Pather Panchali (1955)

I can't believe I waited so long to watch this movie. I recently rented it on Google Movies with some credits I had, half-way into the movie and I regretted my decision to have not purchased it outright. This is not just a movie it is an event in cinematic history you have to experience. You feel an unreal connection with all the characters and they linger with you long after the end credits. I don't know if this movie will ever leave me, I certainly hope not. I understand now why they call Satyajit Raj one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. All the actors have acted amazingly for being amateurs. I simply cannot forget Durga or the old aunt, Indir Thakrun. Chunibala Devi, who plays the aging aunt delivers one of the best performances I have ever seen. Watch this movie and let it sink in. You will simply be unable to comprehend all the different emotions you encounter throughout its run time.I will wait some time before watching the rest of the trilogy. This is way too much for me right now.

Impoverished priest Harihar Ray (Kanu Bannerjee),dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work.The realist narrative style of "Pather Panchali" was influenced by Italian neorealism and the works of French director Jean Renoir. In 1949 Renoir came to Calcutta to shoot his film "The River" (1951). Ray, a founding member of the Calcutta Film Society (established in 1947), helped him scout for locations in the countryside. When Ray told him about his longstanding wish to film Pather Panchali, Renoir encouraged him to proceed.I absolutely love Renoir's "River", so I am pleased to see there is a connection between that film and this one. Unfortunately for me ,I saw a copy that was less than great. It looked pretty washed out. The 2015 Criterion version is no doubt the must-see edition, but I did not have it available to me.

One of the most beautiful films from one of the most important directors of this era.First and foremost thing is that u need to have taste. A taste for movies which doesn't show an incredible or cheap story lines, but which are beautiful snapshots with each scene depicting its own saga.'Pather Panchali'(song of the little road) is one of such movie. It's a 'kaaljai' (one which is not bounded by space and time) piece of art.Though some people will find it fragmented, but the truth is that Ray has worked on each and every scene. Some scenes are historical like 'rain shower' and 'the vessel floating'. Surely Ray is the Shakespeare of Indian cinema, who loves to develop the characters. Though the movie dates back to late 50s still you can find traces of the 21st century's society (Indian) and the universal behavior of human. Bound in the ties of selfishness, ego, our own problems and society often the behavior of human is quite disgustful. But when it comes the time of crisis our true heart is revealed which is loaded with love and is hungry for it. The climax really highlights this notion in a beautiful way. Secondly, Ray seems to be well acquainted with the importance of family. And the selfless love among family members is the part and parcel of the movie.The innocence of Apu and Durga, brother-sister love, humanity, mother's care, relation between Durga and her aunt and (of course) the miseries and songs of the aunt had made the movie eternal. About the acting, I'll say that Chunibala Devi (Indir Thakrun) is the person who suppresses all other great performances. From her scene first to the very end she seems to steal all the scenes. I would call this one of great Indian performance. Uma Das Gupta has very well presented the character of Durga (I personally find her most amusing part of the movie). Both she and Subeer Banerjee (Apu) had presented their innocence quite artfully. There are some songs in the movie which in spite of being in Bengali (incomprehensible for many people and me) flow with the movie. Perhaps I might be wrong but they (songs) don't satisfy as such. At last, if you still had had no opportunity to watch this classic then I would personally recommend it to you, but with two precautions:First watch it if you really have taste buds for such art films (as I already have said).And second the film is of 50s so prepare your mind for a slow and no larger than life or exciting events in the story (it is quite realistic)If you are mentally prepare then don't wait just fetch it anyhow and see the 'weird beauty' of your own world through a genius' eye

I love foreign films because they tell the truth of the human condition unlike Hollywood-studio movies that usually sugar-coat life. Foreign films like The 400 Blows, Summer, Ikiru, Wild Strawberries, Early Spring, Late Autumn--all had a profound effect on me. They were like the independent films of today.I should like Pather Panchali, but I didn't. Yes, it told the truth of the human condition. Yes, it had beautiful cinematography. Yes, it had an effective soundtrack. But that was it. It didn't have anything else. Let me put it this way--it didn't emotionally move me like the above- mentioned films. Why? Probably because of a lack of character development. The father is hardly even in the film. The mother is a witch to her daughter. The aunt is a caricature of an old woman who means well. Same goes for the daughter. The son comes late in the film and basically copies whatever the daughter does. The neighbors are like the bad people in a chorus of a Greek tragedy. How can anyone be emotionally moved by characters like these?! They were all pretty much one-dimensional. And to top all that off--there was no plot! Well, I wasn't surprised to see that because how can you have a plot when you have only static characters. I do not recommend this film.