The first in a trilogy, this is on almost every Greatest
Film list I’ve seen. I’ve been wanting
to see it forever but it’s been out of print.
Believe it or not, the original negative burned in a fire. I could have seen a VHS version of it about
six years ago but I decided to hold out for this rumored (and now reality)
restored version. It’s a miracle that
Criterion and team were able to bring this film back to form and I applaud
their heroic efforts. Thank god we have
such artists out there to keep such monumental works alive. This is the first film I’ve seen of legendary
director Satyajit Ray. I plan to see
everything I can of his from now on.
This is a beautiful and tragic film that I know without a doubt would
have found it amazing even if I had not known how revered it is among film
scholars around the world. Based on the
novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, it tells the story of a rural family
with three children. The father wants to
become a poet someday and that leaves his wife to take care of their
children. Living with them is an old
woman who bickers with the wife all the time.
I fell in love with this family and found each of them so vibrant with
life. The black and white imagery is so
stunning that I can’t get the images out of my head. I have to say it, this is a perfect
film. Grade: A+
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