Blue is the Warmest Color

There ain't really any new story doing the rounds that's worth talking of much. Or at least I could not locate any. Fast & Furious 6 is clearly the hot topic with more than $300 million earned in worldwide revenues so far. But one has to move on quickly as the summer season does not really give the time to dwindle on a movie for too long. After Earth and Now You See Me lurk in the shadows. The real other big story is the conclusion of the Cannes film festival. And one is always eager to know the winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or, awarded by a jury which is currently headed by Steven Spielberg. So it is but appropriate to mention the name of La vie d'Adèle, or call it Blue is the Warmest Color, a French lesbian love story, that has been handed this coveted award. The rather sensitive topic of the movie has come under the background of protests in Paris against a same-sex marriage law in the country. And some are seeing a political angle in awarding the top honour to this movie at Cannes. 

“Politics was not in the room with us,” Spielberg said. “We just all felt (this) was a profound love story. We didn't think about how it was going to play, we just were really happy that someone had the courage to tell this story the way he did." That's it! A movie most of the times is nothing more than that, it is just a movie. Someone's imagination and creativity brought to life. It holds a soul of its own, invites you to share a journey but eventually you both have to go your own separate ways. Movies like these, would undoubtedly be pulled in a mire of controversy and politics, for rattling certain sections of society. But questioning the decisions of an elite panel in one of the film festivals to promote a political propaganda, is absurd. Despite being one who spends time in the world of movies beyond what may be deemed healthy, I too understand that a movie does not bring about radical changes in the structure of society. It provides a route for people to express themselves, it may inspire the ones who watch it, but it is eventually people like you and me who need to be the real difference, not the movies of the weekend. So give movies the space in your lives that it may well deserve, but not more. Nothing more. 

A clip from Blue is the Warmest Color. The complete movie though has a run-time of slightly more than three hours (if not edited for cinematic release). So in the near future, if you plan to sit through the whole thing, do not forget a tubful of popcorn and lotsa pepsi!