The final chapter of The Apu Trilogy; a film that strikes me with not only how emotionally brilliant it is, but how a film made fifty years ago feels so modern today.
I only have one word for the week I've had:
Never do 80% of the work. Ever.
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I love movies. They represent escapism, art, intellect and spirituality. Some are nothing more than popcorn flicks, designed to ease the burden of "real-life" for a couple of hours. Some bring important issues to the forefront that challenges how we perceive our surroundings. The most important thing for me – if one is a serious filmgoer – is to constantly expand and discover new movies. This includes experiencing stories told outside of North America.
Yes, I know: "I don't like to read while I watch movies". Well, neither do I, but I won't use that to prevent me from finding a great story within the screen. It is important, as human beings to discover other cultures and expand our perceptions of those different from us and how they see the world. There are reasons that Bergman, Kurosawa, Fellini, Ozu and Truffaut are important in the movie world – They are just great at what they do.
I intend to highlight a new film every week that is considered "foreign-language"; now that definition is simple, yet broad and complex. For example, if you need subtitles to understand the events of the plot, I will discuss it. If it is a film from a primarily English-speaking nation, but is *NOT* in English (i.e. Leolo or Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner from Canada), I will discuss. If it is a film from outside the U.S. and it *is* in English, I will not discuss (sorry, Brits & Aussies) – for now. My goal is to shed light on some of these gems, and help quell the insatiable appetites for those who can't live without seeing a new movie. Enjoy!
The World of Apu , Satyajit Ray's final installment of the infamous Apu Trilogy delivers exactly what most cinephiles are passionate about when it comes to movies; here is a film that is so deeply invested in the emotions of their characters that I found myself numb. "Epic" is a word that has been thrown around all too much lately when describing certain films, but this is what the word was made for. The irony over the use of "epic" to describe The World of Apu is that there are no major special effects, there isn't a show-offy way to demonstrate scope in regards to landscape or a majestic orchestral score. The film is epic in the sense that it fully absorbs the sweep of human emotion. It is one of the most "human" stories I've ever witnessed. It is sad, it is funny, it is romantic, it is heartbreaking, it is suspenseful – and it has that rare power to force the audience to examine their place in the world and the people they share it with.
Based on the last two-thirds of the 1932 Bengali novel, Aparajito, by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, The World of Apu focuses on Apu's adult life, and also introduces the actors Soumitra Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore, who would go on to appear in many subsequent Ray films. The film won the National Film Award for Best Film and several international awards, including the Sutherland Award for Best Original And Imaginative Film and National Board of Review Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The World of Apu has been influential across the world and is frequently listed among the greatest films of all time.
A large part of the story unfolds in Calcutta. Apu Roy (Soumitra Chatterjee) is an unemployed graduate living in a rented room in Calcutta. Despite his teacher's advice to go to University, he is unable to do so because he can't afford it. He tries to find a job, while barely getting by providing private tuition. His main passion is writing a novel, partially based on his own life, with hopes to get it published someday. One day he meets his old friend Pulu (Swapan Mukherjee), who coaxes him to join him on a trip to his village in Khulna to attend the marriage of a cousin named Aparna (Sharmila Tagore).
This is where perhaps the most extraordinary – and possibly contrived – moment comes to play, and despite the extremity of the situation, there is still a sweeping sincerity. On the day of the marriage it turns out that the bridegroom has a serious mental disorder. The bride's mother cancels the marriage, despite the father's protests. He and the other villagers believe, according to prevalent Hindu tradition, that the young bride must be wedded off during the previously appointed auspicious hour, otherwise, she will have to remain unmarried all her life. Apu, after initially refusing when requested by a few villagers, ultimately decides to take Pulu's advice and come to the rescue of the bride by agreeing to marry her. He returns with Aparna to his apartment in Calcutta after the wedding. He takes up a clerical job, and a loving relationship begins to bloom between them.
I need to take a moment to mention the talent – and ridiculous beauty of Sharmila Tagore, who was only 14 years old when she made the film. Her age is able to project a shyness, tenderness and yet a wisdom that is a complete opposite of teenage girls in Western culture. Juno, she is not. The circumstance forces the audience to reflect how strange it must be to be arranged to be married to one stranger, only to marry another. This is where the power of the entirety of the trilogy takes center stage. For two previous films, the audience has been engaged with the life of Apu, leaving no stone unturned emotionally or psychologically. Apu is now an orphan without family obligations and is detached from most of humanity until Pulu re-enters his life. The simplicity of Apu's sincerity over having a good meal that Pulu paid for is a resonant scene. We can sense the frustration, yet obligation Apu must feel to his friend and the family whose dire circumstance is laid before him. Apu is no different than George Bailey from It's A Wonderful Life - a man who had made plans to travel and take over the world using his creativity, but whose selfless nature forces him to take responsibilities when they are given to him.
The World of Apu weaves the most compelling story in The Apu Trilogy . Apu remains a true romantic even after his departure from the intermediate Calcutta University due to lack of funds. Earning a few rupees a month through tutoring, Apu mainly spends the opening passages of the film vaguely fantasizing about the future, playing his flute, and writing his novel—justifying his starving artist lifestyle as necessary for his creativity. Apu must charm his landlord with wit and promises to pay the rent, as he's three months overdue.
