INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 A Study on the Influences of World’s Great Movies in Tamil Cinema Anbusathiyan R Dept. of Visual Communication, Subbalakshmi Lakshmipathy College of Science - Maduari [email protected] Abstract— Film studies actually compel to watch many movies to understand its various nuances. Many film institutes dedicate several hours for film screening and film appreciation programs in their academic schedule. Film festivals, film societies and online sources help the industry people to watch and study about foreign movies. The purpose of this study is to prove that the Tamil film industry is well exposed to world movies. By watching such movies help them while they structure and present their own movies. This study compares few Tamil films with world classic movies. It highlights the common aspects and uniqueness between two movies. Results of the study indicate that Tamil film makers have got inspired from various great movies around the world though their intention is not to copying others work. Keywords— Film studies, structure, uniqueness, film screening, Tamil cinema, Movie inspirations. Volume 8 Issue 11 2019 18 http://infokara.com/ INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 I. INTRODUCTION The thirst for making movies started around the world at the end of the nineteenth century. It is a well known fact that the short movies of Thomos. A. Edision and Lumiere brothers have shaken the world. Lumiere brothers also inspired the Indians by showcasing their movies in Indian cities like Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. H. S. Bhatvadekar, a photographer from Bombay encountered the first screening of Lumiere’s show of short films like ‘Wrestling Match at the Hanging Garden- Bombay’, ‘The Training of Circus Monkey’, which are known as the first Indian news films (McKernan). Since then the filmmakers from India have begun to tell stories in their own way, but they never stopped getting inspirations from the masters of cinema around the world. Satyajit Ray was inspired by Vittorio De Sica’s “Bicycle Thieves”. He was inspired by the way De Sica used the inexperienced people to act, he inspired the way De Sica used the live locations instead of studio, the use of artists without makeup and many more (SatyajitRay.org). Like “Bicycles Thieves” to Satyajit Ray many filmmakers around the world and India have got their inspiration from many great films. This study throws light on few Tamil films that have potential evidence of getting inspiration from the famous movies around the world. II. OBJECTIVE 1. To understand the benefits of film studies 2. To identify and appreciate the Tamil filmmakers who have got inspiration from the world best movies. III. METHODOLOGY The methodology used in this study is content analysis where the researcher has selected five different films from Tamil cinema to compare it with the world movies. The Researcher has selected these movies by discussing various movie buffs over the phone and through Volume 8 Issue 11 2019 19 http://infokara.com/ INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 direct chat. Researcher’s own experience is also a part of this selection. By browsing data in Internet, reading books and watching these movies help researcher to complete the study. IV. THE IMPORTANCE OF FILM STUDIES The process of understanding films begin with knowing its history and learning different film theories. Film studies help us to identify many filmmakers and their films, film making styles, different film genres and various cultural histories and many more. It also helps us to develop interpretive skills about film (Trinity university). Watching and appreciating movies develop the analytical and assessment skills of a person. It also develops personal taste for films. Film studies have become important academic discipline in universities and film schools. Film industry people like directors, technicians, producers, actors, film lovers and many also study films in various forms. Film studies comprise watching many movies of different masters around the world. The habit of watching movies impart the real understanding on films. This is knowingly or unknowingly in ones own movies. V. CONTENT ANALYSIS Tamil films ‘Nayakan’, ‘Virumaandi’, ‘Anniyan’, ‘May Madham’ ‘Pudupettai’ are taken as samples for the content analysis. There are lot many stuff to discuss about these films. Each film is unique and successful in its own way. However, this research explores only the signs of commonness that is shared with the world classic movies. The world classic movies as follows. 