‘Inception’ and ‘Toy Story 3’ : Memories of the gone (સ્મ્રીતીશેષ )

Yes as the title suggests today’s post is about these two blockbuster movies of this year from wild wild west. One is psychological masterpiece about dreams and other is on screen magic of toys and their adventures. But do you know that they both have one thing in common?

Today there was a speech by Jay Vasavada in baroda at vanijya bhavan. Just 10 mins walking distance from my office. So when Jaybhai tweeted about the venue I made my mind to go for a lecture. And inspite of being there on Indian Standard Time (20 mins late). I missed nothing. Jaybhai’s speech was not started yet. In his speech there was a word that meant ‘memory of gone’ = સ્મ્રીતીશેષ . (Off the topic: મને મારી English માં blog લખવાની જીદ ક્યાંક ભારે નો પડે તો સારું.. હું ગુજરાતી ભૂલતો જાઉં છું @ 12 38 midnight..  અત્યારે Almost at 3 am જય વસાવડા એ મને આ શબ્દ યાદ અપાવ્યો, સ્મ્રીતીશેશ ). That inspired me to write an instance post dedicated to this word.

Once again let me ask you the question.
Do you know what does ‘toy story 3’ and ‘Inception’ have in common?
And the answer from my side is : Deep down in memory lane.

Let me make it bit simpler. Both the movies handle characters’ memory as the essential part of the story. One is going on a darker, maniac and hopeless route (The Inception), while other is dealing with some happy memory (Toy Story 3).

Scene From TS3: Grown up Andy is giving almost last look to his childhood friends Buzz (left) and woody (Right)

 The ts 3 is the last part of the magical toy story franchise who dealt with lives of toys. In the first two parts the owner of the toys Andy is a child. And having some nice fantasies with them. Inspite of having a little screen space in both ts s he’s the one for whom a plastic space ranger toy and a -rare of its kind- cowboy sheriff toy go beyond their limit so they can be with Andy and be the part of that good time that Andy spent with them. Even we can see the glimpse of that good time in opening scenes of ts3. (Off the topic: All ts movies start with a imagination of Andy or toys playing with each other).  

                It is the present which is more miserable for the toys.  We can see that they have not been put out from that box since years, and not been played with. And Andy is leaving for college. The time that ‘Prospector’ from ts 2 has predicted. Almost sounded like “Andy will dump you all when he’s grown up.”. And now prospector’s prediction is proving true. The toys which meant to go in atrium (ગુજરાતી માં  અભરાઈ  કે  મેડા જેવું  કૈક ) are going to day care center now.In previous ts we have seen sheriff woody having fear of being rejected but now having realizing this mistake earlier stands for Andy and urges all the toys to hope out of box.

Scene from TS3: Bonnie with new found woody (the only human toy here) and other toys

                After lot of torture and adventures the toys realize the truth and  return to Andy. Meanwhile woody meets with a caring girl, Bonnie  and ‘recommends’ Andy to hand over himself and other toys to her. The climax scene in which Andy explain role of each toys in his life (yes he’s also mentioning Rex and Potatohead pair too) is one of the most emotional climax I’ve seen in years too. Almost cried when movie is finished and still having same feelings in my heart while I remember the scene.

                To cut the whole branch shorter TS3 is the story of those toys who fought with every type of hurdles just for the sake of good memories they had with Andy. And that I think makes the story much heartfelt with compared to other TS movies.

Now let’s talk about inception. Merely it’s a story about Cobb’s adventure to implant an idea to fisher junior’s mind to break up his father’s empire so his rival saito can have a monopoly. And in this adventure fisher junior is not the one who is the bad guy. It’s Cobb -or rather say -his own guilty memories of mal. His wife who killed herself proving Cobb’s experiment a failure.

The pair Mal and Cobb had their happy time together in 3^rd and 4^th level of dreams and spent almost 50 years there. (that’s hardly an hour’s sleep-according to the movie logic- if I’m not wrong). In the dream Cobb implants an idea on mal’s mind that everything she lives is a dream and killing herself will end the dream and lead to the real world. And in –what we see is-real life mal kills herself.

This guilt of inception or unable to save mal leads a great agony in Cobb’s mind and every time he sees mal in his dreams cannot handle her and every time his bad memories about mal tries to ruin whole plan. Even she tries to kill saito and fisher and drags Cobb to 4^th level of dream where they had a happy time together to keep him there forever.

And I think I don’t need to cut this branch short. Both these high grosser and Oscar contender movies are found doing great deal with the ‘memory of gone’. Whether it’s time or a person. But we would often like to swallow our memories. And it’s not only for old ones but for some youngsters including me are remembering their memory of that good or bad time too much. Either to tell others that this should have been done and that shouldn’t or just to remember how funny-foolish-sad-screwed days there were (mostly when we are with friends including the one beneath our skin) and copy those emotions for a while. And I don’t have any objections with it (mostly because I’m doing this). 

Final word: We have too many valuables in our treasure. It’s upon us to use it or misuse it.

And leaving you with the lyrics of ‘Troy’ soundtrack ‘Remember Me’ (Song performed by Josh Groban)

 Remember
I will still be here
As long as you hold me
In your memory

Remember
When your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
Just remember me

I am the one star that keeps burning
So brightly
It is the last light
To fade into the rising sun

And with you whenever you tell
My story
For I am all I’ve done

Remember
I will still be here
As long as you hold me
In your memory
Remember me

I am that one voice in the cold wind
That whispers
And if you listen
You’ll hear me call across the sky

As long as I still can reach out
And touch you
Then I will never die

Remember
I’ll never leave you
If you will only
Remember me

Remember
I will still be here
As long as you hold me
In your memory

Remember
When your dreams have ended
Time can be transcended
I live forever
Remember me
Remember me
Remember me

 Thanks Jay bhai for this speach in baroda, and helping me to find out the word smriti shesh.
Last note: I have used memories of gone and smriti shesh as almost same words as per my understanding, so i apologize if i have done anything wrong by using slightly different words as same.

Good night all.