The struggles and triumphs of a 1950s Kolkata family whose highest earner is a woman is told with marvellous lucidity in an optimistic masterpiece
Satyajit Ray’s magnificent movie from 1963 is now rereleased as part of a Ray retrospective at London’s BFI Southbank, and what a pleasure to marvel again at this film’s freshness, its fluency, its directness, its powerful and essential optimism. Ray’s lucid storytelling always strikes me as a kind of miracle whenever I see this film. He makes the miracle look easy.
The setting is Kolkata in the early 1950s and Subrata Mazumdar (Anil Chatterjee) is the harassed employee of a bank which – though he doesn’t know it – is on the verge of going under. He is reasonably happy with his lot, with a humorous, distracted manner, often absent-mindedly smoking or eating during conversations. He lives with his wife Arati, whose sensitivity, sweetness...
Satyajit Ray’s magnificent movie from 1963 is now rereleased as part of a Ray retrospective at London’s BFI Southbank, and what a pleasure to marvel again at this film’s freshness, its fluency, its directness, its powerful and essential optimism. Ray’s lucid storytelling always strikes me as a kind of miracle whenever I see this film. He makes the miracle look easy.
The setting is Kolkata in the early 1950s and Subrata Mazumdar (Anil Chatterjee) is the harassed employee of a bank which – though he doesn’t know it – is on the verge of going under. He is reasonably happy with his lot, with a humorous, distracted manner, often absent-mindedly smoking or eating during conversations. He lives with his wife Arati, whose sensitivity, sweetness...
- 7/21/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.