Pather Panchali (1955) - Lets talk film / The origin of a legend

When Sathyajith Ray debuted with “Pather Panchali” everyone was skeptical about this Bengali film. But, very few of us recognized the level of artistry which Ray possessed. In “Pather Panchali” we follow Apu, a young boy in a village in Bengal. This movie is about a poor families struggle in the village. It's a story that any Indian can relate to, on one side there is tradition and ancestral beliefs and on the other side there is reality and in between these two areas, taking care of a family while being loyal to traditional beliefs will be crippling.

Harihar, Apu’s father earns by being a priest. But, dreams of being a play writer. His wife Sarbajaya takes care of the children and also his elderly cousin who is in her last days of her life. Sarbajaya will be fed up of this old lady, because taking care of her will be costing her family a lot. A common problem here in India. Apu and his sister tk will be playing around with other kids. But, they will be feeling the pains of being poor.

The movie is a tragic struggle of a family through poverty. Harihar knows that his family can make a good living in a city. But, he will be feeling the guilt of abandoning his ancestral house behind. And it's usually frowned upon in the village. When he finally takes up a job in the city he decides to go alone, but in the village the condition of his wife and kids gets really bad.

A good film is something that makes you feel. A directors job is to make his audience feel every single thing the characters are feeling. Sathyajith Ray is a master at doing this. Striking the right cord at every single frame to get the most out of it. One scene in particular thats brilliant is the final climax scene. Where Apu throws his sister belongings into water before leaving the village. Without speaking a single word we can realize a lot of things. You have to watch this film to know about what I am telling.

Hollywood legends like Martin Scorsese is also a huge fan of this film and the only way to know why this film is good is by watching it. I wouldn't say everyone will like this film, but its something that will definitely change your our out look about certain parts of your life. Thank you for reading this post. For more posts and reviews about movies follow me.

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