Summaries
A historical action epic inspired by the life of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, who revolted against the atrocities of East India Company 10 years before the Sepoy Mutiny.
A chieftain of 66 villages in early colonial rule, Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, revolts against the atrocities of East India Company. He raids and defeats British Army camps and becomes a threat to the colonial rule. After failing to capture him, the British Army puts a bounty of Rs 10,000 on his head. As his attacks continues for a long period, Britishers plants moles at strategic positions. Unable to capture him, Britishers captures his family. He rescues his family, pointing a knife at the officer. The British Army finally captures him with the help of an informant and treats him like a criminal.
Synopsis
During 1857, the Indian subcontinent is in the grips of a widespread revolt against the rule of the British East India Company. The city of Jhansi is under siege by the British, and the defending soldiers begin to waver upon seeing that they are outnumbered. However, their queen, Rani Lakshmi Bai, motivates them by telling the tale of the rebel who started their war ten years ago: Narasimha Reddy.
Reddy was born to the chief of Uyyalawada and his two wives who are the daughters of Nossam’s chief. He is believed to have been blessed by God with gifted abilities and has demonstrated athletic and acrobatic skills from a young age. He defied death after being born still and coming to life. One day, a teenage Reddy rides past an execution conducted by the British, and his grandfather explains the predicament faced by villagers under the rule of the East India Company. Reddy vows to retaliate and learns combat and philosophy under sage Gosayi Venkanna. 25 years later, Reddy gathers several fallen chiefs and kings from different provinces and organizes a fully operational resistance in the city of Renadu. British forces led by Madras governor Cochrane took control of the kingdoms. Cochrane is told of Reddy’s resistance being effective against their rule and sends a general named Jackson to forcefully collect Renadu’s taxes.
Reddy meets the dancer Lakshmi and saves her life from stampeding cattle, who have been drugged by fellow chief Avuku Raju, who is known to have hostility towards Reddy for his popularity. Reddy rounds up the cattle, forgives Avuku, and also displays feelings for Lakshmi. But this comes to nothing as a child marriage has already been conducted between Reddy and a girl named Siddhamma, who has had feelings for Reddy even then. Due to believed omens, they were separated and reunited for a Yagam ritual. Upon knowing this, Lakshmi attempts suicide, but Reddy convinces her to give life another chance. In the meantime, Jackson raids and pillages the surrounding regions of Rennadu, and challenges Reddy by killing villagers who speak against him. In retaliation, Reddy attacks Jackson’s home by himself and kills all of his soldiers. He eventually beheads him and sends his head to Cochrane.
The resistance grows stronger when Lakshmi travels across the nation and promotes it, leading Tamil chief Raja Pandi to join. Cochrane sends a battalion of hundreds of men led by his man Daniel, all of whom are killed when Reddy and a group of civilians hold themselves down in a fort, using strategic traps to counter their technology. Admiring his bravery, Avuku reforms and helps Reddy defeat them. In the process, Siddhama gives birth to their child in the fort, and Reddy names him Subbaya after his farmer friend who perishes. As Reddy expands his army by training civilians, Cochrane manages to capture Lakshmi and use her to get to Reddy. When Lakshmi learns that Cochrane has enough weapons and ammunition to eliminate the resistance, she sets fire to her clothes and explodes, killing both herself and the men. Cochrane however survives and gathers his remaining troops to make a final stand against Reddy’s army. The two armies clash, and Cochrane kills Obanna and Raja Pandi is gravely injured however Reddy saves him by defeating Cochrane in a sword duel. The rebels hold them back and kill 10,000 men, but Reddy is forced to go into hiding when an injured Cochrane continues to search for him.
Because he had killed his son for attempting to assassinate him and collected a British bounty on his head, a chief named Veera Reddy betrays the resistance. At the same time, Reddy gave his tyrannical brother a second chance, but only to make his friends clear. It turns out that Reddy had spared and forgave him, without knowing Veera drugs Reddy’s tea which weakens him, allowing Cochrane’s men to capture him. Reddy is convicted and his supporters are exiled, but before Reddy is executed he gives a speech to his people telling them to stand strong and hold up the resistance. However, Reddy does not die even from hanging and escapes the noose. He is beheaded by one of the soldiers, but even after that, Reddy’s body manages to stab Cochrane to death. Reddy’s head is hung for a display to suppress the rebellion. Ten years later, Rani Lakshmi Bai and her men fight the British and defeat them. Gosayi Venkanna, Avuku Raju, Raja Pandi, and other supporters of Reddy are exiled from India. A narration states that Reddy’s rebellions will have served as inspiration for warriors and activists to gain their deserved freedom.