1.THE GODFATHER BY FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA “The Godfather” was an American gangster movie trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola. “The Godfather” was stunningly powerful to the audience all over the world (Messenger) and has been an inspiration for many filmmakers in Tamil films. The plot of Volume 8 Issue 11 2019 20 http://infokara.com/ INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 “The Godfather” is “How the normal person becomes a don”. The same basic plot line can be seen in Tamil films like ‘Nayakan’ (1987) directed by Manirathanam and Pudupettai (2006) directed by Selvaragavan. In all these films the protagonist becomes more violent after the murder of their loved ones. The way Alpachino orders to kill his enemies in Godfather after the death of his father, Kamalhasan kills other dons in Mumbai after the murder of his wife Saranya . 2.RASHOMON - AKIRA KUROSAWA Rashomon directed by “Akira Kuraowa” is a Japanese movie considered one of the greatest movie ever made. This film is known for its screenplay, which narrates a story in three different ways from three different person’s point of view. In this film different people meet at a place, they narrate the same incident with three different endings. Eventually this way of telling story is named after this film called ‘The Rashomon effect’. The Tamil film ‘Virumaandi’ (2004) directed by Kamalhaasan followed this Rashomon effect. Though the story and the plot are totally different from the Rashomon, the way of narrating story is harmonizing in both films (Nishanth). In “Virumandi”, antagonist narrates a sequence of incidents that takes his side’s facts then the same incidents are narrated by protagonist. The second time, the facts are totally different from the earlier ones. Here the audience have to see the same scenes twice where in Rashoman it is thrice. 3. PSYCHO – ALFRED HICHCOOK “Psycho” (1960) is an American psychological horror movie directed by Hitchcook. This film has been an inspiration for many horror movies around the world ever since it was made. A character named Norman Bates owner of a highway motel showed as a Mamma’s boy who killed his own mother out of jealousy and the subsequent distress led him to a split personality and starts living as himself and his mother as well. Volume 8 Issue 11 2019 21 http://infokara.com/ INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 This dual personality makes him to become a violent killer, in one of his personalities he is pleasant and sympathetic, but in the other he dresses as a woman and commits horrible murders (Schneider). This split personality disorder plays key element in designing the story of a Tamil movie ‘Anniyan’ (2005) directed by Shankar. In ‘Anniyan’, the protagonist becomes the split personality out of his inability, he becomes a violent killer when he finds some injustice activity in the society and he becomes a lover boy when he meets his crush. After Hitchcock’s Psycho, there are dozens of movies with the split personality disorder in the world but among Tamil movies ‘Anniyan’ is the best example of such film, which uses this concept effectively. 4.ROMAN HOLIDAY - WILLIAM WYLER “Roman Holiday” (1953) directed by William Wyler, the director of the famous movie Ben-Hur. The story line of the movie is about a bored and sheltered princess who escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome. Tamil film ‘May Madham' (1994) directed by Venus Balu has the same kind of story line. A girl from a rich family escapes from her home because her father has arranged the marriage for her, which she does not like. So she escapes from her home and reaches Chennai where she meets a photographer accidentally. Finally she falls in love with him. Both the film apparently has the same story line. VI. CONCLUSION: Directors of the above films are well-established and successful directors of Tamil film industry. Taking their films, as sample is only to show that the Tamil film directors are well exposed to world class movies for many years. There is a big difference between ‘copying the work’ and ‘being inspired from the work’. Even the most original works may reflect some Volume 8 Issue 11 2019 22 http://infokara.com/ INFOKARA RESEARCH ISSN NO: 1021-9056 resemblance with others works but creating something out of certain inspiration is quite difference. Famous American author and photographer ‘Chuck Close’ says, “Amateurs look for inspiration; the rest of us just get up and go to work” (Close). The quote says that those who want to do creative work will have to look for some inspirations other wise they will be doing the routine work as most people do. This study brings the findings on the impact of film studies that have helped the filmmakers in one or other way to structure their own films. Hence, it is proved that having encountered, and studied about the world-class movies, reflects on our own movies. These movie samples from Tamil cinema clearly indicate that Tamil filmmakers are greatly exposed to world cinema and they get inspirations from it. VII. WORK CITED: McKernan, Luke. “Harichandra Sakharam Bhatvadekar (Save Dada).” Who's Who of Victorian Cinema. <https://www.victorian-cinema.net/bhatvadekar>.