Ascension of Persona - Analysis of Adoor Gopalakrishnan's film Kodiyettam (1975)
Kodiyettam interweaves multiple aspects of a rural society with astonishing character growth of a man named Shankarankutty. In the initial parts of the movie Shankarankutty is a man who lives a life mostly unaware of what is happening around him; a poor individual who is unable to associate and indulge in most of what is happening. Yet Shankarankutty always wanted to do things others were able to do, but the same he could do only after he came in touch with a lorry driver. Shankarankutty always cherished an emotional connection with the widow who committed suicide because of her illicit relationship. Although he had doubts regarding her behavior he could never actually come up with any true evidence by sight but only by sounds. Whenever he got a chance to meet Sukumara Pillai and the widow together, there had to be some distractions which made it difficult for him to see what really happened between the two or what did they talk to each other, if they talked anything. His evidences f...