57-447: Shanmugha Raja , known professionally as Mysskin , is an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist, playback singer, actor, film producer and composer. He made his directorial debut in 2006 with Chithiram Pesuthadi . His subsequent films Anjathe (2008), Nandalala (2010) and Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum (2013) and Pisaasu (2014) received critical acclaim. He made his acting debut with Nandalala (2010), where he portrayed
114-672: A mentally disabled man. Shanmugha Raja chose Mysskin as his assumed name, inspired by Prince Myshkin , the protagonist in Fyodor Dostoevsky 's novel The Idiot . His schooling was in Tamil . He is an avid book reader. Mysskin was working in a book store when director Kathir first asked him to join him. He was with him for nearly eight months but did not work in any movie. It was under director Vincent Selva that he did his first movie Youth , followed by Jithan , again under Vincent Selva. Mysskin made his directorial debut in 2006 with
171-649: A prisoner of war . Robert Bresson lived in Paris , France, in the Île Saint-Louis . Initially also a photographer, Bresson made his first short film, Les affaires publiques ( Public Affairs ) in 1934. Bresson enlisted in the French Army on the onset of World War II , where he was captured by the Germans in 1940 and held as a prisoner of war for more than a year; an experience which informed Un condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veut ( A Man Escaped ). In
228-654: A budget of ₹ 1.20 crores, the film faced publicity issues but was later released in Chennai and the rest of Tamil Nadu. The film became a massive hit of that year. The film was later remade in Telugu as Raju Bhai , and in Kannada as Kiccha Huccha . Thirunavukarasu, aka Thiru, a fearless karateka, saves the son of a local don from being killed by members of a rival gang. In return, the don Annachi hires Thiru as his henchman. Thiru's mother and younger sister dislike his association with
285-431: A career that spanned fifty years, Bresson made only 13 feature-length films. This reflects his painstaking approach to the filmmaking process and his non-commercial preoccupations. Difficulty finding funding for his projects was also a factor. Bresson was sometimes accused of an " ivory tower existence". Later in his life, he said that he had stopped watching other filmmakers' movies in theaters, although he later praised
342-453: A detailed critical analysis. The Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman praised and admired Bresson's films such as Mouchette and Diary of a Country Priest , although he disliked Au hasard Balthazar . The French filmmaker Jean Cocteau held Bresson in high regard. The French filmmaker Alain Resnais was a strong admirer of Bresson and his work. The French filmmaker Jean-Pierre Melville
399-503: A film based on the Book of Genesis , although he believed such a production would be too costly and time-consuming. Bresson's early artistic focus was to separate the language of cinema from that of the theater, which often relies heavily upon the actor's performance to drive the work. Film scholar Tony Pipolo writes that "Bresson opposed not just professional actors, but acting itself," preferring to think of his actors as 'models'. In Notes on
456-580: A high reputation with the founders of the French New Wave . He is often listed (along with Alexandre Astruc and André Bazin ) as one of the main figures who influenced them. New Wave pioneers praised Bresson and posited him as a prototype for or precursor to the movement. However, Bresson was neither as overtly experimental nor as outwardly political as the New Wave filmmakers, and his religious views ( Catholicism and Jansenism ) were not attractive to most of
513-454: A new leaf by selling toys at a sidewalk. Charu is impressed by Thiru's changed personality and decides to marry him. Her father (Raviprakash) gives her his blessings, though her uncle ( Mahadevan ) does not approve. However, her hopes are shattered after she witnessed a naked Thiru being clumped away in a police truck from a brothel after a raid. She gives up her plans of being with him and blames her father for not raising her well enough to make
570-523: A remark Chateaubriand had made about 19th century poets and applying it to actors: "what they lack is not naturalness, but Nature." For Bresson, "to think it's more natural for a movement to be made or a phrase to be said like this than like that " is "absurd", and "nothing rings more false in film [...] than the overstudied sentiments" of theater. With his 'model' technique, Bresson's actors were required to repeat multiple takes of each scene until all semblances of 'performance' were stripped away, leaving
627-551: A stark effect that registers as both subtle and raw. This, as well as Bresson's restraint in musical scoring, would have a significant influence on minimalist cinema. In the academic journal CrossCurrents , Shmuel Ben-gad wrote: There is a credibility in Bresson's models: They are like people we meet in life, more or less opaque creatures who speak, move, and gesture [...] Acting, on the other hand, no matter how naturalistic, actively deforms or invents by putting an overlay or filter over
