Visaranai - Movie Review
(SPOILERS)
Director: Vetri Maaran
Cast: Attakathi Dinesh, Aadukalam Murugadoss, Kishore
Duration: 1hr 55min
I knew this movie was good. I didn't know it was great!
Four innocent migrant workers are brought and beaten by cops! They're Tamilians living in Andhra Pradesh. And how their language and state become a barrier.
Our protagonist is Pandi, and he owns a small grocery store. One day he's caught and beaten by cops for no reason at all. We feel for them, and sympathise with them because they're just innocent people who did nothing. Turns out that they're being beaten to force them to confess for a crime they never committed.
The film doesn't outright speak it's message. It just shows us the ugly truth without any compromise. It lets us be the judge, that has no power in this situation. We're just stuck there with them. And that's the reason many might not watch this film. Most people wish to watch happy and comfortable films that make them feel safe. (which isn't a bad thing) But other films that unapologetically show the truth are mostly glossed over for how much they resemble reality.
Vetri Maaran (director) toys with us, the audience as the cops toy with the characters, as, when the conflict seems to have concluded, it was a trap and the violence begins again. To be honest, I saw it coming, but that did not at all disrupt the immersion of the picture.
Speaking of violence, it's executed extremely well. In many scenes, the beatings are shot in wide shots to establish the geography and location, as well as the amount of characters within the space. But also makes us feel helpless as the innocent workers are mercilessly beaten. But to emphasise the impact of the beatings, there are quite a few close-ups that show the stick coming in contact with the flesh, and it's brutal impact on the humans.
The reason Pandi works as a character is because he sticks to hie beliefs despite being tortured to an immense and unbearable extent.
But quite shockingly, the conflict actually concludes and the characters are freed by telling the truth in court. They help another cop who assisted them in their newfound freedom. But little did they know that they get entangled in a new situation.
Firstly, Pandi's friend Murugan assumes the cops in Chennai to be nice. But that expectation is soon subverted as it is revealed to us that they're the same cruel people. They're also brutal, and aren't afraid to torture people. On accidentally killing a character "KK" they frame his death as suicide.
In the final act, all our characters are slowly murdered by the cops in order to maintain their integrity. It's a tragic ending. But it has a purpose. It's a pessimistic film that critiques the powerful system without it being 'on the nose.'
A true masterpiece. Do give this a watch.
Thank Your for Reading
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