Fire, the Residual and Emergent Culture

What an ending!!

Fire, the Residual and Emergent Culture

The film explores Raymond Williams’ idea of the residual and emergent cultures. Many scenes focus on the conflict between what is expected and what is wanted. The scenes also present a clash between duty and desire.

Sita’s role helps shed light on the uselessness of residual culture. As Sita and Radha stand in the balcony, Sita expresses her inability to understand the point of fasting. She points out that Karva Chauth, where married Hindu women fast from sunrise to sunset, is an outdated practice. She only backs up and asks for forgiveness to please Radha. This ritual, which Sita finds meaningless and degrading, aids the film in illustrating the absence of men in women’s lives. In order for Sita and Redha to break their fast, their husbands have to be there to bless them. Ironically, both men are not available and the two women end up abandoning their femininity, filling masculine positions, and replacing men. Sita also objects to her role as a “pet” and refuses to be bossed around like a house worker. Rather than accepting her role and preforming her duties mechanically, Sita stands up against residual culture. This is clearly illustrated in when she takes off her traditional dress, puts on men’s pants and plays loud, modern music. Sita also shatters the traditions of her patriarchal society in many ways. For instance, when she stands up to her “pompous fool” husband, expresses her opinion of him and slaps him back when he slaps her. Another example is when she makes the decision of closing up the store and going out for “fun”. Sita’s ultimate rejection of residual culture comes at the end of the film when she decides to leave and start a new life and a new relationship with Radha.

Sita helps Radha emerge into her true self, she rescues her from the confinements of residual culture where she had to kneel down and touch or kiss her husband’s feet. Sita is presented to be a feminist who supports gender equality, an unfamiliar notion to many cultures. Moreover, she introduces Radha to the emerging notion of women’s self-worth and independent identity. The film’s emphasis on women’s individuality and self-worth is a very bold step in a culture where the ritual of Sati, where some widowed women must burn themselves, or commit suicide, after their husbands’ funeral to prove their love and loyalty, is deeply embedded practice. Sita and Radha’ relationship is also a part of an emigrant culture, this is highlighted when Sita explains that this relationship is novel, has no name, no description and cannot be identified as anything familiar.

In the midst the tug of war between residual and emigrant cultures, Biji takes on the role the hegemonic ideology. Although she is deprived of speech, Biji has the powerful tool of the bell. It is a brilliant cinematic technique that reminds people of the strongly embedded customs and traditions, and warns them against straying and crossing the boundaries of what is common and familiar. Biji represents the silent gazing eyes of a judging society. A society that observes and aims to guide its member to the acceptable path by establishing in them a fear of ridicule. Other times Biji seems like an omniscient all-knowing author who knows the inner working of each character and hold a store full of their fears, secrets and lies. The sound of the bell resounds throughout the film, and even when its not used, the characters hear echoes of it reminding them of the red line that they must never cross. When Ashok, Radha’s husband, has flash back of his past physical intimacy with his wife, he is quickly interrupted by the bell’s ringing and reminded of his vow of celibacy. The bell was not actually ringing, what he hears is the echoes of its sound in his head warning him against breaking this vow. Ashok is a traditional man who honors customs and practices of his culture. This is evident when he chooses to ignore his burning wife and safe the old inherited traditions presented in Biji.

 

• How examples of lack of fulfilment does the film present? How does the film deal with each one of those examples?
• What is the purpose of Julie’s character? Is the film implying that abandoning your own traditions and adopting those of the west is your only way out of this cultural clash and chaos?
• Fire and Children of Men both deal with the issue of fertility and bareness. How does each movie tackle this subject?