Sita Sings the Blues is a difficult film for me to rate. Objectively, there should be no reason why I didn’t like it. It is an animated film based on the ancient Hindu epic, the Ramayana. The film intertwines three narratives. One is about a couple from San Francisco whose story parallels that of Sita. Another is, of course, Sita’s story. And the final one involves unnamed characters trying to tell the story of Sita.

Each storyline has its own unique animation style. The animation is wonderful. Filmmaker Nina Paley cleverly has Sita sing the songs of Annette Hanshaw. These songs are from the late 1920s and early 1930s and certainly help put a unique spin on this classic legend.

On one hand, I really admire Sita Sings the Blues. It is a wonderfully made film. However, I just never felt engaged by it. Although it is only 82 minutes, I found myself watching the clock. I can’t quite figure out why I didn’t enjoy this more than I did. Perhaps I need to watch it again. Maybe I was too distracted by the fine animation to enjoy the story more.

Nina Paley has a very open approach to distributing this film and actively encourages people to share it. Her attitude makes for fascinating reading.