Pather Panchali (1955) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Director: a list of 31 titles created 26 Jan 2012 a list of 35 titles created 08 Jun 2012 a list of 26 titles created 29 Jan 2014 a list of 35 titles created 07 Oct 2014 a list of 28 titles created 18 Oct 2014 Search for " Pather Panchali " on Amazon.com Connect with IMDb Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin.

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 8 wins & 1 nomination. See more awards » Videos Following his father's death, a boy leaves home to study in Calcutta, while his mother must face a life alone. Director: Satyajit Ray This final installment in Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy follows Apu's life as an orphaned adult aspiring to be a writer. Director: Satyajit Ray The lonely wife of a newspaper editor falls in love with her visiting cousin-in-law, who shares her love for literature. Director: Satyajit Ray Depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity. Director: Satyajit Ray Life at home changes when a house-wife from a middle-class, conservative family in Calcutta gets a job as a saleswoman. Director: Satyajit Ray En route to Delhi to receive an award, a Bengali film star reevaluates his success through his fellow passengers, dreams and past experiences.

Director: Satyajit Ray A well-off family is paid an unexpected, and rather unwanted, visit by a man claiming to be the woman's long-lost uncle. The initial suspicion with which they greet the man slowly dissolves... See full summary » Director: Satyajit Ray An underpaid middle-aged clerk finds a 'parash pathar', a stone that changes iron to gold on touch. Director: Satyajit Ray A young woman is deemed a goddess when her father-in-law, a rich feudal land-lord, has a dream envisioning her as an avatar of Kali. Director: Satyajit Ray The musical duo of Goopi and Bagha make a comeback when they are invited to play for a king. Director: Satyajit Ray A group of Calcutta city slickers, including the well-off Asim (Soumitra Chatterjee), the meek Sanjoy (Subhendu Chatterjee) and the brutish Hari (Samit Bhanja), head out for a weekend in the wilderness. Director: Satyajit Ray Based on popular Indian stories of great writer Rabindra Nath Tagore, these short films reveal definitive moments in the lives of three young girls.

Director: Satyajit Ray Edit Storyline The story of a young boy, Apu, and life in his small Indian village. His parents are quite poor - his father Harihar, a writer and poet, gave away the family's fruit orchard to settle his brother's debts. His sister Durga and an old aunt also still lives with them. His mother Sarbojaya bears the brunt of the family's situation. She scrapes by and sells her personal possessions to put food on the table and has to bear the taunts of her neighbors as Durga is always stealing fruit from their orchard. Things get worse when Harihar disappears for five months and Durga falls ill. Even after Harihar returns, the family is left with few alternatives. Written by garykmcd 22 September 1958 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Apu was spotted sitting on a neighbor's terrace by the director's wife.

See more » Goofs Although the film is set in early 20th Century rural India (a time in which public health campaigns presumably did not exist), when Apu and Durga are shown hiding in the fields waiting to catch a glimpse of the train, a vaccination mark is clearly visible on the right arm of Uma Das Gupta , who portrays Durga. See more » Quotes Sarbojaya Ray : This is my home now too. But just look at it. It's like living in the jungle. Jackals prowling around as soon as night falls. No neighbors to sit and talk to. When you're not here, I'm terribly uneasy. But you wouldn't understand. You eat and sleep and go about your work, unconcerned whether you're paid or not. I had lots of dreams too. All the things I wanted to do... It's A Long Way to Tipperary (uncredited) (India) – See all my reviews ...it is one of those greatest works of art..so lyrical yet so composed.

there is one phrase that Ray has used extensively in his writings; something that his professor use to say when he was studying painting in Shantiniketan: "look at Fujiyama, Fire within and Calm without. There is the symbol of true oriental artist..." i think it best describes Ray's work where he suggests in his cinema enormous reserves of power and feelings which never spill into emotional displays. the strength and variety of the cinematic craftsmanship in this film can be explored endlessly, but what strikes me the most, is the way his work has confirmed, sustained and nurtured the existence of an art form, western in origin, transplanted and taking root in Indian soil. in a way pather panchali is so 'rooted'. it is so earthy and 'regional' at core and may be thats why its 'international', may be thats why, despite being the product of its time and place it is universal in its appeal. the moods and moments that he creates are simply 'matchless'. so simple, and yet so profound.

the Indir Thakuran sequences of the film remain for me the highest, noblest and rare expression of art in Indian films so far (except films by Ghatak and Mrinal Sen) The film induces a kind of contemplation and a sense of wonder, about the truth, individual and privet. almost without you being aware of it it opens windows to the truth that lies within and beyond the boundaries of cinema itself. 38 of 46 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Super Reviewer ½ it's hard to believe satyajit ray and his cinematographer had never worked on a film before this. they had observed renoir filming the river and with his encouragement and the inspiration of italian neorealism made this poetic masterpiece about life in a small bengal village circa 1920, a really timeless film. i love films about india and i'm looking forward to the rest of this series. there's huge natural talent at work here Stella Dallas Super Reviewer [font=Century Gothic]"Pather Panchali" is the first part of Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy. This film focuses on a poor family with a prestigious past living in rural India.

