Shadow Kill

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Audience Member A subtle and affecting film from India, Shadow Kill places a human face on those executed for crimes. The film avoids overplaying or sentimentalizing the trauma that the executioner suffers, while at the same time deftly weaving in elements of religion, community, social status, and politics as they touch on a pending execution. The story near the end is a brilliant device that confirms the film's humanism and sets up the tragic ending. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Nishalkkuthu (Shadow Kill)- A masterwork from a Genius Nishalkkuthu (Shadow kill) a movie by the well known director Adoor GopalaKrishnan is a perfect craft of a Genius. His movies are not just an art but the art that can touch the heart with soulfulness. Nishalkkuthu tells the story of Kaliyappan a hangman (Oduvil Unnikrishnan) who struggles to continue his life due to the haunting memories. He slide down to heaving drinking and depression as he recently hanged a man who turned out to be innocent. The masterpiece of this movie comes in when he has been ordered to do another hanging, he is worried that the most terrible presentiment may come true in his life. When the alcohol fails to wake Kaliyappan on the eve of the execution the jailer tells the story of a 13 year old girl raped and killed by her own brother-in-law and an innocent musician boy convicted for this charge. He conceive of the girl as his own daughter and the brother in law in the story as his own son in law due to his deep mental agony and he collapses.The Gandhian, freedom fighter son completes the job of executing the convict. The title of the film Nizhalkkuthu refers to a popular play Nizhalkkuthu Attakatha, adapted from the Mahabharata, about the inherent unjustness of certain punishments.However the movie lacks special effects and the melodious music by Ilayaraja does effective only in the romantic scenes. All of his movies particularly Nishalkkuthu will tell you why Adoor Gopalakrishnan is considered as genius in Indian Cinema. He follows his own style with flawlessness and that makes him a maverick in Indian Cinema. Jain Andrews Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Heyyy, I'm trying to give this film a 5-star, but it seems this program will only respond to 4 1/2??? This was beautifully shot, and a well told story. The acting was sublime. A very haunting, surreally beautiful tale. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member When faced with a moral conundrum, who can be relied upon to do the right thing? An uneducated drunk executioner who spends the good part of his day in a country liquor shop and practices superstition-driven faith healing? Or, a vegetarian teetotaller who professes progressive thoughts and espouses Gandhian principles? In the mind of what kind of man is a clear conscience likely to reside? Through 'Nizhalkkuthu', Adoor Gopalakrishnan seeks to answer this vexing question. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member I'd never heard of Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Now I can add yet another filmmaker whose work I have to see. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Shadow Kill

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