Final Timed-writing
0518053
Diamond Tang
June 21, 2007
Timed-Writing Three
for a movie based on The Grass-Eaters, which scene would you select? Why? Discuss ways in which you might film the scene. Were I to create a filmed advertisement for a movie based on The Grass-Eaters, I would select a scene in which Ajit Babu and his wife happened to find a pipe that was not occupied.
My reason is as follows: If a movie is based on The Grass-Eaters, it must show explicitly what the couple has suffered and how they have overcame it. Since the author raised the issue of dwelling to us readers at the very beginning of the story, telling that if one get up at night to release himself then it would be hard for him to locate where his place is afterwards, where to live is certainly one of the biggest problem the couple is facing. I select the scene about finding the pipe because Babu and his wife has changed several dwelling place before they found the pipe to be their most suitable to live. Before that, they have tried the station platform, where there are too many people; they have considered the tanks, and Babu’ wife thought she was like a frog to live in places like that; they have also lived in a wagon for a relatively long periods of time, but the wife didn’t want their fourth baby to perish so wretchedly and moved out of it. So we can conclude that it was rather difficult and fortunate for them to finally find the pipe to live in, and they have endured a long toil before that.I chose this scene also because it shows their poor life typically. They have endured extreme poor material conditions but they face all the obstacles optimistically. Why? Because they each have a pure heart. Nowadays, many people are never satisfied. The more they have acquired, the more they want to get. But Babu and his wife can just face the reality calmly since they could not change the present situation by their own strength. They just accept it and tried to a decent man in their spiritual world, as they are already living like a rat in a deserted pipe. Actually, the author narrated many facts with great sarcastic just to show that the couple had great optimism. To this extent, the scene I have chose can best show their optimism, because they can even accept to live in a pipe.
To show my intentions for a most influential effect, I would film the scene like this: Babu and his wife were both half bare and carrying the few possessions they have, walking to us from distance. Since India is an equatorial country, they suffered from nasty hygiene condition and bad siege from the mosquitoes and hundreds of small insects like flies are harassing them. But they show no traces of anger in their eyes. What they really care is to find a place to live as soon as possible, for the sake of their fourth poor children and themselves. They have suffered enough dragging themselves here and there like deserted dogs. There is not a little hint of life in their eyes.Then suddenly, they found a pipe before them, and the pipe is not small, it can hold two people! The wife ran to it madly, while the husband was still downcast in spirit. He said to his wife: “Don’t waste time to find the pipe. It must be occupied.” Really, they have confronted a lot of situation in which they want to find a living place by force, ejecting the original residents, but they always met with a failure. So they almost lost hope. But there cried his wife with ecstasy: “It is not occupied! It is not occupied!” The husband could not believe his own ears and ran to the pipe frantically. It is really not occupied! And such an ideal place to live! They quickly put their belongings into the pipe, and hang two pieces of cloth on either ends of the pipe. It was hard to believe now they are the owner of this perfect pipe! Husband and wife slept quickly and they both had a nice dream that night.
However, when they get up the next day, all are the same: people thronging everywhere, one man stabbing another and a woman dropping her baby in the litter bin. But, Babu and his wife are satisfied, they already have a perfect pipe to live in.