Thursday, 22 November 2012

Hitchcock’s ‘The Ring’ to spring up IFFK



We all have been only familiar with the modern system of film exhibition. Watching the film on big screens with the state-of-the-art technical support is what we usually experience. But had never experienced and enjoyed the style were instead of Dolby digital surrounding live orchestra plays the music and the background scores. Thus leashing out new and varied quality of music and totally enhancing the audio filling in your ears.  This method of screening was lost in the course of time and modernization of the industry. This year’s International Film Festival of Kerala brings back this conventional style of screening for its audience with the inaugural film ‘The Ring’, thus making the first screening a new and unmatched visual treat for all.

Suspense Master Alfred Hitchcock is to be paid tribute, with the 17th IFFK commences with his film, The Ring, first released in 1927. Screening of this silent film will be accompanied by a live orchestral performance of a new score, created by British Jazz sensation Soweto Kinch and his orchestra. The venue, Nishagandhi, will be themed upon the old theatrical style of 1920s.   

The screening of The Ring, treated to be the ‘Incredibly Seductive’ film maker’s best silent film, is its Indian premier. The significance of the show is that it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the release of ‘Balan,’ the first silent film in Malayalam.

The live musical accompaniment for a Hitchcock film in India is for the first time. The 116 minutes live orchestra seated facing the screen during the screening will be lead by Jazz music wizard Soweto Kinch and his six musicians. The same team of musicians did the live score, when it was screened in the same manner in Britain earlier this year.

The famous musicians Paul Booth, Richard Henry, Robert Mitchell, Shaney Forbes, Jay Phelps and Karl Oloniluyi-Abel will be accompanying Soweto Kicnh. The team is arriving in Kerala on a four day schedule exclusively for the inaugural show.
‘The Ring’ revolves around, Jack “One Round” Sander , his girlfriend Mabel, and his boxing rival Bobo Corby thus creating a love triangle and a fiery boxing match thus forming a ‘ring’ (hence the name).  The film has also an importance of being Alfred Hitchcock’s only original screenplay. The title symbolically represents the boxing ring, wedding ring and the bracelet. Hitchcock uses symbolism to an unusually large degree. The lead characters were enacted by Carl Brisson, Lillian Hall-Davis, Ian Hunter, Forrester Harvey and Gordon Harker. 
The film, being the forth one of Hitchcock, was restored by British Film Institute National Archive (BFI) and is a part of BFI’s wider project, The Genius of Hitchcock. The restoration work was performed on what was nearly a ‘lost film’. The film was produced by John Maxwell for the British International Pictures in 35 mm film and its maiden release was on first October 1927 in UK.

The modern format of film exhibition replaced by the traditional live-play style using the most modern technology will result in the nostalgic and unforgettable memory for each film admirers.


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