Beauty is Heart-deep

　　
　
Monday, April 15, 2013
　
　
Beauty is Heart-deep
　　
　

Kato, they say, “Beauty is skin-deep.” 　Who said, “Beauty is heart-deep”?

I did.

Are you sure?

Absof*ckinglutely!

Tsk, tsk, tsk,… No swearing, Kato… 　Why is that?

Look at the following list.

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■“Actual Shelf List”

Look at Number 220. 　After viewing the movie, I jotted down the following comment.

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■“Actual Catalogue Page”

I see… 　Beauty is only skin-deep, and the real beauty is heart-deep. 　Ummmm … Kato, do you really believe what you said?

Why not?

I suppose I understand what you mean, Kato, but what exactly do you mean by “heart-deep”?

Good question! 　Look at the following lists.

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■“Actual Shelf List”

Kato, have you really viewed all these movies?

Yes, I have.

Amazing!… 228 movies! … So, you’re really a cinephile, aren’t you?

Yes, I am. 　Look at Number 199.

It is a Hindi movie, isn’t it?

Yes, Diane, you’re telling me.

What is Devdas?

Well … Devdas is a Bengali Romance novel by written by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1917 when he was only seventeen years of age. In many ways, it parallels the Krishna, Radha, and Meera myths, the relationships between its three protagonists—Devdas, Parvati, and Chandramukhi.

So, Devdas is a title of the novel, isn’t it?

Yes, it is. 　It is also the name of a young man from a wealthy Bengali Brahmin family in India in the early 1900s.

You’re saying, Kato, the movie is about a romance based on the above novel, aren’t you?

Yes, I am. 　Here’s a trailer you can take a look at the romance.

Devdas

This is the third Hindi version and the first colour film version of the story in Hindi.
The film is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and stars Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai in the leading roles.
At the time of its release, Devdas was the most expensive Bollywood film ever produced, with a reported budget of Rs 50 crores.

Shahrukh Khan’s performance won him a Filmfare Award.
The film also made Aishwarya Rai win a Filmfare Award for her performance as Paro and is considered among the best.
The song “Dola Re Dola” became a hit with its unique dance duet between Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit.

Devdas was declared hit in India by Box Office India.
The film was recently included in Time Magazine’s top 10 movies of the millennium worldwide.
It was also India’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.
Time Magazine named Devdas as the best movie of 2002 among all the movies released around the world in 2002.

Plot summary

Paro is a young woman from a middle class Bengali family.
The two families lived in a village in Bengal, and Devdas and Paro were childhood friends.
Devdas goes away for a couple of years to live and study in the city of Calcutta (now Kolkata).

During vacations, he returns to his village.
Suddenly both realise their easy comfortability in each other’s innocent comradeship has changed to something different.
Devdas realises Paro is no longer the small girl he knew.
Paro looks forward to their childhood love blossoming into their lifelong journey together in marriage.

Devdas’s father, who also loved the little Paro, did not want Devdas to get married so early in life and wasn’t very keen on the alliance.
Paro’s father, feeling insulted at the rejection, finds an even richer husband for Paro.

When Paro learns of her planned marriage, she stealthily meets Devdas at night, desperately believing that Devdas will accept her hand in marriage.
Devdas had never previously considered Paro that way.
He feels surprised at Paro’s bravery of visiting him alone at night and also feels pained for her.
He decides he will tell his father about marrying Paro.
Devdas’ father disagrees.

In a confused state, Devdas then flees to Calcutta, and from there, he writes a letter to Paro, saying that they were only friends.
Within days, however, he realizes that he should have been bolder.
He goes back to his village and tells Paro that he is ready to do anything needed to save their love.

By now, Paro’s marriage plans are in an advanced stage, and she declines going back to Devdas and chides him for his cowardice and vacillation.
She makes, however, one request to Devdas that he would return to her before he dies.
Devdas vows to do so.

Devdas goes back to Calcutta and Paro is married off to the betrothed widower with three children.
He is an elderly gentleman, a zamindar.
He had found his house and home so empty and lustreless after his wife’s death that he had decided to remarry.
He spent most of his day in Pujas and looking after the zamindari.

In Calcutta, Devdas’ carousing friend, Chunnilal, introduces him to a courtesan named Chandramukhi.
Devdas takes to heavy drinking at Chandramukhi’s place, but the courtesan falls in love with him, and looks after him.
His health deteriorates because of a combination of excessive drinking and despair—a drawn-out form of suicide.
Within him, he frequently compares Paro and Chandramukhi.
Somehow he feels betrayed by Paro, never realizing that she was the one who had loved him first, that she had said it out loud first.
He doesn’t realise this, but Chandramukhi does, and tells him so.
In his non-drunk state he would hate Chandramukhi and loathe her presence.
So he drank, so that he could forget his prejudices.
Chandramukhi saw it all, felt it all and suffered silently, but she had seen that real man behind the fallen, aimless Devdas he now was and couldnn’t help but love him.

