Three Daughters

Like most anthology films this one from Satyajit Ray, which has as its common theme womans' travails in early 20th century India and based on stories by Rabindranath Tagore, has entries of varying quality. The first, dealing with a stray waif who keeps body and soul together by acting as a servant to the postmaster of a poor village and becomes attached to him as a father figure only to be abandoned when the postmaster returns to Calcutta, is affecting mostly due to the wonderful performance given by the child actor; heart tugging without being cloying. Not easy to do, even with an accomplished adult actor, so credit Ray along with the kid. Problem with it is that it's not long enough (certainly not a flaw often seen in this director's work!). Just when you're starting to see a relationship build between the child and the adult the plug is pulled. Consequently, what should be a heart rending denouement is, at best, bittersweet.

Second entry about an upper middle class woman's marital problems is so dull I wish it were half the length of the first.

Third entry is the best, by far. A triangle between a too controlling mother, her spoiled son, and the "headstrong, crazy" girl (read a woman with a mind of her own) with whom the son is infatuated, the story is well told by Ray with a beguiling combination of comedy and tragedy. And the ending, where both the son and the girl learn to grow up, in their various ways, if they wish to salvage their marriage, is most satisfying.

First film: B Second Film: C Third Film: A

Ergo, let's give it a B.