One evening, after a day of filming in Munnar, Kerala, my friend and I were discussing Malayalam movies. I asked him, "What is the name of the film directed by Mani Ratnam?" He was surprised and asked, "Did Mani Ratnam direct a Malayalam film? Is it dubbed or was it shot in Malayalam?"
I then told my friend about the Malayalam film directed by Mani Ratnam. He was shocked and curious to learn more about it.
The Malayalam movie directed by Mani Ratnam is called "Unaroo". I won't go into the plot of the film; instead, I want to discuss the connection between Mani Ratnam's "Unaroo" and Attenborough's "Gandhi".
I've always believed that the pinnacle of the film "Gandhi" is the police attack on the march on the salt works. There are two reasons why I believe this scene is so powerful.First, it shows how much the people believed in Gandhi and how he guided his followers. The discipline of the followers is evident in this one scene.
Second, it shows how Attenborough shot this scene. As I write this, I don't want to rewatch the scene. From memory, I believe there are no camera movements, not even tilts. I think one pan shot is used to establish the scene, and there are no other movements. They are all simple shots, but Attenborough conveys everything that the followers of Gandhi sacrificed. It is another pinnacle in terms of editing, cinematography, and direction.
When I watched "Unaroo", the climax of the film reminded me of the assault on the march on the salt works scene. In terms of composition, editing, and individual shots, the climax of "Unaroo" cannot come close to the scenes in "Gandhi".
Comparing these two scenes would be very helpful for film learners. After watching both scenes, one might come to the conclusion that shot listing, shot division, and editing are more important than the camera cost or software we use.
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