Sensing his fast-approaching death, Devdas returns to meet Paro to fulfill his vow.
He dies at her doorstep on a dark, cold night.
On hearing of the death of Devdas, Paro runs towards the door, but her family members prevent her from stepping out of the door.

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SOURCE:”Devdas (2002 Hindi film)”
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The story reminds me of “Romeo and Juliet” as well as “West Side Story.”

Oh, does it?

Tell me, Kato, how come you talk about the above movie to explain exactly what you mean by “heart-deep.”

As you said, the story reminded me of “West Side Story” when I first saw the above movie.

West Side Story

Trailer (1961)

As you know, this musical sets the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet against a backdrop of the rivalry of two street gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, in New York of the 1950s.

That’s right.

As you know, Maria is a young woman who is sister to Bernardo Nuñez—the Sharks leader.

George Chakiris plays Bernardo Nuñez in the movie, doesn’t he?

Yes, he does. 　Maria has her first taste of love with Tony Wycek, the former head of the Jets. 　At the dance party, Tony and Maria see each other, become infatuated, going into a trance-like state. It is a love at first sight, oblivious to the rivalry between their ethnic groups. 　Diane, do you remember your first love?

Yes, of course, I do.

How did you feel when you fell in love for the first time?

Well … I was quite happy.

So was Maria, and she sings in the movie:

“I feel pretty”

So, tell me, Kato, exactly what you mean by “heart-deep.”

As you see, you feel pretty when you’re happy deep down in your heart. 　That is, the real beauty is heart-deep.

【Himiko’s Monologue】

Yes, yes, yes, … I always feel pretty because I’m a happy-go-lucky girl.

By the way, I enjoyed Easter.
I love Easter eggs.

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I also love the Easter bunny.

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Besides, I always enjoy wearing my Easter outfit.

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And I felt pretty too because I was darn happy at the time.

In any case, I hope Kato will write another interesting article soon.
So please come back to see me.

Have a nice day!
Bye bye …

If you’ve got some time,

Please read one of the following artciles:

■“Wright and Japan”

■“Taliesin Banzai”

■“Memrory Lane to Sendai”

■“Aunt Sleepie”

■“Titanic @ Sendai”

■“Birdcage”

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■“Roly-poly in the wild”

■“Silence is dull”

■“Zen and Chi Gong”

■“Piano Lesson”

■“Dangerous Relation”

■“Electra Complex”

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■“Covent Garden”

■“Fatal Relation”

■“Notre Dame”

■“Anne Frank”

■“Biker Babe”

■“Diane Girdles the Globe”

■“Diane in Casablanca”

■“Infidelity Neighbourhood”

■“Forest Bathing”

■“Enjoy Ramen!”

■“Sex, Violence, Love”

■“Halifax to Vancouver”

■“A Thread of Destiny”

■“Fujiyama Geisha”

■“Beaver Lake”

■“God is Near!”

■“Holy Cow@Rose Garden”

■“Vancouver Earthquake”

■“Birthplace”

■“KIFF”

■“You Love Japan, eh?”

■“Eight Bridges”

■“First Love”

■“Fright on Flight”

■“Boy’s Movie”

■“From Summer to Eternity”

■“Sōseki & Glenn Gould”

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■“Dream Dream Dream”

■“In Search of Your Footprint”

■“Little Night Music”

■“Merry X’mas”

■“Happy New Year!”

■“Long live Diane!”

■“Mona Lisa”

■“Flu Shot”

■“Selfish TD Bank”

■“Talk with Mozart”

■“Bliss for Diane!”

■“Romantic Bohemian”

■“TD Bank or Mozart?”

■“Diane@TD Bank”

■“Tear Jerker”

■“Diane in Chorus Line”

■“Pork or Friend?”

■“Easter Bloopers”

Hi, I’m June Adams.

In the movie “West Side Story,” Natalie Wood plays Maria, and Richard Beymer plays Tony Wycek.

After the dance, Maria and Tony eventually kiss, but Bernardo angrily interrupts them.

He orders Maria home and tells Tony to stay away from his sister.

It’s at this point that Riff proposes a “war council” with Bernardo, who agrees to meet at Doc’s drug store after the dance.

Tony leaves in a happy daze. Later, Tony discreetly visits Maria outside the fire escape at her home and the couple confirm their love, singing the famous song—“Tonight.”

ところで、愛とロマンに満ちた

レンゲさんのお話をまとめて

『レンゲ物語』を作りました。

もし、レンゲさんの記事をまとめて読みたいならば、

次のリンクをクリックしてくださいね。

■『愛とロマンのレンゲ物語』

■『軽井沢タリアセン夫人 – 小百合物語』

とにかく、今日も一日楽しく愉快に

ネットサーフィンしましょうね。

じゃあね。