Strangers in the night

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”    
                                                                                                                -Friedrich Nietzsche





Strangers in the night....This darling song,for there is no other way to describe it,was one of the best,which Frank sung.His music...there is no better way to describe it other than as honey pouring all over your senses,sinfully sweet and drowning.The words are special as  it  could happen to you as well.Actually it is a dream waiting to happen to all of us.The  sensual scene of strangers meeting up at night,to find true love and how it all ended so right....

Beutiful words ...these....

"Something in your eyes was so inviting,
Something in your smile was so exciting,
Something in my heart told me I must have you"
Its definitely one of those songs you want to dedicate to your girlfriend or lover,especially if you met up at a party..Listen to this song and you will understand where I am going.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbnNr4FzPXg

Akira's High and Low

One of the best films I ever saw.What has made this one stand in my memory even after 2-3 years of watching it?    I will come to that in a while.As for how we saw it...we actually took this movie to watch with a couple of friends after dinner.And needless to say,the pace of the movie was so riveting that at one point,all of us were reluctant to take a well needed break even to go to the loo.I have fond memories of this film.I have never seen such a movie as this and nor do I hope to find such a complex portrayal of human emotions intermingled with the thin lines of conscience....of right or wrong...

Whatever I write here,it can never do justice to the artful mastery with which the director Akira Kurosawa proceeds to narrate the story.Still I would attempt to record my memories for my later recollection.The story is pretty simple.
Well...would'nt you say that all great masterpieces are the artful telling of simple tales? So here goes....This is the story of a wealthy industrialist,Gondo. Gondo is contacted by a group of kidnappers,who inform him that his son has been kidnapped.They demand that he pay a ransom...an amount so high that it will leave him bankrupt.Gondo prepares to pay the ransom,when he finds out that his son is safely home and it is his driver's son who was kidnapped by mistake.So what does he do...Should he still pay the ransom to save a life or just ignore the kidnappers as it is no longer his son's life on the line.Further,he faces a financial crunch,due to which his decision will have a huge impact on his business and life.
How he struggles with his conscience,each time after talking to the kidnapper,the decision that he makes,the reactions of everyone around him...all these are so beautifully portrayed.The actor Toshiro Mifune,who plays this character is at his best and conveys all the struggles of the complex character,most astutely.
The reason for this name" HIGH AND LOW" though is because,of the vast difference being portrayed between the have's beng Gondo and his family and the have-nots being that of the driver and his family.
I will not spill the beans and give any spoilers here.In fact the full story is there in Wikipedia to check out.So if you ever get your hands on this one...it is a must see....

Further film details:It is a 1962 film by the japanese name "Tengoku to jigoku",directed by Akira kurosawa,written by Ryuzo Kikushima, Hideo Oguni, Akira Kurosawa.

How Schindler gave hope ...

I fell in love with this film,the first time I had a chance to see it.I am not much into war films.But my husband is a great fan of war films and films based on Germany portraying Adolf Hitler's regime.With him,I have turned into a steady fan of these films.And what better film to start the foray into this topic than the most renowned film "Schindler's List".
The story is simple.Oskar Schindler,a German businessman,acquires a factory in the hope of making his fortune as a war profiteer.He recruits Jews from the "Kraków Ghetto",which comprises of Jews relocated from Poland.They are not paid anything,of course.But in course of time,Schindler develops a conscience,causing him to procure as many Jews as possible with the sole aim of saving them from execution at the various concentration camps,mainly the Auschwitz concentration camp.He uses his money to bribe officials at various levels to falsify documents allowing him to retain a number of Jews.The way he succeeds in convincing various officials of the use of each and every Jewish member he retains,is indeed laudable.
For me,What made this one of "the must see films of holocaust" was the stark portrayal of the conditions of the then "Ghetto" along with the sensitivity that Oskar experienced after witnessing the execution of the many jews who were not in his list.There comes a time,when he willingly gives his fortune to save a few more lives from the sea of depleting Jews,being shipped to the Auschwitz.The scenes portraying how the workers of his factory in turn,gift him a ring and their future generations remember him with gratitude for their lives,brings tears to my eyes.
What is most touching is the hope it brings,during the darkest hours,the world ever witnessed.

Taking it All - Abba

I listen to music...loads of it.I love it for the calm,relaxing mood it puts me in.I love the way the sound wraps itself around me mellowing my mood.There are seldom songs which stir you in such a way that by the time,its over,you feel so many emotions rolling in from the resurfaced memories of the past or the likely imaginings of the uncertain future.
The first time I listened to ABBA's "Winner takes it all",the tune was as enticing as a siren's ,making me hear it again and again.And then hearing it again and again made me listen closely to the words and reflect.

Where would you find such simple words making a statement and stirring in you emotions as these words do.....

"I don't wanna talk
 About the things we've gone through"

Don't we all have these moments when we feel so upset and everything feels like the end of the world.

"Though it's hurting me
 Now it's history"

And the many times that we try to put it in the far corner of the mind and try to conveniently forget it,after naming it history.

"I've played all my cards
 And that's what you've done too "

The many times that everything we do in our relationships,seems like a game of cards with chance and destiny intertwined.

The above is just an example of the way the words are strung in this song.
This below stanza is one of those that I listen to with such mixed feelings and I always wonder it manages to hit just right at my soft spot.

 "I was in your arms
 Thinking I belonged there
 I figured it made sense
 Building me a fence
 Building me a home
 Thinking I'd be strong there
 But I was a fool
 Playing by the rules"

I will not go any further about this song,other than to say,if you've never heard ABBA before,this one will make you pause and listen.Furthermore,it will make you addicted to her brand of music,the brand that was uniquely "ABBA".
If you ever chance to hear this song,do take the time to sit back and reflect like I did and you will see what I saw in this one....

When Segal wrote Love Story

It is only once in a while that someone manages to say something so meaningful in such simple sentences.Segal is one of those who did it in "Love Story". For a  long while,I put off reading this book due to the title.I thought,a book with a title as this must be standard stuff.
Little did I know that I had hit upon one of those page turners which keep you awake at night.And the funny part was that,I couldn't stop myself from reading on,even after the preview of the tragic ending,portrayed in the beginning pages.What has been the charm of the book is that,it is so simple,that it could be true....
 

What starts as rich boy meets poor girl with a temper,mellows down to destiny after love and marriage.Fate plays a cruel hand in the lives of Oliver and Jennifer after they overcome all odds to be together forever.
Somehow ,some of the dialogues which touched me were as simple as "Love means never having to say you're sorry".
To follow it up,I also saw the film by the same name "Love Story". It had Ryan O 'Neal and Ali MacGraw starring in the lead roles.Needless to  say,I was in tears by the end of the film.There was just the right amount of drama and I would bet even now that "It was one of the best on screen chemistry ever seen."

 After having devoured such a gem of  a story,I am in search of more such tales to satisfy my hunger....