Singin' the Blues

Hey people,

The movie we watched in class yesterday did a great job simplifying a challenging and complicated text.  Not only did Sita Sings the Blues put everything we were supposed to take out of Ramayana in layman's terms, but it gave us the opportunity to connect with the epic's characters, more so then we would have if we only read it.  This visual illuminated the perspectives of both Sita and Rama in a light that gives explanation to their actions.

Although Rama is portrayed as "magnanimous hero"(333 Pollack) in the text, Sita seemed to hog the majority of the spotlight.  This shift in focus allowed me to identify with a female's role in society in this period.  This role appeared to be dominated by a masculine superiority, as Sita continuously shows her weakness every time she returns to Rama to beg for his acceptance and understanding.  Although this inferiority draws sympathy for Sita because no matter what she does, Rama will never trust her, I simply cannot empathize with her.  She initially decides her own fate when she decides to go with her banished husband into the dangerous forest.  Yes, it sucks for Sita that she will never be loved by Rama again, but she needs to take a hint, and live on with her life.  Rama needed to set an example for his followers, so how would it be fair for him to rekindle a relationship with a woman who has spent time under the roof of another man?  These were the societal standards and expectations at the time, so who is he to break them?

My favorite part of the movie was undoubtedly the narration.  Aside from the comical effect, the narrators bring up an excellent point when approaching difficult texts such as these-- don't sweat the little things.  It simply isn't necessary to stress over things like who is related to who. Instead, just try to grasp the underlying message because these sacred texts teach morals, not history lessons.