This video is sponsored by
Squarespace
Alright, I get it
What else can I say about RRR?
Fellow YouTuber Patrick Willems already did an excellent video
Saying everything I want to say about this movie
And he has an Indian friend to help him
I don't even have friends, period
In case you don't know
RRR is the biggest Indian movie in history
Set in the 1920s, When India was still under British Raj
This war epic tells the fictionalized story
Of two Indian revolutionary heroes
Despite one working as a police for the crown
And the other, a tribal warrior fighting against the British
These two find themselves forming an unlikely friendship
Their conflicting loyalty
Is the central drama of the film
With spectacles and high emotions
All expertly presented
This is a very well-done movie
But with just that description
It's also really difficult to parse the reasons
As to why this movie is this big of a deal
To me, that's what's lacking from most reviews
Rarely is any critics manage to convey the importance of the film
Without sounding silly
Like calling it a religious experience
So, that's what we are doing today
Let's talk about the cultural context surrounding the film
What makes this movie so important
What expectations you should have for the film
As well as offering my personal thoughts on the movie
It's finally time to answer your request
This is my review of RRR
[The Imporance of RRR]
[Chapter One]
Imagine, you are in the late 80s, early 90s
And one day
Spielberg, Stallone, and Schwarzenegger
All at the height of their career
Suddenly announce that they are making a movie together
With the working title of "SSS"
That's what RRR is, a backronym
It stands for Rajamouli, Ram Charan, and Rama Rao Jr.
The film's director and its two leads
Ram Charan and Rama Rao Jr.
Are two of the most famous actors in the Telugu language cinema
But to anyone unfamiliar with the Indian film industry
It's difficult to explain why they are such big deals
So, let's put it this way
Indian cinema, like Golden Age Hollywood
Operates on the star system
It's the same system that created Humphrey Bogart
And Marilyn Monroe
You see a Monroe movie, and you call it a Monroe movie
The stars are the franchise
These stars' on-screen persona
Are inseparable from their off-screen self
If the movie makes them look sexy
It's because they are sexy
If the character is a badass
The actor is perceived as a badass
You are not here to see Ethan Hunt's adventure
You want to see Tom Cruise hanging to dear life
That's the level of power Indian stars command
They are revered cultural icons
Every time the two actors are on screen
They are presented with such dignity and glamor
They look like gods among men
Sometimes literally
Not to mention, Indian actors have to look good
Act well
They fight
They dance
And they sing
Although most stars don't actually sing but are dubbed over
The prestige is still there
Then, there's the Spielberg of the group
Director S. S. Rajamouli
In the past decade, Rajamouli has proven himself to be
One of the most sought-after directors in India
All 12 of his movies are box office successes
Of the top 5 highest grossing films in India
3 of them were directed by him
One of them is RRR
He, like Spielberg, and Nolan
Is one of those directors whose names make the franchise
This is why the movie is titled after these three
They ARE the movie
But there is one more reason why I compare Rajamouli
To Spielberg
Up until recently, the various film industries and markets
In India were somewhat isolated
Separated by language and cultural barriers
Spielberg's Jaws is the first blockbuster
To take over an entire country with a wide release
Similarly, Rajamouli is arguably the director who created
The pan-Indian blockbusters
His film, Baahubali, was filmed and released in multiple languages
Across the entire country
Because of that, everyone in India
Regardless of region, language, or culture
Can enjoy the same movie, at the same time
Rajamouli's movies became this cultural event
That brings the nation together
And his newest film, RRR
Just so happens to be a patriotic war movie
In which two heroes from vastly different cultural backgrounds
Unite together to fight for India
Now, you can see why people are so excited
[Sponsor Message]
You know what else can be seen by everyone
Regardless of region, language, or culture?
A website from Squarespace!
Unlike social media, which often requires logins
And almost always restricts your method of presentation
A website by Squarespace can be reached by anyone on the Internet
And look like anything you want
Whether you need a website for your brand
Your business, or an upcoming event
Squarespace got you covered
Simply pick a template from their catalog
Or if you are feeling adventurous
Start from scratch!
The editing process can be as simple as you want
Or as in-depth as you need
Don't believe me?
Start your free trial at squarespace.com/accentedcinema
​ And while you are at it, use code ACCENTEDCINEMA
To get 10% off your first purchase
You have access to everything you need during the free trial
So try it before you commit!
