Man of the Story (Kathapurushan) by the Indian master Adoor Gopalakrishnan is a dramatisation of Kerala's history since the onset of the Independence struggle. A complex and challenging blend of traditional and modern story-telling styles that draws upon both folklore and recent Indian history to present an elliptical story of Kerala's modern history through the life of one man - Kunjunni - who is born in 1937 and lives to watch forty years of political upheavals in the southern Indian state of Kerala.EXTRASNew filmed interview with director Adoor Gopalakrishnan Booklet essay
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Lovely presentation of a great film
Kathapurushan aka Man of The Story is a masterpiece from Adoor Gopalakrishnan, one of India's most revered art-house directors. Through the eyes of its protagonist film looks at the history of the country from the cusp of Independence to the rise of the Communist government. In the course of his life the protagonist realizes that regardless of ideologies the nature of the people in power remains the same. In this interim he also discovers his courage and his own voice to speak the truth.Second Run's DVD comes from a source that is not pristine, but probably the best available for this film. On the plus side, it is robust and properly reflects the film's colorful vistas. The mono soundtrack is clear and does justice to the film's beautiful Indian music score. There is also a small but engaging interview with the director in which he discusses the film and its themes.This DVD release is highly recommended to people interested in offbeat Indian cinema beyond Satyajit Ray.
