Attempted analysis of short Film By Satyajit Ray – Two "There has been recent attempt to restore some Ray's work by the world & a recent digital restoration of Ray's lesser known work called as Two – which is a 12 minute short film. My analysis is on this 12 minute short film in points. This film is a Fable. It teaches you a moral at multiple levels based on your maturity level. The broad story line is about two kids from opposite layer of the Indian society of 1960's playing alone in their house & the film is shot from the view of the rich kid. The movie starts with the rich kid being bored in his bungalow of foreign toys, balloon and cold drinks. He hears a flute playing & observes a poor kid playing that across his window. The kids then compete with their respective toys & end with the poor kid happy flying his kite but just momentarily as the rich kid shoots the kite down with his air rifle. The morals are below as per audience & there may be more – a) The easiest moral is rich suppressing the poor, nothing to write on that b) The next level of thought is ; two worlds colliding where there is a battle and then a war. The rich kid wins the battle initially when he shoots the kite but loses the war as the poor kid again picks his flute and starts playing. This is evident from the tower of pisa toys that falls down in last frame. The rich kid loses the war c) We move higher, happiness verses consumerism. The rich kid has imported cold drinks and maybe ripe apples to eat as he plays but then he has no hunger and joy. He casually flips from room to room along his toys until he comes to the window. The poor kid has the camera span across the field hence infinite possibilities. Happiness has nothing to do with consumerism d) Higher again, momentary nature of ego. The rich kid while alone flips toys, rolls over the sofa & sees his recently celebrated birthday balloons still hanging over the ceiling. He rolls a match stick & starts bursting the balloons. He simply drops this and moves on once he burst two balloons. He fails to celebrate an old friend, here the balloon from yesterday's birthday which was probably so splendid earlier. Ego has no mind no brain e) Politics. Ray was influenced by Vietnam war. His film chronology suggests he did Gupi Gyne after this. He was building his base for the under dogs. The ripe paddy fields with one solo hut (not a slum) indicate the poor's kid parents were maybe cultivators or land labours. On the other side, a carbonated drink & Mickey Mouse hat conveys Western influence f) Finally, Ray salutes indomitable spirit of mankind. The film is a celebration of human spirit. The ability to jump back from a loos and play back the flute of life
In case you liked this you may watch his short film trilogy. The next two were on Ballet troupe and Pandit Ravi Shankar. The well known Sikkim documentary was much later in 70's. Ray never celebrated or sold India's poverty, he did make a statement out of it. He asked us the hard questions."
In case you liked this you may watch his short film trilogy. The next two were on Ballet troupe and Pandit Ravi Shankar. The well known Sikkim documentary was much later in 70's. Ray never celebrated or sold India's poverty, he did make a statement out of it. He asked us the hard questions."