Mukhamukham

Adoor Gopalkrishnan’s MUKHAMUKHAM (FACE TO FACE, 1984) is intentionally boring, and consequently I fell asleep. Rather an obvious negative criticism on the effectiveness of communism in Kerala, it’s ‘hero’ was once a leader of the Communist Party. But after a party split and his absence of many years he returns, apparently in a long sleep, fortified by alcohol. He responds not to his family or his former colleagues. Yet, after his violent and mysterious death, he remains a hero of the movement. This apparently was intended as a more subtle critique, but it proved obvious enough for Kerala communists to break with the director. It may also reflect problems Gopalkrishnan had after a split from his former producer, or on the halting of his projects after several more years.