VISITOR COLUMN

I do not wish to review the movie as enough has been said and discussed in digital media, forums and blogs by able critics and fans. I wish to express on how I saw this movie from my point of view.  I would like to thank Mysskin for making me go through the same emotions as I had gone through while reading WOLF TOTEM. I was intrigued when I saw the promo posters with the red background and the wolf howling during February 2013. But this left me wondering what Mysskin was planning to communicate in his movie.  I experienced it yesterday (sorry Mysskin , unfortunately I had to watch it on the internet as the movie did not have a theatrical release in the country I presently live). I promise to buy the original DVDand juxtapose it with the book. 
 

Wolf Totem records the author’s experiences in Mongolian deserts with wolves , their lifestyle and why Mongols revere Tenger . As a reader, the experience it gave me was informative. But in Onaiyum, Mysskin lets the viewer to participate in the happenings.   
 

A lone wolf is one which was ousted from a pack by an alfamale (in this case – Thamba) . Here this lone wolf is trying to protect the lambs from the wolfpack. This is analogous to the dogs which Mongols grow to protect their lambs from the wolves. Although Mysskin has related every character’s name to an animal in the end, I initially thought Chandru (the student) was a metaphor for Moon. Wolves and Moon have a mystical relationship. A wolf is very active on brightly lit full moon days!

A wolf’s mood can be determined by observing its tail. If the tail is horizontal (parallel to the ground), it means that it is about to attack.  Look at the metaphor Mysskin presents during the train sequence. The wolf is in the front of the train (driving it) and the coaches behind signify the horizontal tail – giving the indication that it is about to attack. And Vola! It happens when two Thamba’s men get bumped off on the station platform.  In the final combat scene, he does the same by tying the belt behind to the girl, signifying a wolf’s defensive and protective nature.
 

There are few other things I noticed like lord Ganesh appearing at different places. Mysskin’s interest in zen philosophy is visible from tThe YIN-YANG fighters in the end. 
 

I am not saying my interpretations are correct- But everybody sees art in a different way.

After Kamal’s Hey Ram, Virumaandi, Mumbai Xpress and R Parthipan’s Housefull, and his own Nandalala, I thoroughly enjoyed Ilayaraja’s background score.   

 

A foot note about Nandalala – People accuse Mysskin of plagiarism or lifting – Like literary works are translated to many languages,  Mysskin just translated Takeishi Kitano’s work for Tamil audience. I don’t see anything wrong in that.  A good literature has to be translated and spread to give readers a wholesome experience.