The father has dreams of becoming a writer/poet/playwright, even as he accepts a job to do a landowner's accounts to support his family.(It should be noted that we rarely see him or any of the other men of the village.) However, he does have a kind heart, one that clashes with the reality of the situation.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Pather Panchali" is really a simple, uiniversal story, about a struggling family. There is not a lot of plot to speak of; it is much more character driven. I thought the camerawork was very graceful. The film quietly builds up to its powerful climax. [/font] Walter M. Regie's Take on the History of Cinema » Film Analysis: Pather Panchali Regie's Take on the History of Cinema by regiesh Throughout film history, Bollywood has been recognized for incorporating song and dance even during serious subject matter. In Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, the first of Ray’s three part Apu Trilogy, neither are included. Satyaijit Ray impacted not only Indian cinema but is considered one of the greatest auteurist to have ever lived.

One of the greatest factors that make Satyaijit’s films so highly regarded is his use of long takes and realistic scenes. Ray is known to have been influenced by the italian neo-realist movement which comes through in his films. It is clear that The Apu Trilogy is an homage to this movement. This statement can specifically be proven through Pather Panchali. One of the most highly regarded scenes in Pather Panchali is the scene where Durga and Apu, siblings, escape their impoverished life to frolic about the Kaash grass, simply exploring their natural surroundings. This scene directly shows a italian neo-realist influence. To understand how this scene references italian neo-realism the movement must first be understood. After WW2, Italy was left in economic and moral turmoil. Many directors and writers including Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini and Luchino Visconti reflected on these post-war effects on society by producing realistic film. These directors tried to make their films as life-like and relatable as possible. With realism comes realistic timing. In a majority of film, simple tasks are often shorter than they would be in reality because there may be a time limit to the film or to the director it may be viewed as trivial.

Italian neo-realist film tries to accurately depict the time it takes to preform everyday tasks. A significant example would be the famous scene from Sica’s Umberto D. where a maid is grinding coffee. A majority of film would not realistically portray the time it takes to do such a task. Italian neo-realists believed in the beauty of everyday life even it was sullen and frankly humdrum. They made viewers appreciate simplicity; they made it into an art form. Ray felt moved by this concept and chose to incorporate realistic time in his films through long shots. Many scenes in the film focus for long periods of time on simple every day situations for an impoverished family in Bengal for this reason. Arguably the most beautiful long shot in the film is the train scene. It begins with Durga looking up at power lines which alone takes seventeen seconds. Already, even with no dialogue, the scene speaks volumes. Durga, to the viewers knowledge, has no concept of power lines. The characters never appear to be on the phone and live in a house/hut hybrid. This clearly portrays the separation of indians in poverty and those who are well-off. There is no dialogue. Italian neo-realist film also often had long takes with little dialogue.

Apu walks towards the power line pole and presses his face to it. Durga and Apu continue to walk through the large Kaash grass. The Kaash sways in front of the camera making the setting ideally and aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. The siblings continue to explore the grassy terrace. Apu finds what I believe to be a sugar cane and finds is sister sitting elegantly under the tall grass. The scene feels so natural as if there is no acting involved and though the shot is long and lacks discourse it remains engaging. Ray leaves the natural sound of the strong wind in the scene as well. Just like it is believed that these siblings have never observed power lines or are even aware of their purpose, when we see the train we assume this is also new. Ray chose to use off screen space and not show the train right away so that the viewers eyes are exposed to the train only when the children are. It is no exaggeration to say that one may even feel their curiosity and amazement towards their first look at the vehicle. Ray’s close shot of the train moving helps to convey how strongly they are observing this moving object. After the train has passed, the camera does not move, focusing on the smoke left behind.

Just as Sica shows the appreciation of everyday tasks, we come to appreciate objects and modes of transportation we take advantage of every day. I can’t personally remember the first time I had seen a train with new eyes but this is the closest I will get to this experience. Satyajit Ray’s Panther Panchali shows that it has been clearly influenced by the italian neo-realist movement. Ray successfully put his spin on realistic film while using long shots to portray every day life for a poor Bengali family. The train scene is deemed one of the greatest spectacles in film history while still acting as an homage to the neo-realist movement. Satyajit Ray deserves his rank as one of the greatest auteurists[sic] of all time.

Filed under at 2:40 am and tagged italian neo-realism , train 5 Responses to “Film Analysis: Pather Panchali” The Film Sufi: “Pather Panchali” - Satyajit Ray (1955) “Pather Panchali” - Satyajit Ray (1955) One of the greatest of all filmmakers, Satyajit Ray , debuted with a first feature, Pather Panchali (1955), that was so good it ranks as one of the finest films ever made. It is interesting that a number of outstanding filmmakers, including Jean Vigo, Orson Welles , Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut , and Terrence Malick , hit their highest levels with their first film outings. In all cases, though, these first-time directors were originally avid and thoughtful students of film, and they were very well cultured in cinema technique before they shot their first scenes. In Ray’s case he had been thinking about and planning how he would make that first film for many years before he started it.

