Ilango Ramanathan's MOUNA VIZHITHTHULIGAL

Movie review by Dennis D. McDonald

Ilango Ramanathan’s short film (the title translates into English as “Silent Tears”) tells the tale of a father and his blind daughter’s days within the walls of a bunker during the final stages of the civil war in Sri Lanka.

Sound and photography emphasize terror and heartbreak as the father tries to shield his daughter from the reality of what is going on outside.

He does not answer her repeated question, “Why are you crying, father?” but the audience sees and hears all.

This is as stunning and heartfelt a condemnation of war as I have ever seen. The director is a successful producer of commercials; here’s hoping he continues making films like this!

Reviews of other war-related book and movies:

• Peter Webber’s EMPEROR
• Steven Spielberg’s LINCOLN
• Alexander Sokurov’s THE SUN
• Josh Barkan’s BEFORE HIROSHIMA: THE CONFESSION OF MURAYAMA KAZUO (Short Story)
• Kerri Sakomoto’s ONE HUNDRED MILLION HEARTS
• Shelby Foote’s THE CIVIL WAR, A NARRATIVE: FORT SUMTER TO PERRYVILLE
• JAPAN’s LONGEST DAY
• Santosh Sivan’s ASOKA
• Santosh Sivan’s THE TERRORIST
• Drew Gilpin Faust’s THIS REPUBLIC OF SUFFERING: DEATH AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
• Makoto Shinkai’s THE PLACE PROMISED IN OUR EARLY DAYS
• George Orwell’s HOMAGE TO CATALONIA
• Elie Wiesel’s NIGHT

Review copyright (c) 2014 by Dennis D. McDonald.