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#1733105641986684-584: Is French cinema, as Dostoevsky is the Russian novel and Mozart is the German music." ) Screenwriter and director Alain Cavalier describes Bresson's role as pivotal not only in the New Wave movement, but for French cinema in general, writing, "In French cinema you have a father and a mother: the father is Bresson and the mother is Renoir , with Bresson representing the strictness of the law and Renoir warmth and generosity. All
741-512: Is about a don, his favourite henchman and the henchman's girl. But Misskin's effort to give a slight variation in his presentation, lacing his screenplay with subtle humour, and not letting the pace slow down with some inane comedy track has turned it into a fairly engaging film". A standalone sequel named Chithiram Pesuthadi 2 was released in 2019 by the same production company. Robert Bresson Robert Bresson ( French: [ʁɔbɛʁ bʁɛsɔ̃] ; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999)
798-409: Is an attempt to create a new language of moving images and sounds. Bresson is often referred to as a " patron saint " of cinema, not only for the strong Catholic themes found throughout his oeuvre, but also for his notable contributions to the art of film. His style can be detected through his use of sound, associating selected sounds with images or characters; paring dramatic form to its essentials by
855-437: Is designed (like Ozu's) to discipline the emotions at the same time that it arouses them: to induce a certain tranquility in the spectator, a state of spiritual balance that is itself the subject of the film." Some feel that Bresson's Catholic upbringing and belief system lie behind the thematic structures of most of his films. Recurring themes under this interpretation include salvation , redemption , defining and revealing
912-493: Is inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle 's famous detective thriller Sherlock Holmes . Mysskin has found success as an actor in films not directed by him. In the film Savarakathi (2018), he played the antagonist opposite director Ram . The film was an average commercial success but was praised by critics. He also had an important cameo appearance in Thiagarajan Kumararaja 's Super Deluxe (2019). Later, he has directed
969-410: Is one of the most respected books on film theory and criticism. His theories about film greatly influenced other filmmakers, particularly the French New Wave directors. Opposing the established pre-war French cinema (known as Tradition de la Qualité ["tradition of quality"]) by offering his own personal responses to the question "what is cinema?", and by formulating his ascetic style, Bresson gained
1026-677: Is part of Annachi's gang, Charu goes to confront him. Thiru's friends reveal that he was only at the brothel that day to save his friend's family, who lives there. Instead, he sees Charu's father there, who was in the company of prostitutes. To give time for Charu's father to flee the area, Thiru creates a distraction by attacking the police officers. They beat him up and tear him off his clothes while trying to arrest him. Charu realises her mistake and asks Thiru's friends to take her to him. Meanwhile, Thiru has devised his own plans in an attempt to thwart Annachi's plans and save Charu. He has arranged for his friends to bring Charu and her fiancé separately to
1083-501: Is the Russian novel and Mozart is German music." Bresson was born at Bromont-Lamothe , Puy-de-Dôme , the son of Marie-Élisabeth (née Clausels) and Léon Bresson. Little is known of his early life. He was educated at Lycée Lakanal in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine , close to Paris, and turned to painting after graduating. Three formative influences in his early life seem to have made a mark on his films: Catholicism , art, and his experiences as
1140-412: Is the feeling that God is everywhere, and the more I live, the more I see that in nature, in the country. When I see a tree, I see that God exists. I try to catch and to convey the idea that we have a soul and that the soul is in contact with God. That's the first thing I want to get in my films. In a 1976 interview with Paul Schrader , Bresson said that he was concerned by what he saw as "the collapse of
1197-444: Is what it is—ordinary, simple—without pronouncing the word 'God,' the more I see the presence of God in that. ... I don't want to shoot something in which God would be too transparent." In his work, "there is a presence of something which I call God, but I don't want to show it too much. I prefer to make people feel it." Furthermore, in a 1983 interview for TSR 's Spécial Cinéma , Bresson declared that he had been interested in making
