Language: Tamil
“We are violent people. Violence namma raththulaye iruku (Violence is our blood),” says Rocky (Vasanth Ravi) to his sister Amutha (Raveena Ravi). The film argues that violence is everywhere. You can either choose to acknowledge and participate or ignore it. But there’s no escaping it. For a long time, Rocky belonged to the former. (He is infamous for disemboweling Manimaaran’s (Bharathiraja) son.) After a seventeen-year jail sentence, Rocky wishes to be the latter. But he is forced to see the violence, quite literally -- enemies hold his eyes open to make him see a near one die. After multiple failures, will he finally be able to protect what’s left of his world?
With Rocky, Director Arun Matheswaran and DOP Shreyas Krishnaa create a visually stunning tapestry of blood, revenge, and violence.
They manipulate the space on-screen with great finesse to communicate the emotional psyche of the characters. We don’t see explicit violence until Rocky is made to ‘see’ it -- and it becomes increasingly unrestrained from there. The frames shake at times of emotional turmoil but stay steady in anger. The staging and blocking are evocative, and each frame has been crafted for effect. Rocky’s visual splendour is equally matched with aural richness. Music and sound blend in and out to create a chilling sensory experience.
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Violence might be the most striking feature of Rocky, but the film also bears a strong connection to mythology. Rocky’s claim to fame is extracting the bowels of Manimaran’s son, to use as a garland -- something he shares with Vishnu’s Narasimha avatar. Not to mention, It is particularly interesting because Narasimha has roots both in Hinduism and Buddhism, where he is referred to as Mahakala (beyond time). And time is another recurring theme in Rocky, both in form and plot. (Kaber Vasuki’s monologue is a profound deliberation of what time is -- an illusion, a miser, and a traitor.) Rocky’s legacy from his parents is an old watch. The film seamlessly flows between the past and the present, and there’s a terrific rhythm in the edit (Editor Nagooran).
The film’s deliberations with God and the idea of a creator are persistent, questioning his role in this din of violence. (Kadavulal sumakka mudiyatha periya kalla kadavulal padaikka mudiyuma? -- Can God create a stone big enough that he can’t bear?) Arun leaves the philosophical deliberations open to interpretation. If we are the creators of our worlds, then can we create one where we can’t handle the repercussions?
Vasanth Ravi as the brooding, savage Rocky is terrific. The actor constructs a beautiful and controlled balance between Rocky’s gushing anger and his frail vulnerability. The restraint in his performance is commendable and also effective. On the other hand, Bharathiraja proves to be a worthy contender. As the mighty Manimaran, the veteran director emits power through this frail frame, dominating the screen in each scene he shows.
I might need a few more viewings to absorb the entirety of Rocky’s philosophical conundrums. But this is a good problem to have. I particularly enjoyed the film’s deliberate, measured pace. The frames breathe with life, questions, introspection, and emotion. In an era where slow is constantly confused with boring, films like Rocky become necessary proof. This is a spectacular debut by Arun Matheswaran. I am already looking forward to Saani Kaayidham.
Rating: 4/5
The film is running in theatres
Ashameera Aiyappan is a film journalist who writes about Indian cinema with a focus on South Indian films.
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