13 GREAT MOVIE METAPHORS IN MALAYALAM CINEMA

Symbolism is a very sticky business, both to use and to comprehend, yet if cleverly done could be greatly rewarding. Intelligent films in Malayalam have always had a rich tradition of symbolism to address ideas of social, psychological, ideological or religious bearing using brilliant metaphors. These parallels have in the past not only added layers to our thought processes, but have also been enriching our taste over the years. Following is a list of some of the greatest metaphors used in Malayalam Cinema, some of which bask in plain sight, while others, you got to dig a great deal to even locate.

10 GREAT INDIE FILMS IN MALAYALAM FROM THE PARALLEL CINEMA MOVEMENT

film Elippathayam

Even after the formula movies of the 1950s gave way to adaptations of popular literary works in the 60s, the look, feel and the general choice of story premise in Malayalam cinema was still badly in need of a revolution, and, thanks to everything influential about the Italian Neorealism, an uprising happened very soon. As an upshot of the 50s’ Parallel cinema movement by movie giants of the likes of Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen that was greatly influenced by the Italian Neorealism, Malayalam cinema also underwent a radical makeover, and a new stream of films came into being right from the beginning of the 1970s lead by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, G.Aravaindan, John Abraham and the like. These films were characterized by serious subject matter that took into consideration the sociopolitical situations prevalent at the time, and their realistic depictions strictly devoid of the song and dance routine. The following list sticks to the 1970s and 80s that marked the boom of the parallel cinema, which gradually reduced in number and gave way to their much more canonical middle-stream counterparts.