"The World of Apu" is a film with an amazing IMDB score of 8.5. It's also part of the so-called 'Apu Trilogy', three beloved films about the same character as he goes from age film to chronological adulthood. Along the way, there is lots of depression and losses...and Apu's life is anything but pleasant. Critics adore the films....and I found myself at a loss for why. Director Satyajit Ray has done far better and, especially, more enjoyable films than these and when I finally saw these beloved films I was shocked how much I did NOT like them.
"The World of Apu" ("Apur Sansar") begins after Apu is no longer in college. Oddly, instead of getting a good job, he barely gets by in Calcutta and seems quite happy living a subsistence lifestyle. Later, in what is the strangest weddings I can recall seeing in a film, he finds himself with a lovely new wife...who soon dies and he spends the rest of the film....depressed and feeling sorry for himself...and ignoring the son he's never seen nor seems to have any interest in seeing.
Okay...let's get to the heart of the problems I had with this and the other two films. While many like the directors slow, deliberate pacing...I found it to be glacially slow. I literally had to make myself coffee in order to stay awake as I watched. The next problem is that I had a hard time caring about anyone. First, if you cared about them, they would likely soon die (such as Apu's sister in the film film, his parents in the second and his wife in the third). But it goes deeper. Most of these people didn't seem to have much in the way of personality (apart from the wife) and when they died it was sad, but I had trouble even caring. Another major problem is Apu himself. I never connected with him and in the final films, "The World of Apu", I found myself actually strongly disliking him. And, finally, considering that I didn't care for the characters, the pacing was incredibly slow....and there really was no payoff for witnessing about six hours worth of misery.
Don't get me wrong.... I have loved a few of Ray's films and have loved quite a few other Indian films. I have nothing against Indian cinema. But I have to feel connected with and care about characters...and I just didn't here or in any of the three films.
"The World of Apu" ("Apur Sansar") begins after Apu is no longer in college. Oddly, instead of getting a good job, he barely gets by in Calcutta and seems quite happy living a subsistence lifestyle. Later, in what is the strangest weddings I can recall seeing in a film, he finds himself with a lovely new wife...who soon dies and he spends the rest of the film....depressed and feeling sorry for himself...and ignoring the son he's never seen nor seems to have any interest in seeing.
Okay...let's get to the heart of the problems I had with this and the other two films. While many like the directors slow, deliberate pacing...I found it to be glacially slow. I literally had to make myself coffee in order to stay awake as I watched. The next problem is that I had a hard time caring about anyone. First, if you cared about them, they would likely soon die (such as Apu's sister in the film film, his parents in the second and his wife in the third). But it goes deeper. Most of these people didn't seem to have much in the way of personality (apart from the wife) and when they died it was sad, but I had trouble even caring. Another major problem is Apu himself. I never connected with him and in the final films, "The World of Apu", I found myself actually strongly disliking him. And, finally, considering that I didn't care for the characters, the pacing was incredibly slow....and there really was no payoff for witnessing about six hours worth of misery.
Don't get me wrong.... I have loved a few of Ray's films and have loved quite a few other Indian films. I have nothing against Indian cinema. But I have to feel connected with and care about characters...and I just didn't here or in any of the three films.