He came from a cultured Bengali family, and Ray early on showed talents in graphic design, calligraphy, musical composition, and writing. In his twenties (during the 1940s), Ray worked professionally as a graphic designer, but he developed a passion for films and set his sights on eventually becoming a filmmaker. For a number of years during this period, he thought about making a film based on Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhya’s famous semi-autobiographical Bengali novel, Pather Panchali (“The Song of the Little Road”, 1929). Ray’s first feature covers the first part of that novel, and two of his subsequent films, Aparajito (1956) and Apur Sansar (The World of Apu, 1959) completed the account. Together the three films on this subject are known as the Apu Trilogy. I mention all this planning, because when Pather Panchali appeared to Western audiences, it was initially compared to Italian Neorealism films, a documentary-style film genre that was thought to be captured-life in the raw.

But although Ray engaged in experimentation during the filming of Pather Panchali, the film was carefully planned and staged in order to achieve its extraordinarily effective visual and emotional effects. The story covers the experiences of a an impoverished family of four living in a small Indian town. The father, Harihar (aka “Hori”) Roy (Kanu Banerjee), is a Brahman who makes his living by conducting religious rituals. But he has dreams of someday becoming a famous writer. His wife, Sarbajaya (Karuna Banerjee), struggles to make ends meet with the meager income obtained by the not-very-practical Hori. They have a daughter, Durga, and a son, Apurba (“Apu”). They also have a very elderly female relative, Indir, who the children refer to as “Auntie”, but given the complicated structures of Indian extended families, her precise relationship to the others is not clear. What goes on in the film is primarily seen from the multiple focalizations of Sarbajaya, Indir, Durga, and Apu. In the opening sequence of about twenty minutes, we are introduced to the Roy family just prior to the birth of Apu.

Hori talks about his plans to become a great writer, while Sarbajaya complains to Hori that he doesn’t attend to making an income to provide them with enough food and comfort. Durga, who is about seven or eight years of age, likes to steal fruit from the nearby orchard belonging to the neighboring Mukherjee family, whose matron complains bitterly to Sarbajaya that Durga thus has a poor upbringing. Undaunted by such accusations, Durga always passes some of the purloined goods to her beloved “Aunt” Indir, who is hunchbacked and emaciated. In fact throughout the film we see an affinity between the child Durga and the ancient Indir. Both of them are petty liars and thieves, stealing little scraps of food whenever the opportunity presents itself. But both of them share a joie de vivre – a readiness to be delighted by any new curiosity that comes their way. This is always an endearing trait of the very young and the very old. And both of them pass away during the course of the story. It’s worth commenting here that the performance of Chunibala Devi as Indir is extraordinary and one of the most memorable aspects of the film.

She was over eighty years old during the production and died shortly after the film was released, but her wizened visage always lights up the screen with vitality and anticipation throughout the story. After Apu is born, the story shifts forward in time about six years later, and his life as a small schoolboy is covered. Durga is still a fruit thief and dispensing the spoils to Indir, but now she is accused of a more serious crime: stealing jewelry from one of the neighbor Mukherjee daughters. Although Durga swears that she is innocent of this particular crime, the accusations again cause Sarbajaya to suffer. Losing face in a small village, which constitutes your entire world of relations and from which there is no escape, is torture for the mother who has no other means of support. Dignity is one of the major concerns for the elders in this story. In terms of material possessions, these people have almost nothing. But Hori dreams of being a respected writer, and Sarbajaya wants to be free from the scornful wrath of the neighboring Mukherjee housewife.

In fact she is so troubled by the Mukherjee accusations against Durga that she drags the poor girl by her long hair and temporarily casts her out of the door of their household. And Indir, who is essentially a freeloader on the Roy family, also suffers from the dismissive treatment she receives at the hand of Sarbarjaya. The kids, Durga and Apu, on the other hand, just want to have fun. They long for a few treats from the local sweet-seller, and they are excited by occasional festivals or Jatra performances, which are theatrical shows put on by itinerant performing troupes. So for the first hour of the film, the pacing is leisurely and somewhat rambling, with small ups and downs punctuated by the occasional village events dictated by the calendar. Satyajit Ray wanted the film to convey that level of random village-life occurrences [1]: “. . . I felt that to cast the thing in to a mould of cut-and-dried narrative would be wrong.

The script had to retain some of the rambling quality of the novel, because that in itself contained a clue to the feel of authenticity; life in a poor Bengali village does ramble.” But then the second half of the film features two key narrative sequences that move the story forward – the excursion to the train sighting and the death of Durga. Both of them are expertly realized by Ray and constitute the dramatic high points of the film. 1 The Excursion to the Train Sighting The first such narrative element is a parallel-action sequence featuring Durga and Apu along one track and Indir along another. After watching the Jatra performance, Apu takes some ornaments from Durga’s toy box and dresses up like one of the performers. Durga is annoyed by Apu’s cheeky messing around with her few belongings, and they have a spat. The young Apu, who idolizes his big sister, is terribly disturbed by Durga’s scoldings and doesn’t know what to do. In a memorable sequence, Durga runs out into the fields, knowing that the worshipful Apu will follow her. She leads him a long way to where the railroad tracks are, and then she waits.

In due time a railroad train (which Apu had never seen) comes hurtling down the tracks – a wonderfully thrilling and almost magical phenomenon for the astonished children. When you see this sequence, you get the feeling of the rapture that these children must have felt at the sight of the train. In parallel with this action concerning Durga and Apu seeing the train, are shots of Sarbajaya, testily casting Indir out of their household because Indir had caused Sarbajaya to lose more face by accepting a gift from another neighbor. Indir goes out into a wooded area, sits down, and dies. As Durga and Apu happily return from their excursion to see the train, they come upon Indir’s dead body. 2 The Death of Durga The second key narrative element comes after Hori departs on a trip to a rich landlord’s estate with the intention of getting paid for some requested religious rituals. This expected job turns out to fall through, and Hori goes further away looking for work and not communicating with his wife for months. In his absence, Sarbajaya’s family sinks into desperate circumstances, and she has to hock her dowery cutlery.

