Animated musical

Sita Sings the Blues (2009): Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Name: Sita Sings the Blues
Genre: Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Animation, Musical
Released: 2009-12-25
Duration: 1 h 22 min

Sita Sings the Blues (2009) movie poster

Sita Sings the Blues is a 2009 animated musical directed by Nina Paley. It is partly based on The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan. It runs 1 hour 22 minutes and earned $12,619 worldwide. Critics gave it 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 93 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes: 100%
worldwide gross: $12.6K
Metascore: 93

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Watch the trailer Read the plot summary

Released: December 25, 2009
Runtime: 1h 22m (82 min)
Director: Nina Paley
Genres: Fantasy , Comedy , Romance , Animation
Original language: English
Studio: GKIDS
Based on: The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is Sita Sings the Blues About?

The premise of Sita Sings the Blues without spoilers, adapted from The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

This unique film interweaves the ancient Indian epic of Sita and Rama with the modern-day story of Nina, whose relationship falls apart through email exchanges. The narrative is cleverly presented through wry commentary from three shadow puppets, offering both humorous and poignant observations on timeless tragedy and relatable heartbreak. The film is accompanied by sultry 1920s jazz vocals by Annette Hanshaw, creating a vibrant and unexpected blend of myth, heartache, and comedy.

Sita Sings the Blues Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags

title directed by female
based on folk tale
cutout animation
1920s
work abroad
for grown ups animation
satire comedy
religious drama
fairy tale fantasy
jukebox musical
blues music
dark romance

+38 more

dark comedy
tragic romance
reference to rama the hindu deity
public domain
ramayana
unconditional love
religion
silhouette
collage
presentation
2d animation
flash animation
surrealism
arrow
warrior
twin sons
twin brother
tragedy
test of faithfulness
test by fire
sword fight
suspicion
single mother
shadow puppet
rescue
murder
multiple narrators
monk
monkey warrior
mistrust
martyr
manipulation
magic
lost love
long distance relationship
kingdom
kidnapped wife
jazz music

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Crew

The Director of Sita Sings the Blues

Directed by Nina Paley.

Director Nina Paley

From the director

More from Nina Paley

More films directed by Nina Paley, best-rated first: Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, Copying Is Not Theft and Thank You for Not Breeding.

Full filmography

Ratings

Sita Sings the Blues Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Sita Sings the Blues 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and 93 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes

100% Tomatometer

Popcornmeter 85%
See on Rotten Tomatoes
Metacritic

93 Metascore

User score 7.3
See on Metacritic
TMDB

70% User score
See on TMDB

Plot

Sita Sings the Blues Plot Summary

What happens in Sita Sings the Blues from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The film presents a thoughtful adaptation of a timeless legend, focusing significantly on the character of Sita and her experiences, while emphasizing themes of truth, justice, and a woman’s plea for equal rights. The story begins with the exile of Prince Rama from his royal court, a decision imposed by his father’s favored queen, Kaikeyi. After saving the king’s life, Kaikeyi seizes the opportunity to secure the throne for her own son, demanding Rama’s banishment in return for the favor owed to her.

Full summary

The whole story of Sita Sings the Blues, scene by scene

Read the full summary