Latcho Drom - A Review.

Many a times, rather – always, we see a movie with a walking antagonist, struggling and conflicting in some or the other way. I have seen quite a few movies, portraying a different character always. Some of them are great fighters, some suffering from an OCD, some even in form of souls – dead and dreaming both, but today it was a different encounter.

Latcho Drom- took me into a new world, full of timed, rhythmic and progressive beats. Today, I encountered yet another differently styled protagonist, no, not gypsies, nor human civilizations. Yes, all the living beings in the movie play an amazing role of supporting the lead character- more of a “side-kick” – but the “hero”, the protagonist of this movie was, undoubtedly, Music. All the while I had heard about this film being about life of gypsies.

It is said, it’s about Gypsies travelling all around the world, from deserts of Rajasthan, to borders of Egypt, from fields of Istanbul to Romania, following it into Hungary, Slovakia, France and Spain. Agreed.

The film captures life of often-neglected gypsies, who travel, across land and water, living their life with new cultures, infusing same with their own, picking up some from there, and moving forward, whenever needed or desired. They have been more than often been hated and persecuted by almost every king and kingdom, masses and civilizations. Hitler went after them as industriously as he did with the Jews. Nicolae Ceausescu terrorized them in Romania. Christians castigated them as pagans. The “roshomon” of every country has always been prejudiced, suspicious about them.

Latcho Drom- portrays life of this breed, species – I would like to call them – Reason being they are higher to us. We all feel that they are ignorant about ways of the world, they don’t know rules, or culture, or how to behave in the society, very few would have encountered “worldly pleasures”. However, they have lived in open, breathed every morning fresh air, woken up to the first ray of sunlight, slept under the lullaby of stars, and lived their life – in the language of music and lyrics. They converse with their God, whenever they want, however they want, their beliefs have kept them strong against the entire community which they often come across. People welcome them with guns for a few minutes, only to tell them – to go away- in less respectable way than they would shoo away stray animals with. We see them dancing to the tunes of their own happiness, to the beats of their work, to the tunes of morning light- to the lament of holocaust –to the exiled life that they live. We find them singing the pain in their words, with claps, and pass on a beam to a crying face- via someone as innocent as a child.

That is the reason – why I find Music – to be the lead character of this movie.

I don’t know if it is only me who is reading too much between the lines, or maybe it is my love for music that’s speaking – but I noticed the film talk about life of civilizations woven with music. Film starts with – A child singing, in high scale, a song – greeting the morning time, it follows – with dance and prayer, moves on to another country where civilizations have atleast the shelter above their heads, to shack houses, and so on and so forth – till the time their shelter is snatched away by keepers of society. They are again, homeless- and a mourning lament follows that sings to everyone snuggled under their warm blankets, eating tasty bread and discussing gossip.

Isn’t it weird how we find three characters always, A girl waiting to dance – a lady already dancing to the tune of the learned musician – being looked at, in awe by some kid – who aspires to be like him, and above all – a crowd around them – some sharing their life with it, others ,just looking. Never do we see their faces - as a mass.

Another thing – that struck me about this creation was the way music was produced. Not only, were the music being created by sounds of their daily tools – signifying how their work-life is as similar as their homes, how they find solace and enjoyment in whatever they do,  but also, the beauty in which it was produced – Similar tempo – rising progressions – adding instruments  - joined by vocals – layering it with beautiful Lyrics and sung out to the steps of dancing souls.

All I will say in the end is that – If you weren’t tapping your feet to the rhythms and music in this movie – stop calling yourself a music lover- and, most probably, if you didn’t enjoy this piece of art – Well – Think again, about your future.

Cheers.