But after five months, she finally gets a letter from Hori announcing that he has made some good money and will soon be returning. Things are looking up. But the monsoon rains are about to come. In India the coming monsoons represent change and anticipation. They will bring a welcome break from the intense summer heat and needed rains for farming. But the rainstorms can wreak havoc and be destructive, too, so the monsoons combine a promise with a threat. Ray builds this mood up brilliantly with a lyrical sequence of images and sounds (both diegetic and musical) connoting the season of change and the gathering storm clouds. There is a little scene showing Durga performing the Punyipukur brata, which is a Bengali Hindu ritual puja for young girls that prays for fertilizing rain and the fortitude to endure whatever comes. Then she runs out and meets Apu in the mango orchard by the pond for some fun. A thunderstorm suddenly comes on, but Durga joyfully wades into the pond and dances in the midst of the downpour. However, the drenching gives Durga a chill, and she becomes ill.

She is put to bed and attended to by the local doctor, but her illness worsens. As the monsoon winds and rains intensify, battering their little cottage, Sarbajaya sits at Durga’s bedside with a feeling of terror and powerlessness. Before the rains retire, their cottage is destroyed and Durga dies from her fever. The next day, after being away for many months, Hori returns with money and presents for his family. Sarbajaya greets him silently but then faintingly cries out over their misfortune, her agony memorably intensified from the soundtrack by the high-pitched sound of the sarange stringed instrument. Shortly thereafter Hori decides to leave his ruined home and take his family to Benares (now called Varanasi). Just before their departure, though, Apu discovers to his shock the jewelry beads that Durga had evidently really stolen from the neighbors. He takes them over to the pond and throws them in the water so that noone will ever know that Durga did steal them. The final shots show the family sadly departing their village on an oxcart and headed off further on the little road of life.

The sometimes rambling nature of Pather Panchali and its apparently literal and artless expression (many of the actors were nonprofessionals) have led some critics to suppose that the film is an innocent outing of a novice director recording the local color of an Indian village. But this outstanding film is anything but artless, and a study of the cinematography, editing, and overall composition is well worth the effort. Ray began filming Pather Panchali in 1952, but his shoestring budget forced a number of delays while he sought additional funds; and the production was only completed three years later. Although the film was shot mostly in sequence, these delays must have presented concerns, given that two of the key performers were growing children and Chunibala Devi was of frail health. On top of that, Ray’s cinematographer, Subrata Mitra, was completely inexperienced – at the beginning of the production he was only 21 and had never held a movie camera in his hands before. Nevertheless, the cinematic expression in the film (both the cinematography and the editing) is extremely good and an important component to the film’s success. There are constant short tracking and panning shots that maintain the pace of the film.

Numerous closeups are interspersed effectively with the medium shots to maintain a visual dynamism throughout. The film gives the appearance that it was shot entirely on location, but in fact there were some studio scenes that are seamlessly woven into the presentation. In addition the soundtrack, which includes both the contextual sounds that Ray employed as well as the background musical score, is a crucial component that sonically evokes the changing emotional atmosphere of the film. The musical score was produced by noted sitar musician Ravi Shankar, and the haunting main musical theme resonates in the mind long after the film is over. Still, one might ask, what is it that makes this a great film? Is it anything more than a rambling slice-of-life story about impoverished conditions of India (as some Indians I have known have complained)? In my view, what makes it great is the manner in which Ray has woven the stories of five people – Hori, Sarbajaya, Indir, Durga, and Apu – into a single beautiful tapestry. In this respect it differs from existentialist films, which tend to focalize on the challenging world as seen by a single answer-seeking individual.

In Pather Panchali we have the existential perspectives of all five of these people interwoven together. We can empathize with and understand each of them. We want them all to find fulfilment, and yet we can see how their action can sometimes frustrate each other. The film presents to us the complexities of life in all their rhythmic and musical harmonies and dissonances. ★★★★ Pather Panchali Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 8:34 AM, PST NEWS 94 out of 111 people found the following review useful: Absolutely Perfect. One of the best films ever made. 10/10 from Saint Paul, MN 21 October 2000 It is a little known fact that India produces more films per year than any other country. The reason that most people don't know that is because their films do not generally appeal to us, and we would see them as oddities suspended in their own culture.

Possibly they'd be amusing or interesting to watch, but they would probably be hard to enjoy (to demonstrate the difference in taste, Roger Ebert attended an Indian film festival a year or two ago, and when he questioned its director what American film did the best business over there, he answered that the movie _Baby's Day Out_, which is basically like one of those Popeye cartoons where Sweet-Pea wanders through construction sights blindly, except extended to 90 minutes, had theaters packed in India all throughout its run; the film bombed completely in the US). Tastes differ. Humanity does not. This is proved to the utmost in Ray's masterful _Pather Panchali_. This film has got to be the best ever made about, well, life in general. It reminded me a lot of a Chinese film, Zhang Yimou's _To Live_, which was good, but its situations finally seemed a bit contrived. _Pather Panchali_ feels as real as life itself. To be sure, it contains great moments of sadness, but, for the most part, it concentrates on the beauty of the world around us. One of the major characters is this ancient woman, maybe even in her nineties.

