29 Octotal 2007.
Hey Brett...
Permit a few words about tonight’s Cinemateque feature...
‘SAI BABA’ feature didn’t eventuate; never mind. It’s fantastic how the reel just exploded all over the place and film flew everywhere just before the session....
“Imagine all the people”...you know, the vindicated ones who always suspected Sai Baba was a fraudster...can you hear them singing John Lennon’s words loudly? “Instant Karma’s gonna get you”
Now to another suspected fraudster...The Guru!!!
I was most impressed to discover that tonight’s main feature THE GURU (1969) was an early Merchant-Ivory effort.
Merchant-Ivory are obvious Anglophiles with deep roots in India, successfully blending both worlds evenly...we only have to look at the title of their 1965 film to see that... ‘SHAKESPEARE WALLAH!!!
A long-standing gay couple, I suspect Merchant-Ivory have always been attracted to powerful, regal, dandy men [eg MAURICE (1987)].
Fashionable London with its famous/infamous characters during the swinging sixties must have held a deep fascination for Merchant-Ivory as their next project after ‘SHAKESPEARE WALLAH was to be set in trendy London. Called ‘A LOVELY WORLD’ (unfortunately shelved), it would follow the London adventures of a young lady called Lizzie Buckingham (An obvious play on words on Queen Elizabeth of Buckingham palace).
I would hazard a guess and say that Merchant-Ivory’s research and work for A LOVELY WORLD probably led them to wonderful London connections and tales of the truly rich, young and famous, further fixating them on the extrovert colours, sounds and wild parties [years later they even made THE WILD PARTY (1975)].
Merchant –Ivory surely were impressed by the rich, young, handsome dandies strutting around London wearing Carnaby Street fashions; none more famous, fashionable or flamboyant than the real-life blonde megastar and Rolling Stone, Brian Jones. Of all the Stones, Brian Jones was also the greatest seeker of the exotic and traveler to the exotic…even his London pad was decorated in the latest exotic drapery.
Brian Jones too was the Rolling Stone who played the sitar as George Harrison was The Beatle who played the sitar. I imagine that Merchant-Ivory were tickled pink that 2 such famous and influential men were bringing Indian culture to the Western masses.
As such, I think (and may be the first to say so), that THE GURU is more than just a George Harrison parody…Merchant-Ivory created the Tom Pickle character as a composite of BOTH George Harrison AND Brian Jones.
Yes, the film definitely has solid roots in the character of George Harrison. An obvious clue is one line in the film where a character at a party yells: “It’s all too much”. This reference is to an actual 1968 George Harrison song called “It’s All Too Much”, but there are many references to Brian Jones as well.
George Harrison was not so well known for his flamboyant fashion sense.
When Michael York’s character lands in India (clothes designed by Carnaby Street) and again as he leaves India, he is dressed in a stunning, slick, all-white outfit, which by the way, Brian Jones had already made one of his trademark looks by that stage.
Michael York played ‘Tom Pickle’ perfectly:
Soft-spoken, working-class English (like George Harrison)
Long-haired, blonde (like Brian Jones)
Down to earth (like George Harrison)
Fashion conscious peacock (like Brian Jones)
Tom Pickle’s girl friend ‘Jenny’ was possibly a composite of the quiet and sweet seeker Pattie Boyd and the more hard-faced, long-haired temptress Anita Pallenberg. Both blondes with heavy make-up…they were George Harrison and Brian Jones’s companions on their real life trips to the exotics. (I wonder if Merchant-Ivory would ever ‘fess up’)
[Note: Patty Boyd’s real-life sister was called ‘Jenny’ and actually went to India with The Beatles in 68. She was so delightful and willing to be enlightened that Donovan wrote a song about her called JENNIFER JUNIPER].
The word ‘pickle’ is a good choice of surname for Merchant-Ivory’s Rockstar from the West. Pickles and Chutneys originated in India but were very popular in hip London (the flavour of the month at most happening restaurants), where The Beatles had recently released their sensational Sgt Peppers album (1967). On that album, George Harrison included his long and wonderful sitar-drenched song-piece called ‘WITHIN YOU WITHOUT YOU’. Had the English finally become Indian? Did Merchant-Ivory see George Harrison as a ‘Pickled Pepper’? HaHaHa.
