150 Word Review: ‘Pather Panchali’ (1955)
Family matters
Pather Panchali’s reputation precedes itself: director Satyajit Ray’s debut deserves its praise. He captures life on film.
This is a gorgeous, emotionally devastating story about a family surviving brutal poverty in rural midcentury India. I’m just still shocked at how charming and moving it is, the first of a trilogy about Apu, a boy who grows up with nothing, wearing nothing but rags. Every character is perfectly rendered: the frustrating, dreamy father, the long-suffering, sometimes cold-hearted wife, the mischievous, elderly aunt. Apu’s sister is spirited, a young woman born to desperate circumstances.
Karuna Banerjee is moving as a mother fighting to save her family. Chunibala Devi, as the cheerful, frail auntie, steals every scene she’s in. As our young hero, Apu, Subir Banerjee, is angelic and mischievous. Ray’s vision is of its time and timeless. Watching Pather Panchali right now is a reminder that families have, and always will, struggle.