She is hunched over, has no teeth, and has crooked eyes. But Ray makes her form beautiful. He often finds characters with exaggerated and odd features. And there is nothing more beautiful in this world than the love between members of a family, and Ray revels in this. The relationship between the brother and sister is heartstoppingly beautiful. I could not say anything bad about this film. But there is one thing I would like to see: a DVD version of this film, and indeed of each of the films of the Apu Trilogy, and only Criterion could do this effectively, which is kind of disappointing, since I know a major film company already owns its rights and would probably never give them up without huge pay; a DVD version with scholarly commentary. Hindu symbology is present in a large quantity in this film, along with several Hindi ceremonies. Of course, I loved seeing this. I am not completely unfamiliar with the culture, so I was able to catch a little, but there is so much I don't know. A commentary track on a DVD would help me understand the film better, and thus love it even more. Was the above review useful to you?

54 out of 61 people found the following review useful: A Magnificent Movie! from India 4 May 2005 I don't know how even 6.4% of the female voters could have given this movie a 2!!!!! This was Ray's first movie, but his economy of dialog, his synchronization and sympathy with India's rural life is incredible. So little said, yet so much! Apu and Durga following the sweetmeat seller, the scene where they run through a "kash" field....superb, the work of a real artist, a master. The film develops its characters and the atmosphere slowly and resolutely. The narrative builds up to a powerful climax. Ray had an ancient camera while shooting this movie, did it matter? No. His expression and technique was more than sound, although this was a maiden venture. Some critics found(and still find, I might add) the film to be too slow. Satyajit Ray wrote about the slow pace - "The cinematic material dictated a style to me, a very slow rhythm determined by nature, the landscape, the country.

The script had to retain some of the rambling quality of the novel because that in itself contained a clue to the authenticity: life in a poor Bengali village does ramble." There you are, if you have not watched this movie, you'll probably missed the greatest movie made on Indian rural life. That's why Akira Kurosawa said of him:"To have not seen the films of Ray is to have lived in the world without ever having seen the moon and the sun" Was the above review useful to you? 46 out of 52 people found the following review useful: Possibly the best film ever made about childhood *** This review may contain spoilers *** *** WARNING: SPOILERS *** The three films Pather Panchali, Aparajito and Apur Sansar form a trilogy, and, although each holds up well in itself, they are best viewed as a unity. Speaking on a purely personal note, I know of no greater achievement in cinema, and have certainly seen nothing that moves me more profoundly. The twin themes of these films are progress and loss. The former implies the latter, and both are, in a sense, inevitable. This is, as all summaries must be, an over-simplification.

Certainly, the loss of childhood, of innocence, of parents, is universal to the human condition. Growing up, progressing from childhood to maturity, is similarly inevitable. But Apu wills his progress: at least, he wills its direction. He always grapples with life, painful though it is. Only once, after the death of his wife (in the third film of the trilogy), does he turn his back upon life, but this crisis is temporary: the trilogy ends with Apu once again facing the future willingly, uncertain though it is. It is this refusal to turn one's back, to stagnate, this refusal to renounce, that forms the backbone of this trilogy, and gives it a unity throughout its often disparate episodes. The central character of these films, Apu, always aspires towards becoming something greater, other than what he is. He wants to educate himself. This, in a western context, appears somewhat obvious, but, given Apu's background, education is something to strive towards, to struggle for; and Apu, despite great temptation, never abandons this struggle.

It is not that he sees education as a means towards wealth or power: this is not, after all, anything so crude as a rags to riches story. But he does want to outgrow the village, to understand, and come to terms with life and the larger world outside. And in this he is, as is suggested by the title of the second film, aparajito, undefeated. Over the three films, we see Apu progress from childhood to, perhaps, his early thirties. In this progression, we see his character develop through experience. This experience is often painful, and Apu is not always capable of rising above the pain. Perhaps no other film has depicted with such a terrible intensity the emotional pain of loss; but the vision, ultimately, is far from tragic. The last film - Apur Sansar - actually ends with a sense of joy. The joy is by no means unqualified: it has been hard won, and we, the audience, recognize its fragility. But it is, nonetheless, exhilarating. Pather Panchali, the first of the trilogy, takes place some time early in the 20th century, and covers the years of Apu's early childhood.

We see him born into a poverty-stricken family in rural Bengal. Later, we see Apu at play with his sister, Durga; we see him excited by the travelling players; we observe the uncomprehending wonder of Apu and Durga as they see a train for the first time. We are shown all those events of childhood that are apparently trivial, but which nonetheless shape the adult personality. Apu's mother Sarbojaya (the superb Karuna Banerjee), is understandably harassed, trying to keep her family clothed and fed. The father, Harihar, is good-natured, other-worldly, and quite unpragmatic. With the family lives an aged aunt, Indir. She is a pathetic figure, helplessly eking out a meagre existence on the charity of those who barely have enough for themselves, and relying on Durga - with whom she has a close relationship - to supplement her inadequate diet with stolen fruit. Aware of her status, Indir generally speaks and acts in an ingratiating and conciliatory manner; but there is a repressed rage within her that bursts out on occasion. It is a magnificent performance from the aged actress Chunibala Devi.