If you have anything you want to show
Go to squarespace.com/accentedcinema​
And show it your way
With Squarespace
[Chapter Two]
"Over the top" with the undertone of "silly"
Is often how people describe Indian movies
Yeah, when your movie introduces one of your heroes
By having him fight through a crowd of thousands
And your other hero by showing him
Fighting a tiger with his bare hands
It's not hard to see why there would be a culture shock
To understand why Indian films are the way it is
We have to travel back in time
Like many other forms of art in India
Early Indian cinema is heavily shaped by traditional folktales
At the beginning
Indian films are often adaptations of myths and legends
India's first full-length motion picture, for example
Tells the story of a king being tested by the gods
With Lord Shiva doing a textbook deus ex machina at the end
Kings, gods, and larger-than-life heroes
Are all common themes in these early days
These folk stories were the cornerstone
Of Indian storytelling
Grand operatic stuff
Not too dissimilar to Ancient Greek theaters
Over the course of the next hundred year
The religious theme gradually faded
But the mode of storytelling remains
This is why RRR
And many other Indian movies appear so "over-the-top"
Look at this image
Doesn't it remind you of Heracles fighting a lion?
Or this scene
Not so different from the Monkey King's havoc in heaven
American films often value immersion
Even in films with fantastical characters
These characters must behave like real, everyday people
But most Indian movies are enjoyed as stories and stories alone
Characters, especially heroes
Often behave like gods in ancient myths
When these two heroes become friends
Their friendship is, quote
"More precious than my life"
When these characters dance
It makes the Earth shake
And the cinematography presents it as such
The level of energy in this dance scene is truly stunning
It really does feel like a battle of two gods
Especially when you consider the importance of dance
In various Indian religions
Conversely, the ridiculous mustache-twirling British villain
Might as well be the literal devil
The administrator's wife is the most sadistic woman imaginable
Unsatisfied with the lack of blood in a public torture
She hands out a spike-whip to make the victim suffer more
The hero, while enduring unimaginable pain
Sings a song that would move the world to his aid
This is human emotion amplified
They are stories that feel timeless
When dealing with mythology
You don't question Hercule's strength
Or Hou Yi's ability to shoot down the sun
You simply enjoy the poetry of it
And I think that is the best mindset to have
To enjoy RRR as the latest entry
In the Indian Cinematic Pantheon
[Chapter Three]
With all that aside
What do I think about the movie
It's solid
No surprise there
RRR has this consistency of quality throughout
Making the film more than the sum of its part
For example, the two heroes are represented by fire and wate
And the movie is very committed to making this metaphor stick
The moment these two meet
They are trying to save a child from an exploding train
Above a river
It's literally a fire meets water moment
When the two clash
One fights with a torch
The other with a hose
Even small moments like this one
A portrait of one of the heroes is shown
And you see water splashes in the background
Then the portrait flies off
And lands on the same puddle
It's the same kind the consistency
That makes Parasite so impressive
Which I also made a video on
Admittedly, I'm prob ably not as moved by this film
As most Indian viewers
Seeing the first unofficial flag of India being used as a shield
Or using Indian animals to fight against the British
Are all highly patriotic moments
I can understand the emotions it would incite
But it's difficult for me to actually feel it, you know
Another thing I really like:
The healthy display of emotions from both heroes
Similar to Taken's phone call scene
Or John Wick's Babayaga scene
RRR has the sheperd scene
After the British kidnapped a tribal kid
A messenger tells them
That a shepherd would come and pry open the tiger's mouth
To rescue his lost lamb
It paints our hero as an unstoppable badass
But when he meets the kidnapped girl
Who's revealed to be his little sister
Dude starts crying and is unsure what to do
This is so unlike the quote-unquote "sigma male" fantasy
I find it rather refreshing
The two heroes laugh and cry together
Such a display of affection between men would've been called "gay"
By many people in the West
But this is precisely why their friendship feels mythical
That it is a friendship "More precious than life"
I wish more people can feel this confident
At expressing their feelings
Finally, and probably the thing that most people would notice
This film has a sense of scale
These sweeping wide shots are raw and epic
With tons of extras in the background
And sceneries being destroyed
Even though it has a lot of CGI
It feels different from modern green screen Hollywood
Part of the reason is that this film stays wide a lot of time
The camera is always steady
Motions are smooth and calculated
With excellent blocking
These are all techniques that classic Hollywood has used
But seemingly forgot
This may be why Western critics love RRR so much
It reminds them of what "cinematic experience" used to feel like
And I have to say
This is also my preferred type of cinema
[Conclusion]
Like myths and legends
Like ancient Greek Theaters
RRR is classy
Most reviews fail to convey that
It's that storytelling method, as old as time
It's that human emotion, amplified and put on display
It is filmed in ways of the cinematic epics
Like Lawrence of Arabia
Like Ran by Kurosawa
It's a movie that makes the old feel new again
A film that utilizes cinema as an art form to its fullest
It's no wonder why everyone is talking about RRR
In many ways, this marks a new height for Indian cinema
Watching this film is like watching film history
Being written right in front of your eyes
It's so rare to see a movie and instantly know it'll be a classic
Like Jurassic Park
Or Lord of the Rings
If you have any passing interest
Go watch RRR
It's not just an enjoyable movie
It's also an important one