RRR
When one of the main characters is introduced by facing off with a tiger and a wolf in the woods, I think it’s safe to say you’re in for a wild time at the movies. It’s one I wish I could say I had with an audience, but COVID robbed me of my final chance for that. (For now.)
I haven’t seen a lot of Bollywood films, and Indian cinema in general. “RRR” marks my first foray into modern Indian cinema since 2003, I think, and it is one I will cherish. A three-hour explosion of action, music, myth and history, director S.S. Rajamouli maintains a degree of sincerity that bodes the film well while it absolutely pushes logic to its breaking point. The heart of the film is always focused; the result is probably the most gleefully chaotic experience I’ve had with an action movie since the first time I saw “Con Air” in 1997. That “RRR” laps that one in every way points to the ways Rajamouli is interested in making history, and the desire to rebel against those who subjugate us, into a living, breathing idea, while also entertaining the Hell out of us.
Prior to watching “RRR,” I did seek out the soundtrack, and while I could not understand the lyrics, the music by M.M. Keeravani gives us the feeling of hearing an epic tale unfold; now that I’ve heard them in context, it makes listening to them an even more emotional experience. That was the songs, though; now that I’ve heard the score, you get a scope and energy that only a film of this level of craft can deliver. Even listening to the songs ahead of time, boy was I not prepared.
“RRR” is set during the era of the British Raj, when Great Britain ruled over the Indian subcontinent. Some Indians were part of the British forces, and the various tribes were seen as lesser, and easily plundered and exploited by the Crown. When the film opens, we see Scott and Catherine Buxton (Ray Stevenson and Alison Doody) in a village, with a young Indian girl- Malli- singing. So impressed with her voice they pay to take her away, injuring her mother once the tribe realizes what is happening. The tribe sends their protector, Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.), off to search for Malli, and bring her back.
A. Rama Raju (Ram Charan) is an Indian officer in the British army. When word gets around of Bheem’s mission, he volunteers to catch Bheem, in hopes of gaining a promotion. When they work together to save a girl during a train crash, though, the rivals become best friends, which will put them at odds when their true natures are revealed to the other. But is Rama all that he seems? There’s a lot more to the story than one might think.
Rajamouli is using cinematography, CGI, stuntwork and- sometimes- dance choreography and editing to give audiences an abject lesson in pacing, creating mayhem in scenes, all while maintaining geographical coherency for how and where the action is taking place. Right off the bat, we learn that the animals in the film were all created using visual effects, but that doesn’t diminish the impact they have on us when they are unleashed in some of the film’s most spectacular set pieces, especially when Bheem and others are trying to free Malli during an extravagant party. This movie flies by at 3 hours+, and has a visual imagination that few recent blockbusters can maintain for even 2/3 that running time. This will have you going “holy shit” more than once.
Melodrama, musical, epic heroes journey, superhero action sequences, all for love of people and country. “RRR” is a reminder that adventure movies can bring a lot of things to the table, and deliver entertainment on a multitude of levels. I loved every moment.