Sarbojaya has no patience with this old woman, and takes little trouble to hide the fact that she is unwanted. This is not out of deliberate cruelty, or indifference: it is simply that looking after her own immediate family is burden enough. The old woman, desparately trying to retain the last vestiges of her dignity, is forever storming out, attempting to find a roof to shelter under from some other relative. But she keeps returning: even a hostile roof, after all, is preferrable to none. It is a picture of desperation which moves the heart beyond mere pity. There is one particularly heart-rending scene where she sits in the dark singing of death in her old, cracked voice. This first part of the trilogy ends in tragedy - Durga's death - and I know of nothing in cinema that delivers so powerful an emotional punch. It took me quite unawares at first viewing, and even on repeated viewings, it moves me like nothing else I have seen. Particularly unforgettable is Apu's final, quiet act of love for his dead sister, which really needs to be seen in its proper dramatic context to be appreciated. It is the end of a chapter in the family's life, and they move on.

The sense of loss is overwhelming. This is perhaps the best film ever made about childhood. I watch the entire trilogy about once every year, and wonder afresh at what cinema, at its best, is capable of achieving. Was the above review useful to you? 37 out of 43 people found the following review useful: One of the best from India 9 September 2005 The film is certainly a masterpiece. The film is overwhelmingly real and the key element in the movie is the maintenance of this realism. The characters are so true to the ethnic rural-sixties Indian existence that one is compelled to wonder if the film was captured through surveillance cameras. Pather Panchali, released in 1955, is the first film of director Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy. The film is a serene and beautiful depiction of a little boy's childhood in the Indian countryside in the 1950s.The film was made on a shoestring budget by a hitherto unknown director. Apart from a seventy-year-old woman who made her name in the 1930s on the stage, none of the cast had ever acted before and many had been plucked from the Indian rurality.

In contrast Satyajit Ray completed the trilogy on the behest of the Indian Prime Minister, pointing to the film's cultural impact. It's a quiet, simple tale, centering on the life of a small family living in a rural village in Bengal. The father, Harihar (Kanu Bannerjee), is a priest and poet who cares more about his writing and spiritual welfare than obtaining wages he is owed. The mother, Sarbojaya (Karuna Bannerjee), worries that her husband's financial laxity will leave her without enough food for her two children, daughter Durga (Uma Das Gupta) and son Apu (Subir Bannerjee). Harihar's family often lives on the edge of poverty, coping with the unkind taunts of their neighbors, the burden of caring for an aging aunt (Chunibala Devi), and the terrible aftermath of a natural catastrophe. Most of what transpires is shown through the eyes of either Sarbojaya or Durga, and, as a result, we identify most closely with these two. Harihar is absent for more than half of the movie, and, before the penultimate scene, Apu is a mere witness to events, rather than a participant.

Until the closing moments, we don't get a sense of the young boy as a fully formed individual, since he's always in someone else's shadow. The simple story of the Bengali family will definitely stay in my heart for a long time to come. If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?........ Was the above review useful to you? 38 out of 46 people found the following review useful: simply wonderful from India 7 May 2005 ...it is one of those greatest works of art..so lyrical yet so composed. there is one phrase that Ray has used extensively in his writings; something that his professor use to say when he was studying painting in Shantiniketan: "look at Fujiyama, Fire within and Calm without. There is the symbol of true oriental artist..." i think it best describes Ray's work where he suggests in his cinema enormous reserves of power and feelings which never spill into emotional displays.

the strength and variety of the cinematic craftsmanship in this film can be explored endlessly, but what strikes me the most, is the way his work has confirmed, sustained and nurtured the existence of an art form, western in origin, transplanted and taking root in Indian soil. in a way pather panchali is so 'rooted'. it is so earthy and 'regional' at core and may be thats why its 'international', may be thats why, despite being the product of its time and place it is universal in its appeal. the moods and moments that he creates are simply 'matchless'. so simple, and yet so profound. the Indir Thakuran sequences of the film remain for me the highest, noblest and rare expression of art in Indian films so far (except films by Ghatak and Mrinal Sen) The film induces a kind of contemplation and a sense of wonder, about the truth, individual and privet. almost without you being aware of it it opens windows to the truth that lies within and beyond the boundaries of cinema itself. Was the above review useful to you? 33 out of 38 people found the following review useful: What a story!

from Palmdale, California 18 July 2005 I have just finished Pather Panchali. To be honest, it took almost two weeks to watch it. Not only interruptions, but the shear poverty of the individuals--the family--is overwhelming. Each member exhibits their poverty and destitution in a different way. My favorite character is Durga, who gives and gives until she reaches the point where she is tired of not receiving. I will forever remember this movie, and I hope to watch the other two parts of the trilogy. I have to have this film in my collection. Movies that make you think and think again, and search your heart for answers that sometimes never come. Was the above review useful to you? 32 out of 39 people found the following review useful: As good as remembered... from Tillamook, Oregon 30 January 2004 I originally saw the Apu trilogy in 1961 in a little theater in Berkley. Sat through a straight showing of all three films and walked out after six hours in awe. It was a defining day in the development of an avid film buff.