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#17331056419861254-596: The Second Vatican Council 's transition to the Mass of Paul VI , explaining that while he still felt a sense of transcendence sitting in a cathedral, Vatican II's changes to the Mass made it harder for him to feel the presence of God. Although several writers claim that Bresson described himself as a "Christian atheist", it is not known in what context he made that statement (if he ever did). In 1973, Bresson explained: There
1311-515: The Catholic religion" in France. He did not believe the post-Vatican II Church was capable of responding to this challenge. The Devil Probably incorporates some of his criticisms of the post-Vatican II Church. Bresson explained that his youthful protagonist "is looking for something on top of life, but he doesn't find it. He goes to Church to seek it, and he doesn't find it." In addition, an early scene in
1368-602: The Cinematographer (original French title: Notes sur le cinématographe ; also published in English as Notes on the Cinematograph ), a collection of aphorisms written by Bresson, the director succinctly defines the difference between the two: HUMAN MODELS: movement from the exterior to the interior. [...] ACTORS: movement from the interior to the exterior. Bresson further elaborates on his disdain for acting by appropriating
1425-595: The Criterion Collection. The British-American filmmaker Christopher Nolan was influenced by Bresson's films (specifically Pickpocket and A Man Escaped ) for his film, Dunkirk . The Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos listed Bresson as one of his favorite filmmakers and picked Pickpocket as "the most moving film I've ever seen". Benny Safdie named the Bresson's film A Man Escaped as his favorite film of all time. Martin Scorsese praised Bresson as "one of
1482-786: The James Bond film For Your Eyes Only (1981), saying that "It filled me with wonder ... if I could have seen it twice in a row and again the next day, I would have." Critic Jonathan Rosenbaum , an admirer of Bresson's work, argued that the filmmaker was "a mysterious, aloof figure", and wrote that on the set of Four Nights of a Dreamer (1971), where Rosenbaum was an extra, the director "seemed more isolated from his crew than any other filmmaker I've seen at work; his widow and onetime assistant director, Mylene van der Mersch, often conveyed his instructions." Bresson died on 18 December 1999, at his home in Droue-sur-Drouette southwest of Paris. He
1539-418: The actors didn't act out the emotions, the audience could internalize them." In Against Interpretation , Susan Sontag wrote that "Some art aims directly at arousing the feelings; some art appeals to the feelings through the route of the intelligence ... art that detaches, that provokes reflection. In the film, the master of the reflective mode is Robert Bresson." Sontag said that "the form of Bresson’s films
1596-475: The audience, which resulted in a stupendous hit. Sify wrote, "Promising start precede big blunders. The first half an hour of Chitirram Pesuthadi builds up your hope of seeing a good gangster movie but it all comes crashing down as the film drags on at snail pace and finally ends with a whimper". Malini Mannath of Chennai Online wrote, "It's an oft-repeated plot that the director (apprenticed under Kathir and Vincent Selva) has chosen for his debut film - it
1653-603: The better French cinema has and will have to connect to Bresson in some way." Bresson has also influenced a number of other filmmakers, including Andrei Tarkovsky , Chantal Akerman , Jean Eustache , Abel Ferrara , Philippe Garrel , Hal Hartley , Monte Hellman , Jim Jarmusch , Louis Malle , Michael Haneke , Olivier Assayas , Atom Egoyan , the Dardenne brothers , Aki Kaurismäki , and Paul Schrader , whose book Transcendental Style in Film: Ozu, Bresson, Dreyer includes
1710-479: The cinema's greatest artists" and an influence on his films such as Taxi Driver . Andrei Tarkovsky held Bresson in very high regard, noting him and Ingmar Bergman as his two favourite filmmakers, and stating: "I am only interested in the views of two people: one is called Bresson and one called Bergman." In his book Sculpting in Time , Tarkovsky describes Bresson as "perhaps the only artist in cinema, who achieved
1767-474: The drastically secular subjects of crime, the revenge of betrayed love, and solitary imprisonment also yield the same themes." Bresson worried that the new French generation was too materialistic to harbor true religious belief, saying that "every religion is poverty and poverty is the way of having contact with mystery and with God. When Catholicism wants to be materialistic, God is not there." He tried to reach modern audiences indirectly, explaining, "the more life
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1824-467: The film shows a young Catholic complaining that the post-Vatican II Church "run[s] after Protestants." Bresson explained that his films often address secular themes because he believed that a secular film with religious undercurrents was more likely to resonate with modern filmgoers than an explicitly religious theme. Susan Sontag wrote that in his films, while a "religious vocation supplies one setting for ideas about gravity, lucidity, and martyrdom, ...
