"How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: 'Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?'"- Isaiah 14:12.
Among all the ark angels who celebrated God's glory in heaven and earth, Lucifer was the most adorned. He was established as the "angel of worship" who was to dwell in the throne of heaven for eternity. Lucifer was adorned with the most precious stones and he shone so brightly that he was rightly addressed 'Son of the morning'. He was perfect, beautiful, clever and most importantly understood the ways of God well. Such a capability soon sprouted in him an excessive pride for the being he is. He committed his first sin- Pride. Soon he questioned God's authority on him and other beings. He proclaimed that he would not 'bend his head in servility' to anyone. As God realized this greed for power within Lucifer, he strip him off all the embellishments, power over heaven and 'cast him down like a lightning' into the pits of hell. There he expounded in sin, challenging God and his aids at every chance. He knew that God loved man and that to truly destroy God, he must ingrain sin at the very core of human hearts. He poisoned man through a woman and made him commit the "first sin" at the garden of Eden .
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| Lucifer being dethroned |
To fight Lucifer and to shepherd man from the lusts and temptations offered by him, God assigned another angel; the Ark angel Micheal. Micheal, known as the "Guardian angel" came down amongst men to guard their consciences. He reminded man about the love God, about faith and most importantly about forgiveness. He was the "guru" who encouraged man to commune with god and resist temptations of sin.
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| Micheal fighting Satan |
When man tasted pride and greed, he wanted more than the abundance he already had. He hungered to grow as tall as God himself. Lucifer suggested that the path of sin was the only way that man can achieve the glory of God. He ministered man into the depths of sin. But soon, guilt took over man and an inner turmoil ensued. When man confided his sins to him resentfully, Micheal knew that he had to finish Satan once and for all to free mankind of sin. But in the process he knows that he'd be committing a sin and that it could cost him his place in heaven. Out of his love for man, he consciously gives in. Its then that man realizes that to truly defeat Satan, he had to use the power of forgiveness and hope. He saves Micheal from the sin, forgives Satan and promises never to sin again.
'Kadal' is a musical illustration of this iconic story. You'l recognize the characters as the story unfolds around this central theme. The characters are strongly defined and well scripted. Rahmans' music adds a much needed cinematic touch to the theme. Director Mani Ratnam has really contemplated on the screenplay to ensure that the commercial aspects wrap around the central theme. Rajiv menon's cinematography paints each scene on our minds with artistic perfection. The character of Beatrice(played by Thulsi Nair) has a larger significance than mere a romantic angle. She signifies the innocence and faith that man must return to. She helps man get over the turmoil in his mind. Aravind Samy and Arjun steal the show without doubt. They have truly 'lived' the roles. I am not quite impressed with the abilities of Gautham Karthik. Some misplaced songs slow down the movie at times ( Adiye!) and Chithirai Nila could have definitely replaced Eley Keecha. Magudi and Moongil thottam claims their rightful places.
In nutshell, Kadal is another creation crafted with great care from the master film maker Mani Ratnam. You will be surely disappointed if you watch it for the pure commercial pleasure of it. But if you can relate to the underlying theme the director is trying to convey, the film is really an ecstasy to watch.
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