Lulu (1996)
Directed by  Srinivas Krishna
Also by Krishna, Masala
    main characters: Lulu(Khuyen); Lucky (Stevens), her husband; Clive, Lucky's friend, Kingsley--Lucky's boss, Lulu's parents.
     
  • Main Issues: center around the ideas of selling and betrayal

    • 1. Toronto, its dark corners and public spheres;
    2. the poor whites;
    3. Immigrant/Refugees' way of survival; 4. the film director's position

    The director's discussion of the genesis of this film:
    "'I felt this tape [mail order bride video he saw in London] was one of the most chilling documents of the 20th century. It raises so many questions: Who watches the tape? What type of man uses it? Why did these women choose to get married that way, and did they even have a choice?' says Krishna (Masala) of the story's genesis and subsequent development. 'The tape gave you no real knowledge about them I saw the surface of each woman, but their faces divulged nothing. What disturbed me most as a filmmaker was how could an image be so devoid of meaning?'" (source)

1. Toronto, its dark corners and public spheres;
  • the department store:

    • -- the role of the TV screens (which gets shown on them?  the music video and Kingsley)
    -- Lulu's position as a cosmetic saleswoman (camera from a high angle),
    -- What does Lulu do there?
  • nursing home -- where her family are.  "Like a train station" "treated like pets"
  • rain and snow, and the porn shop

    • the apartment building -- gloomy outside, crowdy inside, with an outsider (Clive) there always
  • Two body-selling/smuggling places: the iron railing and the side door (illegal-looking)
II. The poor whites
  • Clive -- kicked out by Kingsley, sponge on Lucky, seduce Lulu, sell his mother's body (sad, calls her a bitch)
  • Lucky -- a wimp, loving Lulu but not knowing what she wants,

    • -- "I don't want to see people hungry" when explaining why he sells food at a cheap price.
    --also selfish, "Have some respect" and then takes the ring from the body,
    -- betray Kingsley at the end,
    -- the significance of the ring to Clive and Lucky
III. The Immigrants/Refugees
  • the father -- complaining all the time, wrestling with Lulu,
  • the mother -- struggle to survive, sell her husband's body,
  • Lulu -- What does she often do?  What do you think about her making love to Clive, and insisting on letting Lucky know it?  What does she do in the last shot sequence of her?
IV. The director's role