At that very moment, the world’s 2 most famous bands (The Beatles & The Rolling Stones) had lead guitarists who also sported sitars. George Harrison & Brian Jones both publicly dabbled in Eastern sounds and showed off their recently acquired rudimentary sitar skills.
Merchant-Ivory, along with the rest of the world had learnt that The Beatles had spent time in India in early 1968, only evacuating after they felt disillusioned and suspected they’d been had by their so called ‘guru’ The Maharishi... John Lennon wrote a song about it called SEXY SADIE where he admits the Maharishi “made a fool of everyone” and pointed the finger; “You’ll get yours yet”.
One story unfolds that the Beatles’ ‘guru’, The Maharishi tried to seduce the waif-like Mia Farrow with favours, flavours and sexual advances. Hypocritically, the Maharishi showed double standards while secretly offering Mia Farrow succulent mangos where other ashram guests received no such flavours.
Interestingly and along similar lines, Tom Pickle finally decides to leave India in a hurry after witnessing his sitar ‘guru’ being sexually aggressive and predatory.
Also interesting in The GURU is the sitar teacher’s double standards. On the one hand he admonishes Tom Pickle for running about and partying when he should stay put and focused on music practice and yet when Tom Pickle’s manager offers to fly the sitar teacher to London, the teacher can barely contain himself for the possibilities and excitement of the new. Tom Pickle quashed that idea and the ‘guru’ felt crushed.
I really enjoyed the simple but deep storyline of THE GURU. It pressed on so many human weaknesses; Jealousy, vanity, animosity, fear and yearning. The sitar teacher had many wives all jealous of each other, while he secretly envied and longed for Tom Pickle’s lifestyle, fame and money.
Tom Pickle’s journey in THE GURU is quite similar to Dorothy’s journey in THE WIZARD OF OZ. Both landed in a strange, exotic, puzzling land ruled by a weak, insecure thundering despot who can sometimes be seen to do wonders. There are witches, spells, potions and advice along the way, passing over and through colouful landscapes.
Wiser and wearier, the protagonist will leave this strange place at the close of the story because in the end, ‘There’s no place like home”. It seems to suggest that people fit only where they belong and perhaps should stay put.
Check out how embarrassing the young white dropout Westerners look as they desperately attempt to assimilate themselves into their perceived ideals of Indian culture and how equally embarrassing the envious Indians longing to embrace the young, hip London drug scene n’ style?
Unfathomable laughable stretches..
In THE GURU, the East and the West look towards each other for advice and enlightenment. Unfortunately, every potential guru is rendered unworthy to be an expert spiritual mentor as mostly weaknesses shine through. No one could really be a true Guru with their flawed humanity so exposed.
Tom Pickle was adored by thousands of screaming fans but was somehow still seeking and unfocused.
The sweet character of young Jenny, so admired by the Indian wives was gullible and foolish to follow the sitar teacher with blind obedience. Finally, a bout of food poisoning helped her realize this world was not her world.
The sitar teacher was a first class musician, yet too often serious, envious and weak.
The sitar teacher’s own old man ‘guru’ exposed weaknesses when he too revealed dependencies craving sweets and admitting he couldn’t do without his hookah and milk.
A very fine effort! Good choice of movie. Thanks Brett.
Pia Santaklaus
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
I thought you might want to know that the incident you described involving Maharishi and the alleged indecencies in India never happened, and this is well-known by anyone who has researched beyond the tabloid headlines. It is a fact that John Lennon's general response to being in India was negative, and he expressed his angst in the song Sexy Sadie, in which he projected his anger onto Maharishi. But everyone who was actually there at the time feels that Lennon's complaints against Maharishi were unfounded, including the Beach Boys, Donavan and the other three Beatles—who commented in later years that their time in India with Maharishi was one of the best things they ever did. John himself, in his final interview in Rolling Stone, said Maharishi was the father figure of his life. (Not surprisingly, John had serious and deep-rooted problems with his real father.) The two surviving Beatles still practice TM, and Paul went to visit Maharishi a few years ago and took his daughter to meet him. George meditated all his life. Mia Farrow never accused Maharishi of any indignities, and her sister Prudence is still very actively involved TM. It is unfortunate that so many people still believe in the unreality that was publicized in the news media, because it might keep them from taking Maharishi and his gift of TM to heart.
Post a Comment