I have waited three years for the DVDs to be released, and hoped against hope that Criterion would get the rights, but it was not to be. Sony has released an unadorned, Mirchant and Ivory Foundation restoration: but they are finally available. I bought all three of the Trilogy the day they were released, but have been reluctant to put them on. So many of my memories of "great" films have made me wonder what I was on when I saw it to think that was great. Think "Brewster McCloud." My experience of Pather Panchali and the full trilogy was a memory I didn't want diminished in any way. Tonight I came home from work, put the Pather Panchali in and sat totally rapt for the full two hours. The DVD production values and the print quality are really bad in spots, but all that fades as one of the really great art films takes over, and the immersion in the lives behind the film works its magic. Film doesn't have to be an act of corporate commerce: Pather Panchali is living proof that film can be a medium of great art. Was the above review useful to you?

26 out of 29 people found the following review useful: My favorite movie of all time. 26 August 2006 *** This review may contain spoilers *** I've been asked what my favorite film of all time is. It's a silly question, and the answer might have changed over the years. But I am certain now. It is "Pather Panchali," completed by Satyajit Ray in 1955. Strange that I would settle on an Indian film, since I have specialized all my life in Italian movies and think I know a good deal about them. But no, "Pather Panchali," spoken in Bengali and made on a budget that couldn't buy a coffee break on a major production anywhere today, is my favorite film. Why? Oh, goodness...because of its poetry, its humanity, its timeless and haunting lyric beauty, its imagery, its powerful portrayal of a family and a culture. I first saw it when I was a senior in high school. I went to the Avon in Providence, where it played for a week in 1959. Overwhelmed, I went three or four times that week. I told people about it but nobody seemed interested.

And it's futile even now to promote this film among folks who only respond to graphic action, moronic one-liner comedies, thundering vacuous soundtracks, the vapid melodrama of snakes on planes. "Pather Panchali" means "Song of the Road," and was the first film by its director, made as a total labor of love. He began in 1952 in 16mm, then got financing from the Bengal government to complete the work in 35mm. It took four years, and was shown to great acclaim at Cannes, where it won one of the top awards. It was a radical departure from Indian film convention which has characters breaking out into song every ten minutes, regardless of the story. The movie was the first of a trilogy Ray completed in a few years. "The Apu Trilogy" is about the life of an idealistic hero. "Pather Panchali" deals with the youth of Apu and his impulsive sister Durga, and the travails of his Brahmin priest father and his worrying mother in the midst of crushing poverty.

The second and third parts are "Aparajito" and "The World of Apu." All these classics are highly acclaimed masterpieces and very much liked by discriminating audiences. "Pather Panchali" turns everyday childhood occurrences into wondrous events, whether it is brother and sister crossing the fields filled with white feathery rushes to see a train in the distance, a pursuit of the candy man, a Hindu feast, the wonders of the natural world, an ancient aunt telling bedtime stories to children. Death interrupts the family twice, taking away young Durga too. The scene in which the long-absent father returns to learn of the death of his daughter is a lacerating wail from the beyond. Apu's concealing forever the suddenly-learned truth of a secret theft by his sister is a moment, once seen, can never be forgotten. In sadness, mother, father, young son move away. The film ends. Musician-composer Ravi Shankar did the beautiful score. He was a virtual unknown at the time, but I traced down recordings of his music (decades before his legendary Woodstock appearance!) and still listen to them.

Ray was influenced by the Italian neo-realists, particularly De Sica in "The Bicycle Thief," which he said bowled him over. In the mid-90s the films of Ray were restored and reissued to great acclaim, and retrospectives took place everywhere. "Pather Panchali" and the rest of the "Apu Trilogy" are available on video or DVD at libraries and retailers and form the nucleus of any collection of world cinema. It is a shining work of art. Was the above review useful to you? 33 out of 44 people found the following review useful: A song for a long road ahead. from Singapore 28 March 2004 There is this one scene in Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali when the eruption of a conflict between Apu's family and a quarrelsome neighbour brought the film to a complete standstill (for me anyway). Those few characters' state of mind and their relationship dynamics at that point in time, was conveyed with such explosive intensity, I got gut punched drunk. Pather Panchali boasts of suitably melodramatic yet highly intuitive performances. Its breath taking cinematography ranks alongside existential beauty this side of Malick heaven.

The musical scoring, by the great Ravi Shankar, is identifiably Indian, yet universally sublime. Together, these myriad parts melded into a whole so grand in its social consciousness, so incisively intimate in its portrait of one family, I could do nothing but be slowly devoured like a most willing prey. On 4th Oct 2003, I saw my all time favourite film, Tokyo Story. The feeling I got today from Pather Panchali, is as close as is possible from that fateful October day. Pather Panchali is one of the best films I have ever seen. This will be a night to remember. Now on with the other two then. Was the above review useful to you? 26 out of 31 people found the following review useful: Pather Pachali from India 23 June 2005 This is a tour de force around a family's quest for that better future amidst sheer poverty. The film's success is not limited only to realistic depiction of human condition in early 20th century Bengal, but it brings up the triumph of human spirit, love and affection in spite of utter struggle in the most poignant way that one may think.