1881-440: The filmmakers associated with the movement. In his development of auteur theory , François Truffaut lists Bresson among the few directors to whom the term "auteur" can genuinely be applied, and later names him as one of the only examples of directors who could approach even the so-called "unfilmable" scenes, using the film narrative at its disposal. Jean-Luc Godard also looked upon Bresson with high admiration ("Robert Bresson
1938-415: The gang but have to live with his decision. One day, Thiru stumbles upon Charumathi, aka Charu, a worker at an NGO who fights injustice. A quarrel ensues between them, and they grow to dislike each other. Nobody has spoken up to Thiru before, and he admires Charu's courage. Whenever they bump into one another, Charu berates Thiru for being a gangster. Ashamed, Thiru and a few of the gangsters try to turn over
1995-473: The highest number of films (seven) that made the 2012 Sight & Sound critics' poll of the 250 greatest films ever made. His works A Man Escaped (1956), Pickpocket (1959) and Au hasard Balthazar (1966) were ranked among the top 100, and other films like Mouchette (1967) and L'Argent (1983) also received many votes. Jean-Luc Godard once wrote, "He is the French cinema, as Dostoevsky
2052-432: The human soul , and metaphysical transcendence of a limiting and materialistic world. An example is A Man Escaped (1956), where a seemingly simple plot of a prisoner of war 's escape can be read as a metaphor for the mysterious process of salvation. Bresson's films are also critiques of French society and the wider world, with each revealing the director's sympathetic, if unsentimental, view of society's victims. That
2109-482: The lead role is not infallible. Mysskin is known to start film shoot only after a bound script is ready. He rigorously annotates his scripts with cues and camera lens focal lengths for each scene. He says that his films are influenced by the works of Kurosawa. His assistant directors like G. R. Adithya and Sri Ganesh have also made successful films like Savarakathi and 8 Thottakkal . His younger brother Aathityaa directed Devil (2024), for which he composed
2166-518: The low-budget film Chithiram Pesuthadi , which went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year. A simple love story, it became a hit owing to the unique style the film was written in. The leads, debutants Narain and Bhavana , went on to become popular faces following the success. He then directed Anjathe (2008) which became one of the biggest blockbusters in Tamil cinema. The film received critical acclaim for all departments of filmmaking. The film
2223-533: The main characters of Bresson's most contemporary films, The Devil, Probably (1977) and L'Argent (1983), reach similarly unsettling conclusions about life indicates the director's feelings towards the culpability of modern society in the dissolution of individuals. Of an earlier protagonist he said, "Mouchette offers evidence of misery and cruelty. She is found everywhere: wars, concentration camps, tortures, assassinations." Film historian Mark Cousins argues that "If Bergman and Fellini filmed life as if it
2280-454: The mentally challenged character (marking his major acting debut) after the script was turned down by many established actors. The film went on to become his most critically acclaimed film, with some critics calling it one of the best Tamil films ever made. His next film, Yuddham Sei (2011), a dark crime thriller was a hit at the box office as well. His visual style and directing prowess were appreciated and talked about by everybody. In 2012,
2337-576: The music. This is a list of films Mysskin worked for other directors. Chithiram Pesuthadi Chithiram Pesuthadi ( transl. The Picture Speaks, Dear ) is a 2006 Indian Tamil -language romantic action drama film written and directed by Mysskin in his directorial debut. The film stars Narain and Bhavana , both making their debuts in Tamil cinema industry. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Sundar C. Babu with cinematography by Mahesh Muthuswami and editing by M. Kasi Viswanathan. Produced by Dreambridge Productions on
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2394-592: The person, presenting a simplification of a human being and not allowing the camera to capture the actor's human depths. Thus what Bresson sees as the essence of filmic art, the achievement of the creative transformation involved in all art through the interplay of images of real things, is destroyed by the artifice of acting. For Bresson, then, acting is, like mood music and expressive camera work, just one more way of deforming reality or inventing that has to be avoided. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote that Bresson's directorial style resulted in films "of great passion: Because
2451-876: The psychological thriller Psycho (2020). He has also played antagonistic roles in films such as Maaveeran (2023) and Leo (2023). He debuted as music director with Devil (2024). Mysskin is inspired by filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa , Robert Bresson and Takeshi Kitano . He is known for his peculiar combat sequences using elaborate storyboard and real unarmed martial strikes and stances ; unconventional shots (like close-ups of feet); diegetic sound , light, silhouette and shadow; stage techniques (like monologue , face-floor, motion-freeze); staccato background score; meticulous scene and set construction ; irony-laden dialogues; ellipses ; minimalism ; deep characterization (with archetypal hairdo, dress, accent, posture, gesture, locale, furniture); limited use of song choreography; and neo-noir renditions where
2508-764: The registrar's office to get them married. However, Annachi shows up and orders his men to attack Thiru. When Charu arrives at the scene, she is overwhelmed to see that Thiru has been stabbed and is fighting for his life. Only then does Annachi realise that she and Thiru are in love. He stops the attack and lets Thiru's friends rush him to the hospital. Thiru is saved, and Annachi agrees to let him go. He marries Charu, and they live happily ever after. The film's score and soundtrack were composed by Sundar C Babu , who made his debut in film scoring through this film. The album features 12 tracks overall, including four instrumental tracks. The lyrics were penned by Kabilan and director Mysskin himself, while Gana Ulaganathan had written and sung
