Sita Sings the Blues is exactly what it claims to be: the greatest break-up story ever told. This story is based on the Indian tradition of the Ramayana intermixed with writer/director/producer/animator Nina Paley’s own painful divorce, and the end result is just fantastic. The Ramayana is the story of Sita and her husband Rama, the favored son of the king. Unfortunately for Rama, one of the king’s wives wants her son to rule, so she uses the boon the king promised her to get Rama sent away to the forest for 14 years. Sita, ever the faithful wife, insists on going with him despite the dangers.
While Sita and Rama are enjoying their time in the forest together, she is stolen away by Ravana, a creepy guy with several heads. Ravana gives her two months to agree to sleep with him, or else he will…well, he won’t do anything, because he’s not really the meanest of villains, he just wanted Sita to love him, according to the narrators. Luckily for Sita, she is rescued by Rama before she caves, but he questions her purity after living in another man’s house. She proves herself through a test of fire, and Rama is soothed for the time being. But when Sita gets pregnant not long after her rescue, the neighbors begin to talk. As Rama is set to rule, he decides to cast Sita out so his subjects will not question his morals, and a very pregnant Sita is returned to the forest to raise her children alone.
Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Nina and Dave get a phone call that Dave has a job opportunity in India for 6 months. Dave insists on taking it, leaving Nina behind to tend to Lexie, their cat. Nina follows him a month or so later, after his contract is extended. But when Nina goes to New York City for a few days, Dave emails her and tells her not to come back again. Nina must find her way in NYC all alone, and somewhere along the journey she discovers the Ramayana.
This heart-wrenching story is told with just the right amount of comedy and wit. Not only are the cartoons humorously drawn, but the variety of styles used really enhances the story. The bickering narrators add a flair of hilarity, especially as the scene changes depending on how they remember the Ramayana’s message. It’s no wonder Sita Sings the Blues was nominated for 35 film festival awards.
The music included in this film is phenomenal. Annette Hanshaw’s jazz and blues vocals perfectly complement the story line, and a mélange of Indian scores add accents of the culture to this piece. Plus, the limited movement of the characters allows Sita’s dances to be both funny and compelling while also hitting a sad note.
Overall, I found the intertwining stories created a powerful effect on the viewer. Both stories are that of a woman scorned by her lover for situations beyond her control, and it is interesting to see a modern twist on an older tale. This film is a must-see for everyone, and thanks to Nina’s intelligent marketing strategy, anyone who wants to see it can see it for free. Go watch!
DVD Bonus Features
There is an incredible interview with Nina Paley, who pretty much did everything for this film including writing it, animating it, directing it, producing it and designing it. She discusses the issues she had with copyrights for the songs by Annette Hanshaw, as well as the way she finally was able to show it through PBS and her decision to freely distribute it through her website. She also impresses the importance of free culture upon the audience and raises questions to think about. There is also a director’s commentary, an animated short entitled “Fetch” and the film’s original trailer. “Fetch” is cute but not that exciting, while the interview and commentary are both exceptional.
"Sita Sings the Blues" is on sale December 15, 2009 and is rated NR. Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Romance. Directed by Nina Paley. Written by Nina Paley, Valmiki. Starring Annette Hanshaw, Debargo Sanyal, Sanjiv Jhaveri, Reena Shah.
