THE LAST THAKUR
Bangladesh/UK, 2008, 81 minutes, Colour.
Tariq Anam Khan, Ahmed Rubel, Tanveer Hassan, Tanju Miah.
Directed by Sadik Ahmed.
A rather serious and solemn story of life in a village in rural Bangladesh. A collaboration between Bangladeshi film-makers and British backing, this revenge tale takes place over one day, the day after an election in which the village leader, The Chairman, has been returned to power.
In the early morning as the men go to work, especially on building sites, a Hindu landowner surveys his property and the prospect of losing it as people who have bought the land cannot pay. He ruminates with his blind friend. In the meantime, The Chairman is hostile to , the last Thakur of the village.
In the meantime, a young boy offers a voiceover description of the characters and the political and personal tangles.
Later in the day, a younger man with a rifle comes to the village. He is looking for the man who raped his mother and is his father. He has initials – which apply both to and to The Chairman (who is hostile to his own son and advises him not to refer to him as father in public),
The tension mounts as the man with a gun confronts the men – and we know that it will end in violence and bloodshed.
The film is photographed beautifully on location, uses the landscapes and the old buildings to dramatic effect. A stylised tale that communicates the atmosphere of a different world in Asia's sub-continent.
1.A Bangladeshi story? The storytelling? Ancient tales and sagas?
2.The British collaboration? Backing, technical? The work of the director?
3.The colour photography, the landscapes of rural Bangladesh? The village, homes, ancient buildings? The musical score? The beauty of the surroundings – and the sombre action of the film?
4.The structure: the indication of the hours of the day, the day passing, the effect of the action? The day after the election?
5.The voice-over, the boy, his observations on each of the characters, on their background, interactions, the village? His appearing in the context of the story? As a servant? With Thakur and with the chairman?
6.Thakur and his blind friend? The Hindu background? Owning the land? Selling it to the people? Their not paying, his making demands, his losing the land? The hostility of the chairman? Wanting to get rid of him? The arrival of Kala? His hoping that Kala would destroy Thakur?
7.Thakur, his life, age, experience? The passing of the day? His bewilderment about the land? The after-effect of the election? Kala and his confrontation, the accusations, his being innocent? His telling the truth? His being shot? Victimised by the chairman’s henchmen? His finally being shot by the chairman’s son? His telling the truth to Kala – and Kala finally believing him?
8.The chairman, his character, his power? His politics, manipulation of people? Financial deals? The re-election? His henchmen? Waris as a servant? His antagonism towards Thakur, political, financial, religious? His finding Kala and the rifle? Wanting him to use it against Thakur? Following, observing, the day passing? The shooting of Thakur? His revelation of the truth, discussions with his son, his despising his son? The henchmen? Kala and the confrontation? The shooting?
9.Kala, military, the guard, the rifle? Arrival in the village, knowing the initials of the assailant of his mother? His wanting revenge? The presumption that it was Thakur? Shooting him, listening to him protest his innocence? The final confrontation of the chairman? The truth? His being killed?
10.The henchmen, brutality, the taken-for-granted violence? The son, humiliated by his father, not being allowed to call him Father in public? His doing the final shooting – and wearing the shawl of authority after his father’s death?
11.The religious background, Islam and Hinduism? Bangladesh and its religious difficulties? A story of revenge?
