This post is the second last in my shout outs to definitive works that, with their distinctive styles of storytelling, touched our nerves in a year where anger, confrontations with authority and a general quest for individuality reached a fever pitch. So here they are, in no particular order.
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GAME OF THRONES 8TH AND FINAL SEASON
The global juggernaut that is Game of Thrones conquered airwaves in its final six episode stretch in 2019 and despite the divisive reception to its choices, as is the wont with creative phenomena with such timeless traction, this writer felt the consistency of storytelling was gripping and the sequences fleshed out with detail, discipline and a collaborative magic we will hardly get to see again on this scale. As for the performative ensemble, it instinctively took stands to give its period feel an urgency like never before .
Be it Daenerys Targaryen's fiery rampage through King's Landing in a mad hunkering for power, echoing her familial curse, the finality of despot Cersei's journey in imminent death under her own high ceilinged castle, stripping her of every vestige of pride, or the sombre crowning of Sansa as the ruler in Winterfell down to Jon Snow's destined exile in the eternal tundra beyond the Wall , each strand seemed to show that the wars we fight for gaining our rightful territories don't have to turn out exactly as prophesied and that everyday politics and power- sharing can often lead to hopelessly unremarkable conclusions. What begins as epical entry - points can end up humbling the most vehement players.
We live in a society where figures of power backtrack on their vainglorious practices and lead to violence, arson and then protestations from mobs. This year's Thrones reflected all of that and more in subtexts that unfortunately got lost in the condensed capsules of its limited episodes for majority of its fevered fanbase.
I've always believed that the series is a shorthand for geo-political /historical nature of how empires were built, supported by often amoral ends. It has been a treat to watch its directors and crew balance those ethical deals with fantastical highlights such as the era - defining LONG NIGHT of infighting among formidable armies of opponents as a foggy blizzard of grave tempers dominated.
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A LETTERED SOUL: REFLECTIONS ON LITERATURE, CINEMA AND CULTURE .
Non-FictionI have often wondered about the very curdled natures of our opinions so much so that the perch of imagination simply becomes a bystanding abstraction and real thoughts of genuine merit slip between the fingers. That is a human tendency, to beat arou...
