Quiz 18

Please mail your responses to kmanjith at yahoo dot com or leave them as comments on this page.

1. It was a one story cement block cube with sliding doors in front and back. It was built as a shelter for pigs that were about to be butchered. Later, it was used to imprison allied soldiers. It had a simple address- "Schlachthoff funf". What are we talking about?

2. This phrase, (as quoted by wiki) "usually attributed to Arthur Conolly, has been used to describe the rivalry and strategic conflict between the British Empire and the Russian Empire for supremacy in Central Asia. The concept was introduced into mainstream consciousness by British novelist Rudyard Kipling in his novel Kim (1901)." Which phrase?

3. When the prisoner was asked to get ready for his execution, he is supposed to have told his jailor “Wait a while. A revolutionary is talking to another revolutionary." He was reading a book by/about Lenin and the jailor waited for him to put down his book. He was then taken to the gallows for his death. Which famous prisoner ?

4. The phrase first appeared as the title of a book written by the critic Martin Esslin. The phrase described the works of playrights who gave artistic expression to the ideas presented in the Albert Camus essay "The Myth of Sisyphus". Camus used the character of Sisyphus to illustrate this view of life. Beckett, Adamov, Genet, Ionesco and Harold Pinter have all written plays that best define this genre. Which genre/phrase?
(Hint: If you know the story of the mythological character Sisyphus, it may help!)

5. The "Victory Calypso" rated as one of the most famous cricketing calypsos, was composed by "Lord Beginner" when the West Indies beat England in England for the first time (Lords,1950). Complete the two missing names at the end of the song. (Hint: They were the architects of this victory)

Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord's where I saw it;
Cricket lovely Cricket,
At Lord's where I saw it;
Yardley tried his best
But Goddard won the Test.
They gave the crowd plenty fun;
Second Test and West Indies won.
Chorus: With those two little pals of mine
___________ and _______.

6. When Martin Scorcese was asked why he had never directed a western, he replied that there was no point, as the definitive western had already been made with _______. Released in 1992, this movie re-told the story of the wild west, portraying it as a world of lies and violence and not the glamorous world it was made to be in older movies like "The Good Bad and the Ugly". Identify this movie which won Clint Eastwood, the best director award.

7. This great director, novelist and political figure was murdered in 1975, his own car being driven over him many times. Conspiracy theories speak of the similarity of the setting-a beach in Rome, with the locations in his novels and movies. He had shot one of his scenes at the same beach and some felt he had planned it all along or colluded with the Mafia. During his life time he had been a controversial figure, an ardent proponent of left wing politics and a regular political columnist. His movies challenged the social mores of the era, with "Salo" (based on a book by Marques De Sade) rated as one of the most disturbing movies ever made. Identify this versatile personality.

8. Which book was gifted (quite appropriately) by Bill Gates to Warren Buffet when the latter announced that he was donating all his wealth to the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation?

9. On his death bed, the author asked his close friend Max Brod and lover Dora Dymant to destroy all the manuscripts of his un-published works. Dora dutifully obeyed his request, but Brod did not do so. Some of the most acclaimed works of the author were brought to light by Brod's decision. Identify the man who died from TB at the age of 40.

10. The story, based on a play by Joseph David, centers around the fictional kingdom of Kumarpur. Dilbahar, one of the two wives of the King, tries to seduce Adil, the minister of the court. When Adil refuses her approach, she imprisons him and exiles his daughter who gets raised by nomads. The nomads finally invade the kingdom, release Adil and expose the schemes of Dilbahar. Adil's daughter gets married to the Prince of the Kingdom. Which famous movie ?

Answers:

1. Slaughter House Five. ("Schlachthoff funf" literally translates to Slaughterhouse five. It was a German camp for allied prisoners in WWII as described in Kurt Vonnegut's classic novel of the same name. Vonnegut based the novel on his experiences as a POW during the firebombing of Dresden)
2. The Great Game.
3. Bhagat Singh. The story could well have been another legend associated with the man.
4. Theater of the absurd. (Sisyphus is the equivalent of Naranathu Bhraanthan. He rolls a stone up a hill, rolls it down and keeps repeating the same process. Camus used this to illustrate the absurdity of life)
5. Ramadhin and Valentine. (They were the legendary spinners who bowled WI to victory)
6. The Unforgiven
7. Pier Paolo Pasolini
8. Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations
9. Franz Kafka
10. Alam Ara

Scores:

Atul -2.5

Vipin-3

Rajesh Mohan-6

Snehaj- 5.5

Hrishi-5

Arun George-4

Viswas-4

Praveen VR-6

Sreeram-6

Devadas Krishnan-8

Wasi-5

Arun A.S. -4

Reshmi G -5

Humble Samurai-3

Thanks a lot for the great response!