MovieChat Forums > The Namesake (2007) Discussion > shoe flashback

shoe flashback

posted 14 years ago by babystreat
7 replies | jump to latest

just watched the namesake for the second time and noticed something interesting that i figure must be significant.

when ashima is at gogol's wedding, and is remembering meeting ashoke for the first time there is a shot of her trying on his shoes. at the beginning of the film, when this actually happened, they were brown and white. in the flashback they are black and white. it seems as though this was intentional, otherwise they would just re-use the original shot. but what is the significance? any ideas?

[–] queerever 14 years ago

Hmmmm, you seem to be suffering from a great peril (and a boring habit) of post modernity. I am 99% sure they are just different shoes - in fact, the director would have made them different to not try to confuse you with too much meaning - It is a (manipulative) sentimental moment, NOT what do these shoes mean, moment. DUH. The shoes are the same style (no?) but they are how many decades later, therefore a different pair, duh. SO, you have the constancy of the type / style, yet, if the guy stuck to the same style AND the exact colour scheme that would start to seem more of a neuroses. The shoes, the memory, mean everything, whereas the colour is not telling you that "now we don't see things so black and white, things are really all shades of . . . brown" :) I am the funniest farker. Jeez you got a good reply. Look, all the IMDB ar seholes who get on here, get all serious and think they're so smart, friendly and diplomatic haven't replied to you :(

[–] babystreat 14 years ago

wow, why even bother responding if you don't have anything constructive to say? i was merely interested in whether anyone else noticed this.

instead, i get a petty response from someone who obviously a. didn't understand the question (and probably didn't see the film) and b. has nothing better to do than troll message boards and hide behind a computer screen.

i think your mom just called you for dinner.

[–] queerever 14 years ago

Of all the people I have "attacked", I gave you as much respect as possible. What is the age of the oldest person who calls others a "troll"? Well, that doesn't matter because it is incredibly uninspired and even more immature. The terminology of someone who hangs out on line for far more than I have or do.
You suck - I gave time to say something EXTREMELY constructive - it is THE answer, and comprehensive too. IF you were on an intellectual pursuit, instead of a self indulged idiot quest, you could celebrate my answer, ruminate, and maybe even grow a little - not all the best things come in (wasteful) pretty packaging.
Ar s e ho le.
HIDE? I don't know anybody who throws them self PHYSICALLY against perceived/ injustices as I do. When was the last time you threw yourself at violent/ corrupt police, who have a very high civilian murder rate (not from your little, Bourgeois corner of the planet), to defend someone you didn't even know! I did that . . . well, that was a few months ago now. But, come on then, let's fight, no weapons - when and where!?

[–] sunshine-schopp 13 years ago

good eye and great question babystreat...Im curious to find out if you have had anymore thought on this issue. I just saw the film and your question has sent my mind whirling!
Sunshine

[–] Spudman101 14 years ago

I didn't notice the different colour of the shoes in the flashback, but it is common practice to use a different filter (usually some kind of sepia effect or a washed out colour effect) when a flashback is occurring in a movie in order to differentiate it from the current events. Maybe the different colour filter applied to the flashback made the brown on the shoes appear darker or black even though it was actually the same shot.

I don't have the movie to check it out, so it's just a guess unless someone else can confirm.

[–] LauraCohle 12 years ago

Shoes were a big metaphor in this story. Ashima was so fascinated by Ashoke's shoes when she wore them because she was connecting with the man who was to be her husband; this act was intimate to Ashima and the shoes were a statement as to what kind of man her future husband might be.

Also, when Gogol sees his father's shoes at the apartment the scene flashes to Ashoke running around the square, doing his routine, etc. and symbolises Gogol 'walking in his shoes' and trying to empathise the emotions his father was experiencing.

[–] X-company2008 12 years ago

I don't know about the colors and them being the same shoes, etc.

I just know that scene was very emotional :'(