Apur Sansar (1959)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Satyajit Ray

Writers:

Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay (novel)
Satyajit Ray (writer)

Release Date:

4 October 1960 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Apu is a jobless ex-student dreaming vaguely of a future as a writer. An old college friend talks him into a visit up-country to a village wedding...

Plot Keywords:

Grief | Sequel | Arranged Marriage | Insanity | Hope

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins

Cast

Soumitra Chatterjee	...	Apurba Roy
Sharmila Tagore	...	Aparna
Alok Chakravarty	...	Kajal
Swapan Mukherjee	...	Pulu
Dhiresh Majumdar	...	Shashinarayan
Sefalika Devi	...	Shashinarayan's wife
Dhiren Ghosh	...	Landlord
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shanti Bhattacherjee	...	Office Associate
Abhijit Chatterjee	...	Aparna's Brother
Belarani Devi	...	Apu's Neighbor (as Belarani)

Also Known As:

The World of Apu

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

India

Language:

Bengali

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Argentina:Atp | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario)

Filming Locations:

India

Company:

Satyajit Ray Productions

Trivia:

One of the problems facing Satyajit Ray was that showing scenes of intimacy between a young married couple - such as kissing and hugging - were strictly forbidden at the time.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Histoire(s) du cinéma - 2A: Seul le cinéma (1997) (V)

Breathtaking Beauty

Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) is the stunning final chapter of Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy, one of the most widely acclaimed series in film. While Pather Panchali and Aparajito, the trilogy's first two, are extremely well crafted, the lack the heart-wrenching beauty of this installment. These three films revolve around tragedy, and it has an almost predestined quality to it, which reminded me somewhat of Stanley Kubrick's excellent, "Barry Lyndon." That's where the similarities end of course, as this film is warm and radiates humanity, and Lyndon (as well as all of Kubrick's work) is cold and icy. Ray's rich lyrical realism breathes beauty in the mundane acts of his characters. The film opens as Apu, now a young man, attempts to eek out a living. He searches relentlessly for work, most of which is monotonous and doesn't pay well. However his pudgy friend Pulu invites him to a wedding, and Apu obliges, hoping maybe this display of love will help inspire him and the novel he is writing. In a fascinating turn of events (which I won't spoil,) Apu finds himself coming back to Calcutta married. Aparna, his new bride, is used to a life of luxury outside of the big city` but she is prepared for a life of poverty with her new husband. In one of the most beautiful sequences in film, Apu and his bride slowly begin to love and care for one another. The beauty of this is that we never see them embrace, or kiss or make love. Instead we see it in gestures, in window curtains, in little notes Aparna puts in Apu's cigarettes reminding him only to have one after every meal. Their love is like a dream of love we've had, one that's so innocent and wonderful we want to dream forever. But like all dreams, Apu must wake up. Happiness is just a fleeting emotion for Apu, one that enters his life at random points and then dissapears. Apu wanders bitterly through the Indian landscape, searching for solace and peace. The end moments cannot be explained in words, and simply must be experienced. One of the greatest films of all time. 10/10