Brook's Mahabharata
By Robert Oct 16, 2001
As the poet Vyasa explains to us early in his narrative, the Mahabharata is the story of all of us, all of mankind. Some flavor of the cosmopolitan nature of the story is reflected in the international cast of actors, which includes all races and man...y different nationalities. This international production uses English dialogues and, naturally, follows the general plot line of the poem, focusing primarily on the critical events in the story. Little time is, or could be devoted to related stories or events tangential to the main story. Brook does a fine job in the five hours or so that the film runs, in conveying passions and human foibles, even though his characters are larger than life. This production is a film version of a stage play, with minimal props and special effects. Its substance lies in its words, the words of the poet Vyasa, and the actor's skills of expression. A story may be told in many ways: through ritual dance and music,poetry, even pantomime. Brook chooses to let the poet Vyasa narrate the story to orient the listener/viewer, then turns over the detail exposition to the actors. The method works well. The viewer feels like a participant in the story. The main lines of the story are these: two branches of a family, each descended from one of two noble brothers, vie with each other for control of a vast Indian kingdom. The Pandavas and Kuravas each follow a path through life which is pre-ordained. Try as they might to avoid their karma, we can see that there will be a decisive clash between these two groups of brothers, and that clash will eventually involve us all. Even the gods take a hand in the unfolding of what can only be considered a tragedy. Derived from the great epic poem, Mahabharata seeks to re-tell the causes and events of a war of ages past. The presence of Krishna, an avatar of the god Vishnu(preserver),insures that events will unfold in the manner preordained. Krishna's influence on the principal characters is not malignant. He is not a malicious figure in either the poem or the play. His actions are those of a facilitator, seeing to it that karma and dharma are both fulfilled. Krishna's instrument is Arjuna,one of the Pandavas, a superlative warrior. His advice to Arjuna is the substance of another famous Indian work, the Bhagavad Gita. Yudhistira serves as a moral, binding influence for the Pandavas and, as eldest among them, determines the course and nature of the coming struggle. Duryodana, as leader of the opposition, the Kuravas, seems the embodiment of malice. Yet all, including Krishna, are not entirely free agents. Karma, or fate, binds all the participants. The performance itself is as evocative and mesmerizing as any Greek mythic drama. One is awed by the very scope of the tale. Someone once remarked to me that, in assessing the success of a dramatic production (script,settings,acting,e
tc.), one could judge by the emotions it provokes in the viewer. Are the actor's performances believeable? Do we care what happens to the characters? Does the play say something fundamental about the human condition? In this case I can answer yes to all those questions. At a critical point in the film, the character Duryodana replies angrily, "... I want to be discontented !". The viewer of this film, however, will not be. Read more Less
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