were totally academic. A dolly shot, tracking shot, moving shot, boom shot, crane shot, pan shot, tilt shot were all misused to the core. They were filled with one or two or three shorts [close up of persons], a stationary or a fixed short with a very tight close-ups. The most irritating one was the close-ups reaction shots; these kind of cheap shots were abundant in Thirusulam.

Yes, I do agree 100% to the fact Sivaji Ganeshan was the great actor of our times, he had the capacity for doing an entire shot in a master take, But he was misguided the directors of 1970s who clearly misused every artist’s potential. It was greatest period of depression in Tamil movies.

I was really surprised when few of my friends supported “Thirusulam” and concluded it was a great movie for its time, and my trashing was overboard. Woof! I don’t get it, how does the time factor play a roll here. Were people dumb during 70s? No I don’t think so, didnt' we all enjoy English movies of 70s ? How was West able to churn out top classics during that period? Let me name few from west! during that time Jaws , Star wars, Super man, The Exorcist, The Godfather, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Taxi Driver, Halloween, Saturday Night Fever, Silver Streak and many more.

To conclude, Thirusulam the movie had a thin story line with a “thick” cast. How can we be fooled by 45-50 year olds to be in their 20s? Adding to the agony they go dancing around trees and park bridges [aka varavathi dance].

To me it was a movie with “WIG” crazy casting, a great Wig exhibition, a poorly staged drama on a 35mm. mere waste of resources. However for many this was a silver jubilee movie, I don’t know how this was possible. May be this is what is called as the “generation gap”? No I don’t think so, I was born before 1970. Duh!. I still feel this movie was a joke.

Thanks for reading!....