Ladder 49.
Better than average drama that shows firefighters as real people
Backdraft, directed by Ron Howard in 1991, was a thirteen-year ode to firefighters. This was before Howard went on to direct such popular fare as Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. This was before Kurt Russell came up with the idea for Captain Ron, and most importantly, it was before September 11, 2001.
To say that our impression of firefighters changed that day sounds, well, awkward. Firefighters have always been held in high regard. While everyone else is running for their lives, they run into burning buildings. They put their lives on the line to save others. It is a courage that most of us would like to think we have, but few of us are ever put into a position to test.
We stood in awe on September 11 as the buildings fell and 340 firefighters were taken from us too soon. Although the loss of lives that day included thousands of innocents, we warmed to our heroes and it brought their efforts and incredible bravado back to our attention. Immediately after the tragic events, it was not uncommon to see people wave or salute firefighters in the most remote regions of our country. On CNN we began to hear stories of the personal lives of these men. Their support. Their sacrifices.
Therefore, it is not surprising that our newly rekindled interest resulted in emotional powerhouses for the big screen. In 2002, Anthony LaPaglia and Sigourney Weaver played a firefighter and a writer to prepare eulogies for those fallen in the attacks in The Guys. Now, in 2004, red-hot Joaquin Pheonix and John Travolta have teamed up to bring us the highly effective Ladder 49.
Ladder 49 starts with a fire in a large Baltimore factory where multiple firemen have charged to look for survivors and extinguish the posing threat.
Lead by seasoned veteran Jack Morrison (Pheonix), the firemen are able to rescue a helpless employee before the floor gives way trapping Morrison within the building inferno. As Jack lays there helpless awaiting the rescue from his peers, we are sent back in time via the Hollywood standard flashback to understand what brought Jack to his present peril. We see Jack as he enters the fire hall for the first time and meets Captain Mike Kennedy (John Travolta) who takes the new probie under his wing and over the years develops a bond that includes being there when Jack gets married, has kids and steps into the shoes of a search and rescue firefighter who perishes when a roof gives way during a routine house fire. We learn how the firemen bond, how they drink together rather heavily and regularly and how when they lose one of their own, the emotional impact on them and their families.
Don’t get me wrong, all the above drama plays out while buildings burn, people are rescued from skyscrapers and people are saved from what would be sheer death if not for the charging brave souls of the local Fire Department. There is enough action to keep the younger audiences looking for the quick rush occupied while enough firemen running around in tight t-shirts to keep the women equally transfixed.
However, the story is what sets this movie apart from others that have come before it about firefighters. We get a good glimpse into the lives of the men and portrait of a young man learning the ropes and growing within the culture and environment that can be sometimes loose and playful only to become serious and deadly at the sound of a bell. Director Jay Russell (My Dog Skip) packs an emotional punch that doesn’t try and suck it out of the audience with an unexpected end. Instead, the opening scene shows Jack trapped, and before the tragic events unfold before our eyes, we can pretty much read the signs.
For all the focus played to the rising star Pheonix, it is the supporting cast that really stands out within the confines of the 105 minute running time. Travolta seems comfortable in playing a supporting role and is effective and powerful in his portrayal as the Captain of an efficiently run firehouse. Also standing above the average fare is Jacinda Barrett who plays Jacks wife. Yet another beautiful Australian actress, Barrett has the largest load in the film as the anchor that questions why her husband and father of her children would risk his lives for others ignoring his own well being. She exhibits both anxiety and support in her comprehension of his passion, and the strength of her character is what gives the movie its heart.
To compare Ladder 49 to Backdraft would be unfair. Backdraft did little to bolster our impression of the firefighting community while Ladder 49 shows them for what they deserve to be recognized as – heroes who at the sound of an alarm will put themselves in harms way to help others.