Rotten Society

Rotten Society is an experimental Indian film which acts as a commentary upon society, religion, and ethics. As well as this, the film acts as a psychological study of its protagonist.

The story follows a seemingly schizophrenic old man who has become the owner of a journalist’s camera and takes it around with him. Throughout his day, he documents each location he visits and expresses his thoughts upon every one. The film starts as a found footage film, presenting the idea that the journalists have put together footage from a missing journalist's camera to create a narrative. However, as the film progresses, the purpose of the supposed found footage film loses shape, and the ‘crazy’ man’s commentary takes over the themes of the film.

The film effectively uses ultra-long takes to create realism. The ‘crazy’ man props the stolen camera up and speaks to it whilst carrying out his daily activities. For instance, near the beginning, he puts the camera in a tree before bathing in a river. However, in his attempt to bathe, he decided not, deducting that the water would give him a fever, commenting on the fact that the river was dirty, and, like him, was once clean.

Throughout this monologue, similar to many of his during the film, the viewer gains insight into both the man’s social state as well as the state of society. Whilst the man is clearly insane, as his words and constant manic laughter reveal, through the film’s wide, realistic shots, the viewer can see that the society around him is in peril.

The film uses landscapes such as bin dumps and funeral scenes to encapsulate a feeling of dismay. There is a magic to Rotten Society’s madness. There is never any clear logic to where the film is leading, however, the viewer is fully encapsulated in every feeling of disillusionment the film projects.

The location settings, such as the bin dumbs, as well as the town streets, and their naturalistic soundscape, create the effect of stark realism. Viewers see the action through voyeuristic shots of the actions such as through a gate. This adds to the sense of intrusion of something real, and the perception of something meaningful, especially as many of the film’s moments are permeated by a character with a compromised mental state.

This main character has an incredible performance, disconcerting viewers from scene to scene. After acquiring the camera, the man frequently refers to the camera as Jesus, casting a very clear picture of how he views the camera as some kind of judgment. The viewer themselves therefore bears that burden and must think for themselves as they view the events of the film.

Overall, Rotten Society is an interesting film with a lot to say about the state of society, and the way that the outcasts are viewed. The film must be watched delicately and with an open mind. Many of the takes are multiple minutes long and contain non-conventional dialogue. As well as this, there is no clear narrative or direction to the film. As you watch, you must just accept what you see, and where apt, judge. Allow the feeling of dismay and injustice to take over as you sympathise with the protagonist and let that sit with you, perhaps even after watching.