But now in this circumstance of being suddenly married, Apu is forced to mature. No longer can he live only for himself, and Ray tenderly unveils their developing relationship that begins with great trepidation and graduates into playful intimacy and caring. "Can you accept a life of poverty?" asks Apu. Aparna simply reponds with, "Yes,", not meeting his gaze. We get the initial idea of a woman who is terribly submissive, but then comes the tender and heart-wrenching scene when Aparna cries as she first arrives in Calcutta, getting the full understanding of the means (or lack of) that Apu lives in. But soon, love, sweetness and an inner resolve shine out through her eyes. The playful nature of the two newlyweds is innocent and sweet – and a thought immediately struck me.
"This is a film that was made in India, over 50 years ago…Why does it feel so…Modern?"
The "modern-ness" of the film reaches its apex, as Apu faces the most horrible tragedy imaginable as after falling in love and finding a sense of responsibility and purpose in his life, Aparna dies giving birth to their son, Kajul. A film in the 1950's – with 1950's sentimentality may have gone down the path of telling the story of Apu doing his best to support his son in honor of his deceased wife. That is by far the story that The World of Apu tells. Apu is overcome with grief and holds the child responsible for his wife's death. He shuns his worldly responsibilities and becomes a recluse - travelling to different corners of India, while the child is left with his maternal grandparents. At once, the audience may feel a tease that Apu's novel that he's been speaking of for all this time may wind up saving him, but…I won't spoil it. Let's just say for a film that was completed in 1959, the story was about 40 years ahead of its time.
Satyajit Ray had not thought about a trilogy while making Aparajito , the second film of The Apu Trilogy , and it occurred to him only after being asked about the idea in Venice. Just like the two previous films, a number of critics find this to be the supreme achievement of the trilogy (Robin Wood, Aparna Sen). After Apur Sansar was harshly criticized by a Bengali critic, Ray wrote an article defending it—a rare event in Ray's film making career (the other major instance involved the film Charulata , Ray's personal favorite). His success had little influence on his personal life in the years to come. Ray continued to live with his mother, uncle and other members of his extended family in a rented house.
Ray went on to make the first film, Pather Panchali after meeting Jean Renoir during filming of The River (1951) and after watching the Italian neorealist film Bicycle Thieves while he was in London. Besides the influence of European cinema and Bengali literature, Ray is also indebted to the Indian theatrical tradition, particularly the rasa theory of classical Sanskrit drama. Ray gathered an inexperienced crew, although both his cameraman Subrata Mitra and art director Bansi Chandragupta went on to achieve great acclaim.
The trappings of a great crew convening to make great art through storytelling is prevalent, here. Every shot has a meaning. The open nature of the story – of the entire trilogy, in fact – allows for the narrative to be driven by location and character rather than just a structured plot. This style forces the audience to sympathize more with why an event occurs as compared to anticipating an event. The editing of the entire trilogy focuses its attention on atmosphere and emotional impulses. There is a constant theme of movement, desire and change as represented by the various trains throughout the trilogy: in The World of Apu , a train is considered as a solution to spiritual heartbreak. Death, rebirth and the stages of grief are also connecting threads.
The Apu Trilogy is considered by critics around the globe to rank among the greatest achievements of Indian film, and is established as one of the most historically important cinematic debuts. Pather Panchali won at least thirteen international prizes (including Best Human Document at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival), followed by eleven international prizes for Aparajito (including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival) and numerous other awards for Apur Sansar (including the Sutherland Trophy at the London Film Festival). From this foundation, Ray went on to create other highly acclaimed films, like Charulata , Mahanagar , and Aranyer Dinratri , and his international success energized other Bengal filmmakers like Mrinal Sen and Ritwik Ghatak. At Rotten Tomatoes, The World of Apu has a 100% fresh rating based on an aggregate of 16 reviews, with all three films having a 100% fresh rating based on reviews from top critics.
Across the world, filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese, James Ivory, Abbas Kiarostami, Elia Kazan, Carlos Saura, Isao Takahata, Philip Kaufman, Wes Anderson and Danny Boyle have been influenced by The Apu Trilogy , with many others such as Akira Kurosawa praising the work. In Gregory Nava's 1995 film My Family , the final scene is duplicated from the final scene of Apur Sansar . Similar influences and references to the trilogy can be found even in films of Jean-Luc Godard. The technique of bounce lighting pioneered by Subrata Mitra, to recreate the effect of daylight on sets, has also had a profound influence on the development of cinematography.
The Apu Trilogy remains one of the most remarkable accomplishments in film, and the only reason the general public is not as aware of these films as opposed to other neorealistic works is that relatively few people have seen Ray's films. Both Pather Panchal and Apur Sansar can stand independently on their own while Aparajito really needs the opening context. But if you've seen just one of these films, I can't imagine resisting the others.
In a day when special effects and spectacular action tend to dominate commercial films, Ray's quiet epic trilogy becomes a refuge against overkill of the senses—a cinematic meditation. The subjects may be Bengali, but the universal film gently reminds all of us about Life's essentials, and in the process renews our faith in the power of the medium.
Apur Sansar is currently available on DVD.
Coming Attractions: We stay in the East with a look at the extremes of cinema - and one man who has brought his insanity to the forefront.
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