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Film Review: The Compensation (ASWESUMA), A splendid maiden effort

by E. M. G. Edirisinghe

Based on John Steinbeck's The Pearl the theme of which smoothly harmonises with our spiritual and social content, the Compensation (Aswesuma) by Bennet Ratnayake is a splendid maiden cinematic effort by a Sri Lankan filmmaker. Graduating from the much popular television medium, he emerges as an accomplished filmmaker indelibly writing himself into the pages of Sinhala cinema.

Multi-dimentional capacity of cinema dives itself into the depth of human passions is made evidently clear in this film with an in-depth visual expression of emotions packed deep down in man anticipating articulation at any moment of stimulation.

The main appeal of this movie, a fine artistic work is its overwhelming presentation that stuns any filmgoer. Except for its cinematic and poetic pauses it moves on with a heavy swift pace that not only spawned the right rhythm for the hasty retreat of Guneris (Jackson Anthony) and his wife (Sangeetha Weerarathne) hunted by a pack of criminals who are after the gem, but also creates the force the story demands in its assertion of reality of human frailties which could weaken any person.

Greed and its essentially attendant sorrow attached to its accomplishment is easily closer to the spirit of Sri Lankan life. Naked greed is not the right motivating factor for success in life, but moderation and sensitivity to reality of life nourished and disciplined by learning from religion, society and experience.

However, Guneris driven by insatiable greed to make maximum of money by selling the fabulous gem that accidentally came into his hand finally discovers that true happiness is not found in wealth one dreams of acquiring but in love and being together that marriage provides to husband and wife.

This fabulous gem they found at the grave of their only son who died prematurely was considered to be a curse by the mother whereas the father thought it to be a blessing. This conflict of vision is a subtle description of the binary nature of anything material that falls into human hands. It turns into either a profit or loss only in the mind of its recipient and how he puts it into use. Good is inseparable from evil like the two sides of the same coin. What matters is which side one has chosen. In this instance the misfortune attached to the gem that surfaced at the grave, took control of the situation created by greed that surrounded everyone in the society. Gem in the hands of Guneris turned into misfortune which ended only with this valuable gem being thrown into a large tank beyond the reach of anyone.

The gem made Guneris emotionally and spiritually poor. The progress that ensued his resolution to get the maximum price for the gem finally ended with him becoming a triple murderer. That made him to recoil with a feeling of guilt right through the rest of his life. However, in the process he was made a very understanding, loving and affectionate husband.

Bennett Ratnayake ingeniously uses the gem as an apt symbol expressive of man's insatiable greed. Its potential to bring him or any other a heap of money has enticed everyone from the rich to the poor each of whom showed contempt for contentment in their pursuit of satisfaction of avariciousness. Deceit, intrigue and violence saw no bounds when the anticipated price of the gem began to dazzle their vision.

Simplicity and ease evident in Guneris's depressed wife characteristic of contentment was compressed under his boundless urge to stretch to the maximum to get rich. Their eventual combined reversion to a simple contended life is the maxim the filmmaker wished to put across. The usual conflict between the seller and the buyer, in this instance with the former trying to get the maximum and the latter trying to give the minimum they found no ground for compromise, and the deal hopelessly fell through. That was the life in the late forties of Sri Lanka with each unable to understand the other and the mass communication at the primitive level.

In Guneris' view his son's death is a sacrifice he made to make his father rich. Guneris thoroughly believed in it whereas his wife did not hold with him at all. That was how a dying son compensated his father for carrying him all alone for several hours without a stop, to hospital.

When the three trackers whose greed for money was temporarily subdued by their instant urge for sex it brought in their downfall as well. The bitter lesson for Guneris was that the essence of life is not wealth but family and contentment. The rape scene here had been presented with great restraint and compelling cinematic sequences functionally giving out the effect of rape and simultaneously producing the elements of conquest rather than the satisfaction of sexual desire which diluted the courage and morale of both the husband and wife.

Primarily timorous Generis became bold only after his wife was raped in his presence. Impelled by rage, frustration and desperation, and as if possessed, he mercilessly killed the three rapists a secret which he kept along with his wife till the end as it became the beginning of a new life together as husband and wife.

With his wife's death he suddenly realised that he should unburden himself of the guilt of murder demanding arrest and punishment as he had none to share the secret which now rest too heavily on him and on him alone. Left alone after a long loving steady conjugal relationship he got back into the shell he was before the death of his child. He had kept it a secret for so long because the long arm of the law will put him in jail leaving his wife to the fancy of vultures, a mere victim of circumstances forced on her by his extensive greed.

The vision that happiness is not found in greed but in modest living and mutual understanding is powerfully driven into its text. The style in which the film is woven succeeds in touching chords of sensation alive in the viewer. Its tempo gives a tremendous sense of grip not often seen in Sinhala cinema. Moments generating emotions and feelings have blended into powerful compositions which have been effectually and deeply captured in equally excellent photography. Along with camera editing too had gained great heights which had maintained a rhythm befitting a movie of such thrilling substance using the minimum of violence. The wonderful combined effort of the director, cameraman and the editor has realised a superb film with the artistes making a visually attractive work of moving art. They bring life into the dynamic character of the movie.

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