[3.5/4.0] (dialog in Bengali, English subtitles)
This film, with the English title "Song of the Little Road", is the first component of Satyajit Ray's "Apu Trilogy".
The story begins with the introduction of the Roy family. The anchor of the Roy family is Sarbojaya (Karuna Bannerjee). Because her husband Hari (Kanu Bannerjee) is often out of work, she has the difficult duty of managing all the daily needs of the family with meager resources. Hari is not overly concerned with the family's plight because he more concerned with spiritual needs than with material needs. He works odd jobs as a priest and a clerk so that they scrape by, and he spends his free time composing his literature. Hari's general view is that "whatever God does is for the best." Although their most basic needs are met, Sarbojaya knows that they live a precarious existence. Their house is in disrepair, their daughter Durga (Runki Banerjee as the small child, Uma Das Gupta as the adolescent) is acquiring a bad reputation by stealing fruit from a neighbor's orchard, and it is sometimes a struggle to make sure everyone has enough to eat. Hari's elderly aunt, Indir (Chunibala Devi) also lives with the Roys, but Sarbojaya dislikes how she spoils Durga. Sarbojaya, who is pregnant as the story opens, eventually gives birth to a son, Apu (Subir Bannerjee). Because Hari is often away working, Sarbojaya is the backbone holding the family together.
The family's poverty is no drag on the spirits of the children. Durga and Apu make their own world adventurous and carefree. Even though they miss treats like being able to buy sweets from the traveling candy man, they enrich their lives with the multitude of simple pleasures available to them. From the joy of getting drenched by the monsoon, to the thrill of traveling across the countryside to see a train, Durga and Apu do not miss any pleasures of childhood. It is only the responsibilities of the adult world that gnaw at the spirit of the individuals. It is perhaps this specter that keeps Durga from maturing. Her mother tells her that she should be more helpful in the household, but Durga's only interest is in playing. As Durga watches one of her friends get married, she gazes forlornly knowing that it is difficult for a poor girl to get a marriage arranged. It is as if she knows impending adulthood cannot be avoided. If she could choose, she would probably want to spend her entire life as a child.
Although the trilogy is centered around his character, Apu himself has a diminished role in this story. He is only a young boy through all the events. The primary characters are really the women, and they symbolize the major stages of life. The irrepressible Durga represents the carefree nature of childhood, when dependence on parents allows the spirit to be free. The somber Sarbojaya represents the heavy responsibilities of adulthood, when life is a serious matter and the needs of self and others are a constant struggle. The fragile Indir represents the precariousness of old age, when the return to dependence can become a shackle if one is restricted by poverty.
Perhaps the only aspect that indicates that this film was made decades ago is the quality of the print. In all other aspects, it displays a remarkable moderness. Although the story is set in the 1920's, the issues that it deals with are timeless. Only the absence of technological advances (motorized vehicles, electric light, etc) and the style of clothing indicate the time period. All the acting performances are flawless. This is no small feat considering the depth to which each character is explored. In terms of cinematography, it is almost difficult to believe that this was Satyajit Ray's first feature film. He displays a virtuoso mastery of the medium on par with any filmmaker, regardless of era. The main narrative is interspersed with simple and evocative scenes of nature, like water bugs skimming back and forth over the surface of a pond. These images, along with the languid pace of the story, serve to underscore the individual's insignificant presence in the greater universe. Whatever the fate of the Roy family, the world continues in its eternal rhythms unperturbed.
With this, his first film, Ray immediately established himself as a master of Indian and international cinema. Although all aspects of the story are characteristically Indian, he brings out concerns and struggles shared by people in every corner of the world. This film deservedly won several international film awards, including the appropriately named "Best Human Document" at the Cannes Film Festival.
Highly recommended. This is an absorbing and moving drama. Ray is able to portray the vagaries of the human condition in a simple, poignant story.
(c) 1999 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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