Reading Notes; Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues, Part A

I thought this version of the Ramayana was HILARIOUS. I couldn't stop laughing; the different animations were funny, the narrators were funny, the dialogues were funny, I could go on and on. I feel like everyone should watch this short film just to watch it because while it tells the story well, it also adds many little side twists to it.

I really liked how Nina Paley put some of her own life story in the film as well, with little tweaks here and there. And many of her life's story correlated with what was going on in the Ramayana as well. I also thought the songs were interesting and were sung with a beautiful voice. 

I thought it was great that the film added in a little background of how Ravana was so devoted to Shiva and how his lust for Sita all began. It depicted the events of the Ramayana really well, and I thought it was amusing that the narrators argued over things a lot. If I were to re-write some of this, I could put it in the point of view of Brahma, the creator of all things, or even in Ravana's point of view. I could have something happen between Rama and Ravana in their childhood that made Ravana despise Rama. 

I thought it was super interesting that one of the narrators didn't like how Sita didn't go back to Rama with Hanuman. Is it because she didn't trust him or is it because she wants Rama to come himself? There are many possibilities, and I could write about one of them. I could write a story in which Sita goes back with Hanuman, which would be interesting because that is the only reason Ram was even going to Lanka in the first place. 

In this film, Lakshman is not shown very often; he is not seen guarding Sita when Ram goes after the golden deer (Maricha) or even accompanying Rama to see Sugriva and such. This got me thinking - what if I wrote a part of the Ramayana without Lakshman? Or without Hanuman? Or any other huge character in the Ramayana? There are many different ways I could take this story, we'll just have to see what I go with!

Bibliography: Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues.

Source: A narrator of Sita Sings the Blues describing the scene where Sita is praying for Rama while captured by Ravana.