The poverty and tragedy shown in the movie are overwhelming. Callousness of family members add insult to the injury. Towards the end, Neeta's desire to continue living and craving for life is difficult to reconcile. I'm tempted to compare her desire to that of Chinese who was executed recently and he gleefully claimed that at least after death the officials will cease to exploit him further. That was a generation whose only recourse out of poverty was education. There were no other resources. The entire family labored to ensure the successful education of at least one offspring. In several ways, life in the animal kingdom is easier. New-boons have a higher success rate of maturing into adults and raising their own family. This movie offers a stark comparison to the unabashed consumerism depicted in Indian movies nowadays. I guess that's a good sign, the society has evolved above subsistence levels. Nowadays, family dreams are made of palatial houses, lavish weddings and multiple cars.
Review of The Cloud-Capped Star