2565-417: The right decision. Later that day, her father commits suicide. Charu blames Thiru for ruining her life and causing her father's death. Thiru and his friends return to Annachi. Charu's uncle arranges for her to be married to his own relative. However, Annachi's son sees Charu during her engagement and falls in love with her. Annachi threatens Charu's uncle to surrender his niece to him. After learning that Thiru
2622-433: The song "Vazha Meenu", which is considered as having contributed immensely to the film's success. Released by Dreambride Productions on 10 February 2006, the film initially failed to attract an audience due to a low-profile release and a lack of publicity. It was removed from almost all theatres within two weeks after its release. SUN Networks helped promote the song "Vaazha Meenu" by repeated airings on its channels, making
2679-410: The song a cult hit. In the meantime, the movie generated a word of mouth publicity combined with excellent press reviews. Taking the cue, Dreambridge initiated the process to re-release in the Chennai area first. The re-release witnessed a tremendous opening which invoked the interest of Aascar Ravichandran, who distributed the film to the rest of Tamil Nadu. The re-release of the film was well received by
2736-402: The spare use of music; and through his infamous 'actor-model' methods of directing his almost exclusively non-professional actors. Mark Cousins writes: So complete was Bresson's rejection of cinema norms that he has a tendency to fall outside film history. However, his uncompromising stance has been extremely influential in some quarters. Bresson's book Notes on the Cinematographer (1975)
2793-431: The superhero film Mugamoodi has all the makings of a successful film but ends up disappointing. He then both produced and directed the film Onaayum Aattukkuttiyum (2013). Mysskin, known for his offbeat subjects tries his hand for the first time at a horror thriller genre. Pisaasu (2014) which has the signature style of Mysskin has been produced by director Bala ’s home banner B Studios . In 2017, Thupparivaalan
2850-421: Was 98. He made his last film, L'Argent , in 1983 and had been unwell for some time. Bresson was a Catholic, although he disagreed with some points of Catholic theology, explaining that he was not sure of the resurrection of the body and "would rather be a Jansenist than Jesuit " due to his belief in predestination . In his later life he stopped attending church services due to his dissatisfaction with
2907-406: Was a French film director . Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson made a notable contribution to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, ellipses , and sparse use of scoring have led his works to be regarded as preeminent examples of minimalist film. Much of his work is known for being tragic in story and nature. Bresson is among the most highly regarded filmmakers of all time. He has
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#17331056419862964-406: Was a theatre and a circus, respectively, Bresson's microcosm was that of a prison", describing Bresson's characters as "psychologically imprisoned". Bresson published Notes on the Cinematographer in 1975, in which he argues for a unique sense of the term " cinematography ". For him, cinematography is the higher function of cinema. While a movie is in essence "only" filmed theatre, cinematography
3021-570: Was also fond of Bresson and his work. The French filmmaker Jacques Rivette has acknowledged Bresson's influence on his films. The Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski was also influenced by him and ranked Bresson's film, A Man Escaped as one of the top ten films that "affected" him the most. The Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni was influenced by Bresson's film Les Dames du Bois de Boulogne . The German filmmaker Werner Herzog praised Bresson's films such as Pickpocket and Au hasard Balthazar . The Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr
3078-418: Was also noted for its narrative style and mise-en-scène , which marked an example of Tamil new wave cinema. Mysskin went on to direct Nandalala (2010), a film loosely based on Takeshi Kitano's Kikujiro (1999) and being completely different from his first two ventures. The film is about a young boy and a mentally challenged person going in search of their respective mothers. Mysskin himself chose to play
3135-491: Was influenced by Bresson and championed and paid homage to Bresson's film The Devil Probably with his film The Third Generation . When Fassbinder was a member of the jury in the 1977 Berlin Film Festival , he even went so far as to threaten to leave the jury (when his enthusiasm was not shared by his peers) unless his appreciation for Bresson's film was made known to the public. The Dardenne brothers 's film L'Enfant
3192-596: Was influenced by Bresson and listed Bresson film Au hasard Balthazar on his top ten films of all time. The Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami was highly influenced by Bresson and mentioned the personal importance of Bresson's book, Notes on the Cinematographer . The Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos listed Bresson's film Pickpocket on his top ten films of all time. The German director Wim Wenders praised and admired Bresson's films such as Au Hasard Balthazar and Mouchette , which were influential to his film career. The German filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder
3249-481: Was influenced by Bresson's film Pickpocket . The German director Margarethe von Trotta lists Bresson as one of her favorite directors. The American filmmaker Wes Anderson listed Au hasard Balthazar as one of his favorite films in the Criterion Collection library and called Bresson's film Mouchette , "terrific". The American filmmaker Richard Linklater was influenced by Bresson's work and listed Au hasard Balthazar and Pickpocket in his top 10 film list from
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