JALSAGHAR
(THE MUSIC ROOM)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.5 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
India, 1958 U.S. Re-release date: widely variable, limited release Running Length: 1:40 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Cast: Chhabi Biswas, Padma Devi, Pinaki Sen Gupta, Gangapada Bose Director: Satyajit Ray Producer: Satyajit Ray Screenplay: Satyajit Ray based on the novel by Tarashankar Banerjee Cinematography: Subrata Mitra Music: Vilayat Khan U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics/Merchant-Ivory In Bengali with subtitles
In JALSAGHAR, director Satyajit Ray examines the age-old conflict between the landed nobility and the unpedigreed rich, between those who dwell in the past and those who embrace the future. Using the same meticulous, unforced style employed in his celebrated APU TRILOGY, Ray explores how one man's need for a pampered, sumptuous lifestyle leads inexorably towards his complete ruin. It's a fascinating snapshot of Indian culture in the 1930s, and a cautionary tale about the dangers of an inflated opinion of self-worth.
Ray filmed JALSAGHAR between the second (APARAJITO) and third (APUR SANSAR) chapters of the APU TRILOGY. After spending two films (PATHER PANCHALI, APARAJITO) providing an intimate perspective of the struggles of a poverty-stricken family, Ray moved to the other end of the social spectrum, to those who lived in palaces, commanded legions of servants, and threw lavish parties. Tragedy, of course, has no respect for class, and losses are suffered by both Apu and the lead character of JALSAGHAR, Huzar Biswambhar Roy (Chhabi Biswas). Their reactions to these crushing circumstances are predictably different -- the resilient Apu fights on; the pampered Huzar gives up.
When JALSAGHAR opens, Huzar is an old, beaten man. Life no longer holds any joy for him. He sits on the roof of his palatial estate, smoking and staring into space. He doesn't know the month or the season, and doesn't express much interest when he's told what they are. He is surrounded by faithful retainers, but seems unconcerned when they inform him that his "funds are low and expenses are heavy."
The first half of the film shows, via flashback, the circumstances that brought Huzar to his present condition. As a much younger man, he was a libertine, enjoying life to its fullest. To indulge his passion for music, he had a jalsaghar, or music room, constructed within his palace where he could hold large parties and enjoy the singing, playing, and dancing of paid performers. The music room is a large chamber, with gorgeous, crystal chandeliers, a giant mirror at one end, and pictures of Huzar's ancestors decorating the walls.
Heedless of the alarming rate at which his debts piled up, Huzar seized any excuse to throw a party, especially if it could inconvenience and show up his wealthy but poorly-bred neighbor, Mahim Ganguly (Gangapada Bose). As an indirect result of one of these parties, Huzar's wife (Padma Devi) and son (Pinaki Sen Gupta) were killed in a boating accident. Grief-stricken, he ordered the music room closed, and retreated into the sullen, disconsolate world where we find him at the film's opening.
The central struggle is between Huzar, who represents the "old order", and Mahim, who stands for the new. Huzar is a noble, a product of blood and breeding, who is given respect because of who he is and who his ancestors were. His grand palace is like a museum, and he is stuck in the past. He has no money and still uses candles and lanterns. Mahim, on the other hand, is a commoner, but, as a result of his extremely lucrative profession (moneylending), he has become rich. He aspires to usurp Huzar's position of esteem in the district by building his own music room and luring people to his house with the promise of electric lights and memorable entertainment.
In the APU TRILOGY, Ray drew us into the protagonist's world, encouraging us to empathize with Apu through his triumphs and tragedies. In JALSAGHAR, the director's approach is different. He distances the audience from the characters, allowing us to observe the culture and events from a detached perspective. As a result, while this movie lacks the sublime beauty and simple power of the Apu films, it is no less intellectually involving. That's not to say that JALSAGHAR has no emotional impact, but the intent is different. Although we do not share Huzar's despair, we pity him, acknowledging that he has brought this ruin upon himself.
Seen in concert with the APU TRILOGY, JALSAGHAR makes for a fascinating study of similarities and contrasts, and helps us see another level of Ray's cinematic mastery. This is a very visual film -- there are numerous ingenious shots (including one where a spider crawls up the leg of a painted figure) and a stirring dance sequence. While I don't think this movie reaches the pinnacle achieved by APARAJITO and APUR SANSAR, it is nevertheless an intriguing and, at times, beguiling motion picture that deserves its place among the director's masterworks.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews