'Revu', helmed by Harinath Puli, is produced by Murali Ginjupalli and Naveen Parupalli. In this section, we are going to review the latest box-office release.
Plot:
Ankalu and Gangaiah, two fishermen from the same socio-economic background but with a bitter rivalry, find their lives upended when their common enemy, Nagesu, resorts to extreme violence to seize control of their community. The conflict forces Ankalu, Gangaiah, Samrajyam, and Sama Shiva to confront their personal struggles and alliances in the face of Nagesu's reign of terror.
Post-Mortem:
The film takes off on a slow note relatively. For a good part of the first half, it comes across as a plot-less tale with just rooted characters carrying on with their daily routine. A pregnant wife, a kerfuffle with a father-in-law, old songs playing out on a radio or on the big screen, the mundane experience of tasting 'Kallu', and so on and so forth.
The characters are irate and impulsive is the only detail the viewer gets to make out in the first 40-45 minutes. The plot grows into something else after that. The mechanization of farming and the role played by a moneyed interest alters the dynamics within the village. Even family and friends start getting affected.
The entry of Nagesu's selfish, mean-spirited sons changes the mood of 'Revu'. The film swings between old-school villainy as represented by late Srihari's characters and gritty villainism padded by an ominous score. The element of a violent fight against hegemony hangs around. The subtext of social faultlines hovers above. Deaths and wise counsels from an elder, consequential threats and duels, domestic tension and friction between different groups over economic issues unfold.
Through and through, the absence of a strong female character shows. 'Revu' is a male-dominated narrative where men look perennially impatient for success and vehemently threatening in their demeanor. They are determined to achieve their ends, aimed at perpetuating monopoly or safeguarding honour. The conversations between a husband and wife are laced with the former pining for his attention. The mood is occasionally heightened by characters anticipating unmitigated violence or danger. Vishak Muraleedharan's background score stands out in certain portions. John K Joseph's cinematography is so-so.
The second half is routine. Barring a few raw sequences, there is nothing attention-grabbing in the segments involving revenge portions.
Closing Remarks:
'Revu' is a rustic action drama undergirded by a revenge plot. The lack of highpoints in the final 30 minutes is a glaring demerit.
