Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues, Part B (More Reading)

The second half of this movie is pretty much about Rama's exile of Sita and how devastated she was in the forest. The narrators mentioned that Rama almost always had this element of doubt of Sita's pureness, which I believe was heightened when the people of his kingdom were referring to it with a bad connotation. Therefore, in order to please the people, Rama banished Sita into the forest even though she was pregnant with his twin children. Even though she was banished from the kingdom, Sita prayed for Rama everyday, which I believed showed her unconditional love to him. Throughout the second act of this film, Sita sings the blues for and because of Rama, even up to the point of creating a river of tears. I think it is interesting how the female narrator interpreted Sita singing songs to Rama as her unconditional love to him. However, the two male narrators thought Sita singing songs to Rama was unfair to her because she should not love someone who does not treat her right. I believe that all three narrators are correct...Sita cannot help but love Rama because she has been through so much with him and her devotion to him is pure. However, on the other hand, if Rama has this notion that Sita is bad and contaminated even though she has always proven her true and pure love for him, then let the man go. Sita deserves better than that which she gets at the very end of the movie when it is finaly Sita who is getting her feet rubbed by Rama and not the other way around like at the beginning of the movie. :)

Bibliography: Nina, Paley. Sita Sings the Blues. Link.

Sita Sings the Blues. Wikimedia Commons.

Reading Notes: Sita Sings the Blues, Part A

This film is about the love story of Sita and Rama, and how Sita sings her love and affection for Rama throughout the movie. The scene that I was most captured by, the scene I believe showed just how much Sita loves Rama is when she is defending her and Rama's love to Ravana. Sita tells Ravana that, "I [Sita] belong to Rama as the rays belong to the sun. Your ugly yellow eyes shall fall out of your head as you stare at me so lustfully. The only reason why I haven't reduced you to ashes with my blazing power is because Rama hasn't ordered me to do so." Sita was crying and distraught at her situation. Even though Sita wanted to run away from Ravana's capture and destroy Ravana herself, she did not because "Rama hasn't ordered me to do so." I believe this portrayed her devotion and dedication to her husband that even in weak and tempting moments, Sita was strong.

In the film, soon after Sita sticks up for her and Rama's love to Ravana, Sita sings the song "Mean to Me" which have the words "when you say you'll phone, you don't and I'm left alone. Singing the blues and sighin'...sweetheart I love you, think the world of you..." I believe this song portrays how much Sita truly loves Rama and even though she is away from him and in exile, it is still Rama that she thinks about, wants to please, and is devoted to. Sita sings how much Rama means to her and essentially if that means she has to suffer to be with him, she will.

I think it is interesting that the three narratives mentioned the fact that when Hanuman came to her the first time while she was under the tree that she should have just gone on his back to escape Ravana and to be with Rama. It was like she could have taken the easy way out, but Sita chose not to. It was almost like instead she wanted to glorify Rama through being victorious in battle. Sita chose to suffer in exile for the sake of Rama and if that is not true love, I do not know what is. 

Bibliography: Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues (link)

Sita Sings the Blues. Source: Wikimedia Commons