Frozen

FROZEN: A TREASURY OF SYMBOLISMS

In case you wonder how to put symbolisms in a movie, watch Frozen to learn it. For if there is one movie in which one thing is symbolic of another, it is Frozen. Technically, the direction has been outstanding or perhaps if there had been a better word for class then it befits the direction. Specifically watch scenes/shots that are shot from above focusing on the roads or trucks. These shots symbolise the vastness and emptiness of the place (which is Kashmir). Speaking about trucks, we see a number of trucks coming in from outside which symbolises the entry of the army.

Invasion of privacy is a very strong theme portrayed in the movie. The scenes where the trucks enter are the beginning of it all. Lights flashing into the house from the lighthouses while the family sleeps at night emphasise the theme of invasion of privacy. Wheel is another symbol used which signifies the passage of time.

The script has been good if not outstanding. Certain dialogues like “Wheel is harmony between man and the life he lives” strengthen the script and stress on wheel being a symbol for continuation and forward movement. Another point that strengthens the script is the subtle irony used in it. At one point towards the end of the movie, Lasya comments on things being the same and no change whatsoever taking place in their lives. From one angle what she says is true for their debts seem only to increase with the passing days and months and their struggles and hardships too, in direct proportion to their debts. However if looked from another angle, then enters the irony. Since Lasya is the one saying this, let’s take up the change in her. When the movie begins we see Lasya as someone who needs a bit of psychological help and throughout the movie, the viewer knows her as a highly immature girl; this is proved on many occasions. Let’s take up one. There is a scene in the first half an hour where she enters into the house and snatches the cup of tea from his hands and drinks it. The latter half of the movie (the point where Lasya makes these comments) she promises her father she shall take good care of him. When her father offers her the tea that he is drinking, she refuses knowing that he is the one who needs it more. This is where we encounter change first. The slow transformation of an immature Lasya into a maturing one. And why Lasya is still a “maturing” girl rather than a “matured” girl is her act of ignorance displayed when she goes out for a ride with a complete stranger. Another part where change takes place is an obvious one. The family or the place in general loses its privacy and freedom. Lasya and Chomo are refused their regular visits to their mother’s memorial. The final part where change occurs is yet again a bit too obvious. This is the end where Lasya and the pet dog enter into “colour” which symbolises clarity about things. Another symbol could be the climate of the place (now, it is always cold in Kashmir). The biting cold could be symbolic of the family’s intense struggle.

Now, we come across an interesting character through Karma. He is a person who has strong will power and good temperament, somebody who could be compared with Santiago (from Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea) who never gives up come what may. Though Karma shows enough resilience throughout the movie, we see on a couple of occasions bouts of anger. Karma has a peculiar (non violent and unharmful) way of venting his rage. He smashes his jam bottles while making it look rather like an accident. Here are examples: first when he tries to sell his jam bottles to the shopkeeper who refuses to buy, he tries to get up from his seat smashing the bottles in the process. Somewhat similar is the situation when he is refused help by the landlord who in turn remarks of Lasya’s youth in a rude fashion.

Romeo (aptly named) is a character we come across who acquires roughly 10-15 minutes (or perhaps a little more) of screen space. The time he occupies, the viewer might feel, is a total waste since he follows, fruitlessly and without purpose, Lasya. In the end he is shown going abroad and returning back, however showing no concrete role of the character. On this character, Shivaji Chandrabhushan himself says, he was a random character who is too common in the area and that, though he wished to give it some solid role, he couldn’t due to lack of time.

Now, we enter into the interesting part: the plot of the movie, and Chomo as a character. The plot is rather plain and we observe it was not given much of an attention. It follows the story of a family that is debt-ridden and struggling due to poverty, with the eventual death of Karma, and Lasya gaining deeper understanding and insight about things. Throughout the movie, we hear Chomo’s (who is Lasya’s brother) narration and believe he is one of the major characters of the movie. But in the end we come to know that Chomo was, in fact, a non existent character. He was something that Lasya made up or rather he was someone who she wished had existed. One question that arises with this revelation is why the character was created. The immediate answer could be, out of loneliness. Lasya’s immature behavior could be attributed to lack of company (her father would be away most of the time). Therefore comes Chomo into the picture. The viewer might feel a bit cheated in the end with the truth about Chomo being revealed but the writer cannot be blamed and the plot remains without flaw. Surely there were hints that were definitely missed leading to the eventual surprise or shock.

In the beginning we see a scene where the family (Karma, Lasya and Chomo) having their noonday meal. It could well be asked why the father’s attention was only on Lasya nd not on Chomo: because he did not exist at all. Also throughout the movie we see only Lasya talking to Chomo and vice versa. Chomo never shared a conversation with any other character.

Overall, the movie is good enough and could be rated eight on ten. However under further criticism marks could be detained because of the overdose of symbolism, but nevertheless, a chest full of “treasure”: Symbolisms.