(2010) The epic Hindu Indian tale of Ramayana, adapted by director/writer/ producer/editor/animator (and "everything else unless otherwise specified") Nina Paley from Valmiki's book, is rendered as a fabulously fascinating animation, incorporating gorgeously intricate rangoli designs and '60s psychedelic art while interpolating the 1920s jazz songs of Annette Hanshaw into the story.

By way of introduction, a peacock's beak plays a phonograph recording as buxom, bejeweled Sita reclines with bare-chested Rama while a seated, gray-bearded Brahma's four heads swivel about his neck (the record begins to skip) followed by the appearance of Earth mother.

In San Francisco with their cat, depicted in wiggly illustration, Dave (voiced by Sanjiv Jhaveri) and Nina (voiced by Nina Paley) make love and live contentedly until Dave receives an offer to work in Trivandrum, India, at a green technopolis for six months, leaving behind his girlfriend. Their story is a modern-day reflection of one that occurred "a long time ago" BC in the ancient city of Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh state, northern India) as told by three shadow puppets (two males and a female), who occasionally contradict and correct one another.

King Dasharatha had three wives and four sons; his eldest Rama (voiced by Debargo Sanyal) married Sita (voiced by Reena Shah and Hanshaw when singing), the most beautiful woman in the world who had many other names. However, Dasharatha's "evil, scheming wife" Kaikeyi demands a favor of her spouse to banish "the ideal man," just as he's about to be crowned, for 14 years, causing the father great guilt (from which he dies, or maybe not).

Pleading for Rama to take her with him into the forest of his exile, Sita ("I cannot live without you") accompanies her blue-skinned hunk, who defends her with his bow and arrows against the one-eyed purple-people-eating demons.

Urged by his ugly sister Surphanaka, King Ravana (having nine heads) tricks Rama into chasing after a desirable deer for Sita (Betty Boobs in her saree blouse) in order to abduct the girl for himself, bringing her back to his kingdom on the island of Lanka (Ceylon). Sita leaves behind a trail of her jewelry (but at that time she had no jewelry - "Don't challenge these stories").

To assist Rama in the rescue of Sita ("Daddy, won't you please come home"), Shiva takes the shape (one of his many incarnations) of Hanuman, a monkey warrior. In stealing Sita, his only offense, was Ravana evil, for otherwise than keeping her in his palace, he did not force Sita ("I belong to Rama as the rays belong to the Sun") to do anything she was unwilling to do.

Meanwhile in India, when Dave's contract gets extended a year, he reluctantly agrees to Nina's flying out to live with him, but his feelings toward her have turned frosty. Rama, Hanuman, and the warrior monkeys free Sita from her captivity; but suspicious of her faithfulness (having resided so long in another man's house), Rama says to her that she's "unfit to be my wife."

Sita ("You're mean to me") proves her purity by passing through the flames of a pyre. Returning home together (via a magical flight), Sita sings "If you want the rainbow / Then you must have the rain." After Nina flies to New York City on an assignment, Dave sends her an e-mail: "Don't come back," leaving her abandoned in a bleak Brooklyn apartment.

Following a humorous intermission (though the film is only 83 minutes long, this break is a tradition of Indian movies) with characters walking across the stage with popcorn and going to the bathroom, Sita appears hugely pregnant; but once again Rama, now king, casts suspicious eyes on his wife, provoked by his people's doubts of her devotion. He asks his brother to remove her from the palace and abandon her in the forest.

Left alone, looking sorry in her saree ("Am I blue? Ain't these tears in my eyes tellin' you?") she gives birth to twin boys, who are taught to sing the praises of Rama. Unexpectedly coming upon his sons, once more Rama requires Sita to prove her purity.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2010 Patrick Ivers. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

Patrick Ivers can be reached via e-mail at .