Rajesh C Off late i have stopped writing about films because my perspective has progressed that films are not an essential and valuable service, apart from non outdoor entertainment provided which is required to have healthy mind. Also, films are one sided and not two way as people on screen and behind keep exhibiting their talent and we the viewers have no participation (example in sports-Tennis or Chess is two sided). But recently got inspired to come back into my favorite arena-(parallel) movies(commonly/colloquially known as non song movies, award cinema, art film, documentary, slow movies, elite film festival audience movie) after getting inspired from a TV show accidentally i watched while changing channel, where Indian film director told that his favorite personality is Satyajit Ray(a veteran with Oscar and Bharat Ratna to his credit). While saying there was a special spark in his eyes. Then i came back to this movie called Pather Panchali - Song of the little road(1955) which was released 61 years ago(was in development hell for 3 years indeed), which is Mr.Ray's first movie with no experience in films except for watching, analyzing and discussing them. Unresisted to watch the movie despite the criticism on Rays movie as selling poverty abroad, lack of modernism,melodramatic and slow.Needless to say, movie is sourced to a literature as like any parallel movie should be. The film is into 5 characters of lower middle class family set in rural India. Rays movie has deeper touch with realism, story being natural and so the characters(in simple-the style is into absorbing story and characters strongly, parallel movie trademark). His style is more focused on characters. Its a chilling experience and a break from blood and gore and over romantic, repeat artificial routine movies in recent and past trend. Characters moments of living life as a human being is captured in close shots which is overwhelming. The boys reaction to his sisters beating and making-up with a mustache as a man after watching a theater performance and enjoying the rain with his sister is close to heart. Not to miss the deepness of Apu's love to sister when the movie ends he throws away the beads(which his sister stole and got beaten) to protect her reputation.The end of movie is heart breaking to be not in touch with the family we enjoyed overseeing while they are living. The chilling experience is deep because of the family living in a natural surrounding-lovely nature ambiance. People who have suffered lack of humanity in real life will enjoy this movie of 2 hours and 6 minutes for sure. Fiction seated in realism some or most of the times is purely enjoyable because we already built a stage(as we can closely match the realism in our life) to launch a fiction on top of it.

disinterested_spectator Notwithstanding the emphasis given to the character Apu in the title of "The Apu Trilogy," this first movie of that trilogy really seems to be about his mother, Sarbojaya Ray, who is so beset by grinding poverty that she has a hard time being nice to her family. Her elderly cousin, Indir, whom the family calls "Auntie," is a poor old woman who can barely see or walk, and Sarbojaya treats her miserably, eventually driving her away and forcing her to die alone in the woods. The woman's husband, Harihar Ray, comes across as a slacker and a dreamer (he thinks he can make money by writing plays), but maybe he is just a victim of the caste system. Her daughter, Durga, is a thief, but she is likable. Finally, there is Apu, who will play a larger role in the sequels. After his sister dies, Apu destroys something she stole so no one will know, even though everyone really knows anyway. While the husband is away for months without sending money, a storm hits and destroys their house, because he never got around to making the needed repairs. This forces them to move to the city, where we doubt that things will get any better.

gavin6942 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.

idaaning It is a wonderful film, but it is sad to see that IMDb is using a wrong cover picture for the film. the cover pic is actually from "Aparajito", NOT "Pather Panchali" and this mistake actually tells public attitude about this film. More people would rather talk about this film than watch it carefully. The film misses the "Ballali Balai" part of the novel by Bibhutibhushan which is a must read for a complete picture of the background of the film. Bibhuti's novel consists of three parts, a) Ballali Balai, b) Aam anti-r bhnepu, c) Akrura Sangbad. Ray covers Aam aanti-r bhnepu in "Pather Panchali" film and the "AKrur Sangbad" deals with the first half of "Aparajito" which ends with Harihara's death.