1982 Indian film
Elippathayam (Translation: The Rat Trap) is a 1982 Malayalam film written and directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. It stars Karamana Janardanan Nair, Sharada, Jalaja, and Rajam K. Nair. The film documents the feudal life in Kerala at its twilight overshadowed with grief, and a sense of carelessness/avoidance as a form of revolt. The protagonist is disenfranchised and trapped within himself and does not want to - unable to change with the social changes taking place around him. The film premiered at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.[1] It was also screened at the London Film Festival where it won the Sutherland Trophy. It is widely regarded as one of the best Indian films ever made.[2][3][4][5][6]
Plot
A middle-aged man, Unni, and his two sisters live in an ancient tharavadu (manor) in Kerala. They struggle as the traditional feudal way of life becomes untenable. Eventually, succumbing to the adverse conditions surrounding him, Unni becomes entrapped in his attitudes and ways, helpless like a rat in a trap. The movie's title, 'Rat Trap,' is a metaphor for a state of oblivion to changes in the external world, such as the disintegration of the feudal system in which some are caught, leading to irrelevance and destruction.
The film is set in the now derelict manor house of an aristocratic family that has obviously seen better days. The film begins by showing the audience a rat problem, with Sridevi taking initiative to catch and drown rats in the house. Unni, the patriarch, in spite of the looming changes in the family's fortune and the times, retains old attitudes and is portrayed as proud and incapable of adjusting to the impending downfall of his family, remaining oblivious or intransigent to it. He also lacks the masculine energy or authoritative characteristics of a feudal patriarch. He is seen spending most of his day in idleness and sleeping. His only activities are reading the newspaper and oiling his body. He is taken care of by his sisters and a caretaker neighbor, Scaria Mappila, who looks after the agricultural matters of his estate. His sisters cook, clean, and do all the household chores for him. He seems careless about wanting to get his sisters married and is selfish to keep his support system in place. The Mappila handles all the financial aspects for Unni following old feudal ways. Unni is scared and not bothered, or is in avoidance coping, when thieves steal crops from his land, even when he knows that his younger sister is in a premarital relationship, or when he finds his elder sister's son stealing from him and possibly sleeping with a prostitute who has an eye on him. He does not stand up for himself or for the family and is not ready to face the taunts or threats of his extended family and the villagers.
The middle sister, Rajamma, is devastated by the silence of her brother, who fails to support her when marriage proposals are presented to him. He turns down an offer, deeming it beneath his family's standards, and remains silent and unable to act while she is ailing. This eventually leads to her death, highlighting his lack of insight and disorganized thinking, which incapacitates him from responding to the situation. The younger sister, understanding the plight of things, disregards traditions and elopes with a lover without informing anyone. The eldest sister claims her share of the property but leaves with none, and sends summons through courts. Unni is left alone in the mansion; his paranoid characteristics prevent him from seeking help, and his delusions intensify. He ends up without support, living isolated in the dark corners of his room and not responding to anyone. In the end, a group of people enters his house; he runs out in fear, hits his head, and becomes unconscious. They carry him to the pond where Sridevi used to drown rats, throw him in, and he is seen walking out of the pond, scared and cold. The people could be manifestations of his schizophrenic hallucinations, robbers, or his brother-in-law's henchmen who came to forcefully take over his property.
Themes and analysis
In his interview, Gopalakrishnan reveals that the film draws inspiration from the feudal characteristics of his own family. Silence plays a pivotal role in the movie, with extended moments devoid of dialogue. Gopalakrishnan identifies the chief theme as Unni's obliviousness to external realities, creating a dysfunctional life shaped by conflicts in his worldview. The character's mental health draws parallels with Anton Chekov's Ward No. 6.
Gopalakrishnan employs symbolism, notably using an airplane in key scenes. Sridevi's sighting of a plane signifies the unfolding new era, contrasting with Rajamma's inability to witness this change. The airplane becomes a symbol of transition, signaling the end of the feudal life that Sridevi embraces.
The director utilizes colors, palettes, and shades to convey deeper themes. Rajamma, the middle sister, dons blue, symbolizing her gentleness, submissiveness, and doomed fate within the patriarchy. The eldest sister, in green, represents earthiness, practicality, and intelligence, surviving within the system through marriage. Sridevi, in red, symbolizes revolt, youth, and life, breaking away from the family.
Unni, according to Gopalakrishnan, is represented by a mixture of all three colors - white, signifying his struggle with losing status and adapting to the changing world. The feudal characteristics are exemplified through Unni's treatment of servants, visitors, and, significantly, his sisters. The symbolism of rats and the mansion's decay mirrors the sustained urgency and crippling patriarchal structure.
The actual story delves into Unni's struggles and his eventual entrapment in outdated attitudes, paralleling the disintegration of the feudal system. The film poignantly explores the consequences of Unni's obliviousness, portraying his decline as he becomes a victim of the very trap he symbolically embodies, drowned in the pond like the rats he failed to address. The people entering his house in the end could represent various interpretations—schizophrenic hallucinations, external threats, or symbolic figures reflecting his mental deterioration.
Awards
The film has won the following awards since its release:
1982 Kerala State Film Awards (India)
- Won - Kerala State Film Award for Best Film - Elippathayam - Adoor Gopalakrishnan
1982 London Film Festival (UK)
1982 National Film Awards (India)
