Sita? Sings? the Blues?

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie we watched in class on Tuesday. I thought Sita Sings the Blues was a very interesting Western take on the Hindu story of Rama.  The intertwining of both traditional Hindu and modern American cultural elements -- for example, the San Francisco couple serving as a parallel to Rama and Sita and the incorporation of American jazz songs to complement and further the plot -- made for an interesting presentation of a classic story. In addition, the fact that it was a cartoon gave it a sort of simplistic quality; rather than being presented as a complex story with several lessons and implications for Hindu philosophy, it seemed like a regular old children's bedtime story. What added to this simplicity were the three narrators of the film, who also contributed to the comedic rendition of an otherwise serious story. The three silhouettes, shaped like traditional Hindu figures, attempt to explain the story to the audience, but have some trouble along the way; they profess confusion about plot details, and they express differing opinions about the characters' feelings and motives. These narrators are particularly funny and revealing because they reflect the uncertainty that one can experience even within their own religion, and even on a greater scale, the perplexity that comes with religion in general.  The fact that these three are not entirely sure of everything hints that it is okay for believers and followers of any faith to be a bit confused as well, and to even question conventions and come up with one's own ideas regarding these points of uncertainty. Sita Sings the Blues is a very successful presentation of an established story portrayed in a new light that works to coax out certain underlying elements of the original tale.