Before watching this film, I just knew that Ritwick Ghatack was a Bengali film director. I had not seen yet "A River called Titas", "The Cloud-Capped Star" or Bimal Roy's "Madhumati" (based on Ghatack script). The name of a river did not provide much information about him. It is neither a documentary nor a biopic. In fact, I cannot even explain what this is about
but I do not care. I love it. Just imagine you jump inside a river called Ritwick Ghatack and let yourself go. You will see and feel things that probably will not make much sense
but you will enjoy the experience.
In Sanskrit aesthetic tradition (which influenced Indian film narratives), poetry is structured in states of mood ("rasas"). Consequently, this is a film about sensations, not facts. My knowledge of "rasa" theory is rather superficial (sorry in advance for that) but this is what I felt:
Nostalgia: At Ghatack childhood home, his sisters reminisce about their upbringing. On their way to a fair, two actresses talk about their experience working with him. Instead of presenting them as speaking torsos, here the camera keeps its distance while they chat. We seem to be witnessing real life.
Passion: The theatre students ramble across the forest, evoking the time when they were going to change the world.
Sadness: The three main protagonists (a young man, a young woman and a little child) travel by boat (like in "A river called Titas"). They reflect about having to abandon the motherland and becoming a refugee (like the family in "The Cloud-capped Star" was).
Desire: The camera keeps static while the handsome male protagonist dances bare-chested. The lighting seems to caress him. His dance is not rehearsed, he is just enjoying himself.
Love: The end of the trip has arrived. The female protagonist smiles broadly when the male tells her "we will make here our home". She has just realised that she wants exactly the same.
This film is pure poetry. Jump into the stream.
In Sanskrit aesthetic tradition (which influenced Indian film narratives), poetry is structured in states of mood ("rasas"). Consequently, this is a film about sensations, not facts. My knowledge of "rasa" theory is rather superficial (sorry in advance for that) but this is what I felt:
Nostalgia: At Ghatack childhood home, his sisters reminisce about their upbringing. On their way to a fair, two actresses talk about their experience working with him. Instead of presenting them as speaking torsos, here the camera keeps its distance while they chat. We seem to be witnessing real life.
Passion: The theatre students ramble across the forest, evoking the time when they were going to change the world.
Sadness: The three main protagonists (a young man, a young woman and a little child) travel by boat (like in "A river called Titas"). They reflect about having to abandon the motherland and becoming a refugee (like the family in "The Cloud-capped Star" was).
Desire: The camera keeps static while the handsome male protagonist dances bare-chested. The lighting seems to caress him. His dance is not rehearsed, he is just enjoying himself.
Love: The end of the trip has arrived. The female protagonist smiles broadly when the male tells her "we will make here our home". She has just realised that she wants exactly the same.
This film is pure poetry. Jump into the stream.
