Reading Notes: Peter Brooks Mahabharata, Part E

     For my last week of reading, I'm finishing Peter's Mahabharata film. When it ended the great war had just started. And that is where the story will pick up. 

     The story begins at night, the soldiers are not fighting but resting as agreed before the war started. Duryodhana is questioning Bhisma about who's side he's fighting on, because Bhisma's strength is supposed to be legendary but he keeps getting pushed back. Bshima gets defensive and eventually asks them to leave. He then talks to Drona (who seems like a very interesting character). After Drona leaves, Amba returns to talk to Bhisma, claiming that she has strange news for him. After waiting for news about how Death can outwit Death, she built a fire and threw herself into it. She died, but was reborn? Apparently now she is also a man and is going to take part in this battle. Her (now his) name is now Shikundi. 

   A few of the Pandavas go to Bhisma and ask how they can kill him. He states that if Shikundi strikes him, he will die. The next day Arjuna shoots an arrow and you see Krishna slowly travel the arrow (like in a play) towards Bhisma. It hits Bhisma. He will die at his chosen time. Karna gets Bhisma's permission to fight. Then Kunti slips into the camp to talk with Karna. She begs him to go with her towards the Pandava camp. Karna gives this big monologue about how Kunti rejected him and sent him away. It's a very dramatic scene. She almost convinces him, but then he turns away and tells her to go. He promises that he will not kill Yudhisthira or Bhima or the twins, he will only kill Arjuna. People light their torches and there appears to be a night battle fixing to happen. 

Krishna and Arjuna during the Night Battle

Bibliography. "Mahabharata" by Peter Brook. Web Source.