Series reviews: Altered Carbon, The Haunting of Hill House , Taj Mahal 1989

Altered Carbon 

I devoured the 2 seasons of Netflix's Altered Carbon. Futuristic science fiction or, cyber punk, in this case, really blows my mind. I'm fascinated with the breadth, vision and imagination of this genre. Altered Carbon is one of the most exciting, mind altering and, philosophical series I've ever seen. It touches so many many themes : immortality, eternity, our bodies, AI, violence, inequality, wealth, colonialism, revolution, technology , meaning of life, etc. 

For a long, long time I 've wondered about who we really are. I remember this conversation with my brother in Edinburgh, Scotland in December 2005. We just had dinner and, were walking back to the service flat we had rented. I can still remember that I had had red wine and, enjoyed some really good food on that chilly evening. I asked my brother who did he think we really were. He answered with various responses: Pakistani, Male, Muslim, some type of personality. I wasn't still satisfied and, asked him but who are we beyond those identities. Being merely a woman doesn't fully capture who I am let alone all the thoughts, flaws, mistakes, desires, intentions, experiences we have. Would I still be me if I were a man? 

I've also been a little scared of death, at the idea that there is nothing after this life. And, that this lifetime simply doesn't long enough to experience the full measure of life and, all its possibilities. I would love to lead many many different lives and, explore my potentials, learned many different crafts. And, live in different parts of the world, not for days, but lifetimes in each place. 

As a newly minted feminist, one hopes for a future less patriarchal and, more evolved. How can human civilisation progress without violence, subjugation, conflict over resources, colonialism, violence against women, inequality? Maybe these go hand in hand as humans evolve and survive?  

Altered Carbon is mind blowing because it grapples with so many themes and ideas which I've personally been obsessed with: immortality and body identity/identity. Immortality isn't presented as a utopia but as a luxury for the ultra rich, so rich that they live in the sky. And, they become new gods or meths ruling the worlds and controlling all the resources. Immortality is a corruption, an unnatural existence and, the very woman who invented the technology ("stack")  to preserve human consciousness (using ancient alien technology) is now fighting a resistance. One meth says that the longer you live, you lose your original self. 

The immortal aren't benevolent and wise. They merely keep on living, exploiting everyone else, and, never have to pay for any of their sins. The less fortunate are struggle to pay for new "sleeves" (bodies) in which their consciousness can be inserted and have to do with different gendered, racial bodies, different from what they were born with.

Then there are the religious cults who are against "being spun back up" after death. There are always those.  

This idea that we can re-born into different bodies, whether male or female, whether black or white, is, I suppose, a very ancient idea anyway. Reincarnation is not a new concept . I guess what I am really grappling with is this concept of a soul. At the end of it, regardless of our body or gender , we all have a soul or spirit which makes us inherently who we are. Perhaps we do not need to believe in a real soul but for sure an idea that there is more to our physical bodies that makes us who we are. 

The future society of Altered Carbon has not eliminated horrific sexual violence and patriarchy. In fact, the violence against women becomes a twisted sport. Women are prostituted into violent deaths and, promised new sleeves. Technology is used to come up with new sick ways to torture, murder and degrade women. 

But for the sexual violence, we have Quellcrist  Falconer, as a revolutionary leader and, an eternal lover. She is one of the most powerful female characters you will see on screen. Woo, what a character. As I am delving deeper and deeper into feminist politics in Islamabad, I am in love with Quell. 

The AI character of Poe is just adorable and, a lovely lovely homage to Edgard Allan Poe. My 7th grade teacher  made all our class fall in love with "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee." Poe can be added to the list of great AI/robotic film characters who represent the most perfect aspects of human intellect, vulnerability and compassion.  And, that they are even more human than humans (of course, to be human is also to be full of conflict and, practice violence) . 

The Haunting of Hill House  

I have trouble sleeping without a night light for a week after watching horror but I still love it. There is nothing like good horror.

The Haunting of Hill House is set in the most typical of horror places: a haunted house. The haunted house is a classic setting. A family moves in and, discovers the previous residents died horrible deaths or that the house holds a deep dark secret. The basis of good haunted house stories is the suffering and grief of families, the painful memories of older generations, the proverbial skeletons in the closets, the bodies in the attics, and ancient disturbing relics hidden in American basements. 

I absolutely loved this series and, how deeply frightening it was, particularly in how traumatised the older siblings were in their adult lives, who continued to be haunted by the ghosts of the house they grew up in. The two twins' stories were particularly very haunting and touching. The way the story weaves in and out from present to the past and back was beautiful. 

This series stands out not just as a horror piece but a deeply emotional and touching family story. I absolutely loved it. 

Taj Mahal 1989 

Now, this! What an absolute delight of a mini series. 

The 80s are now the decade to go back to (Stranger Things, Dark). When will go back to the 80s here in Pakistan? Oh, sorry, it's too painful. That was when we started rolling back into the medieval ages with public flogging, throwing women in jail and, asking them to produce 4 male witnesses in case they got raped. According to Ismat Shahjahan, that's when the patriarchy got state patronage and started getting fatter and more vicious. 

Well anyway, for sure Pakistan can't ever revisit the 80s. 

Taj Mahal 1989 revisits the end of the 80s in Lucknow!  And, it has two of my favourite actors:  Sheeba Chaddha  and Neeraj Kabi. Each episode is very short and, feels both light and very profound, like a heavy thunderstorm that's over in a flash followed by a delightful garden tea party with ghazals playing in the back. It feels like a short but deeply refreshing nap. A chance encounter with a breath of fresh air in the noisy street. 

I loved everything about this series, the witty dialogues, the inter-caste harmony, the playful takes on what love means for each character, the poetry, and, the politics of the university.