Anybody remotely connected with movie making should also watch APARAJITO AND APUR SANSAR, to complete the experience, and off course to understand the art and craft of cinematic expression from the Maestro. No doubt it ranks in top 100 movie list from Time magazine, not to speak of almost all Indian publications connected with films rate this one as THE MOVIE. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 9: Pather Panchali (1955) | BFI Home / Explore film & TV / Films, TV and people Pather Panchali (1955) The first part of Satyajit Ray’s acclaimed Apu Trilogy is a lyrical, closely observed story of a peasant family in 1920s rural India. Salman Rushdie on Pather Panchali Juliet Stevenson on Pather Panchali Stills must not be reproduced, copied or downloaded in any way. Film details Song of the Little Road Alternative Introduction “Pather Panchali introduced Indian cinema to the West as cataclysmically as Kurosawa’s Rashomon had done for Japanese films.

A human document of timeless simplicity and exquisite beauty.” Ephraim Katz, The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia, 1998 Bengali film director Satyajit Ray was inspired by the example of Italian neo-realist films such as Bicycle Thieves (1948) to make his own low-budget, open-air drama painting a naturalistic portrait of ordinary lives. Encouraged by Jean Renoir, whom he assisted during the filming of The River (1951), Ray set to work on an adaptation of a 1929 novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay about a young boy growing up in an impoverished rural community. Like Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin (1953), Pather Panchali announced the arrival of a humanistic, Calcutta-centred Indian art cinema, distinct from the commercial product of Bollywood. Among the film’s intensely memorable moments is a scene in which Apu (Subir Banerjee) and his sister run through a paddy field to catch a glimpse of a passing train.

Ray’s trilogy follows Apu as he matures into adulthood and moves to the big city, in Aparajito (1956) and The World of Apu (1959). Cast & Credits Amazon.com: Pather Panchali: Subir Bannerjee, Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Bannerjee, Satyajit Ray, Government Of West Bengal: Movies & TV By Randy Keehn VINE VOICE on August 22, 2004 Format: DVD|Verified Purchase I ordered this DVD off Amazon.com because I had seen its' name pop up over the years as one of the best movies of all time. I am not going to promote nor challenge that reputation. I found it to be an outstanding movie worthy of its' praise but be mindful that this is no "Citizen Kane", "The Godfather", nor "Lawrence of the Arabia". This is because, for most of the film, it does not appear to have a plot. What we get are seemingly the scenes of life in a rural Bengali household at some point in time in the first half of the 20th Century.

For awhile, we keep waiting for things to "happen" while gradually taking note of the different lifestyles and the various personalities that we see on the screen. Eventually, and unfortunately, things later DO happen and, by the time they do, we have become intimately attached to the family we have been watching. I will not go into detail as to the events but I do want to say that I was deeply moved and I know that there are scenes in this movie that will always pull on my heart strings. The reason for the impact, I realized, was in the brilliance of the cinematic presentation. Although only his first movie, the director, Satyajit Ray, shows a masterful ability to create visual images that convey deep meanings. There are scenes of love and grief that are among the most powerful I've ever seen. There are subtle incidents and images that tell us vollumes about the characters and events. I know that India has a significant film industry and has had for years but I don't believe I've ever seen an "Indian" movie before. One of the things that impressed me the most about the movie was the quality of the acting. There is an elderly women referred to as "Auntie" who has to be seen to be believed.

She is the image of a broken-down old woman and she would have stolen the spotlight in any other movie (and often does in this one). However, there is enough other talent to keep our attention moving around. The daughter, Durga, is quite memorable as is Apu. The father is a bit odd but that is the image I believe he was meant to convey. It is the mother, whose name escapes me, that leaves the greatest impression. She is a woman who feels that she was meant to live a better life but struggles everyday to make the most of what she has. She is the strength of the family yet she has obvious faults. Bad luck haunts her all the way but, though she complains, she will not give up. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a brilliantly depiction of a family's struggle with life itself. I do not recommend the movie to those who don't particularly care to get emotionally involved with a movie's characters. If you have seen and enjoyed "Tokyo Story" you do not want to miss "Pather Panchali". Film Forum · PATHER PANCHALI Friday, May 8 - Saturday, May 9 Friday’s 8:00 show is SOLD OUT ONLINE.

Tickets available at box office only. NEW 4K RESTORATION Directed by SATYAJIT RAY (1955) In a poor Bengal village, Mom tries to hold things together while dreamy Dad looks for work, daughter Durga is accused of stealing, aged “Auntie” (82-year-old former actress Chunibala Devi) eats more than her share, while the young Apu (8-year-old Subir Bandopadhyay) drinks it all in — including the memorable run through the field of waving grasses for his first sight of a train. Approx. 125 min. DCP. Reviews “Beautiful, sometimes funny, and full of love, it brought a new vision of India to the screen.” – Pauline Kael “A triumph of mood and character rather than an exercise in brisk Western storytelling.” – Jonathan Rosenbaum “A hymn to curiosity, courage and conscience, it introduces Apu as an opening eye, innocent of adult anxieties but alert to adventure and, finally, moral discovery. A masterpiece, inarguably.” – Geoff Andrew, Time Out (London)

Question: Which film maker's first film was Pather Panchali?
Answer: Satyajit Ray