[4.0/4.0]
(Dialog in Bengali, English subtitles)
The purpose of a vacation is often to forget the details of daily life, using the fresh surroundings to cleanse the mind and to reflect upon some aspects of life from a different perspective. The Choudhuri family is spending a some time at the beautiful hill station of Darjeeling doing just that, and as the story opens, they are nearing the end of their trip. The majestic peak of Kanchenjungha has been obscured by clouds, and likewise, some of the individuals are symbolically having difficulty seeing with clarity what they want in their own lives. The patriarch, Indranath (Chhabi Biswas) has no problem understanding what has made him a powerful and successful industrialist -- adopting the values of the system. His main concern at the present time is the impending marriage of his youngest daughter, Monisha (Alaknanda Roy). She is at a good age to marry, but she has not completed her studies, and is unsure of what she wants for herself. Indranath approves of the good match they have found in Bannerjee (N. Viswanathan), who is a rising professional with a bright future. However, Monisha fears he would make a dull, although secure, husband.
Ashoke (Arun Mukherjee) is a struggling young man, on holiday with his uncle, who had tutored Indranath's son Anil when he was a little boy. By coincidence, they run into Indranath, and it seems to be good fortune that they may be able to use this connection to land Ashoke a job that he desperately needs. The meeting also offers an introduction to Monisha who sees in Ashoke some characteristic that she finds more appealing than Banerjee. Also with the family is Monisha's older sister, Anima (Anubha Gupta), and her husband Shankar (Subrata Sen Sharma), and it is clear that their relationship has become strained.
Satyajit Ray displays the full force of his talent in this film. In addition to producing and directing it, he wrote the original screenplay and composed the original music. This was also Ray's first color film, and the use of color is important because it displays the natural beauty of Darjeeling as an integral component of the film. (Ray returns to black and white for his next few films.) All the characters are enchanted by the natural beauty, which fills them with a sense of idealism and allows them to evaluate themselves. Ray effectively communicates this through the visual imagery and through the charming music.
The writing is exceptionally poignant in its decision to remain understated. Although characters reach decisions at their turning points, it is always clear that it was done in the intoxication of idealism. The possibility that they may think differently when they return to their mundane city lives is never expressed explicitly, but it is an obvious possibility. The dilemma faced by Monisha is usually not a dilemma in formulaic stories; often a woman is being forced to marry a despicable man she dislikes while desiring a virtuous man she cannot have. That is not the case here. Both men are decent, likable men. Bannerjee is noticeably older than Monisha and as a result he represents to her the selling of youthful idealism for safe, drab existence. Her dilemma is not that she trying to escape this path, but that she is not sure if it is what she wants. When she comes to a decision, this will be a possibility.
The story contains many parallel subplots. As characters stroll through the scenic hill station, they chance upon the other characters and establish the many interconnected components of the story as a whole. The viewer remains a detached observer, just like the native villagers who are going about their daily lives as the outsiders are on vacation.
The subplot of Anima and Shankar does not contribute as much as the other component stories, but its inclusion adds a more dire dimension that the other threads In contrast, the character of Monisha's brother Anil (Anil Chatterjee) appears briefly, mostly for comic relief. However, he also represents how some people have the luxury of being light-hearted when dealing with issues that are much more serious to others.
The acting in the film is uniformly superb, with the standout performance being that of Indranath by Chhabi Biswas. Indranath is a much deeper character than he may initially appear. Being that the story takes place not long after Indian independence, his admiration of all things British represents his knowledge of how to work within the system. In the course of his stroll with Ashoke, he delivers a long speech of his beliefs, which basically is a demonstration of how he has sold out at every step and how he reaped the rewards. He has been a complete success and "his lordship" usually gets what he wants, but it is real concern and not selfishness that guides him. This time, when the mist clears and characters see the elusive Kanchenjungha, he may or may not get what he wants.
Highly recommended. This one of Ray's more obscure films, but it is a masterpiece. It interweaves several story lines into a rich tapestry, and uses multiple layers of symbolism. Ray exercised total creative input into the film and executed it flawlessly.
(c) 1999 Murali Krishnan The Art House Squatter http://ArtHouseSquatter.com
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