Capernaum - Movie Review

                                                              CAPERNAUM - MOVIE REVIEW

    Capernaum is one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen - craftfully built, emotionally intense and methodically original. Nadine Labaky brings before us a realistic drama that captures the intense moments of life through the lens of a refugee boy. 

    Zain, a 12 year old boy plays the lead role and Nabaky has cast him as a microcosm to the disappointing world of migrants. Yonas, the one year old boy is another great attraction of the whole story and he just lives his part in the movie. The confusions of a family with huge number of members and the disillusionment they go through with the meagre food and unfulfilled desires is depicted in the most realistic way. The character of Rahil is no exception to the way she fits into motherhood. Words fail to describe the intense sense of emotion that the movie instils in a viewer. This is a must watch and one of the best movies I have ever watched.

 The story revolves around the life of a 12 year old boy who is convicted for having stabbed an adult. The crux of the plot lies in the way in which the boy finally sues his parents for having brought him to this world unnecessarily. He vehemently criticises them and explodes for the need for his parents to stop reproducing as they cannot feed and take care of the children properly. 

    The movie has enough food for thought to think about the predicaments before planning for a baby. In a world where children are brought straight into the world without any prior future thoughts, the movie serves to stand as an eye opener. The trials and tribulations that the boy undergoes and the mechanisms through which he finally manages to move further away is portrayed in a very delicate manner. Rahil, the mother of the one year boy who is another migrant who serves as a foil to Zain's mother. The care and time that a mother can owe to each of her children literally turns less when there are more number of kids at home. The pure desperation for not having been able to bring up the children in the appropriate way too is a concern when we analyse things from the perspective of these parents. 

    In a nutshell, this is a mind piercing movie though the end part produces some kind of relief for its audience. This is a must watch movie, specifically for the exceptional roles handled by both Zain and Yonas, the two little boys. 

A. Krishna Sunder