Cinema World Tour, Film #25
Country: India (West Bengal)
Rating: 8/10
Often praised to be the best film ever made in India, Pather Panchali was a necessary addition to the fantastic films I've already seen from the country I travel since 11 months.
Pather Panchali tells a story we know very well. Capernaum, The Florida Project, The 400 Blows, all these films tell the story of children growing up in poverty - from their perspective. Satyajit Ray's debut film can be called the father of this genre – an incredibly realistic and reflected look at the life of a poor Bengali family. The way it invites us to be a part of their daily life is simply beautiful. It shows how the kids enjoy their simple life, despite the fact that the family is suffering from financial problems. Pather Panchali chooses an incredibly humanistic approach, reflecting the characters decisions and make us understand them. There is for example one fantastic scene in which the mother has to punish her daughter, on whose side the audience is. But seconds later, Ray shows us how hard that was for the mother, and makes us emphazise with her. And that's the main ingridient Ray uses: empathy. Even though he captures a world on film which is probably unknown to most viewers, even Indian ones, he makes their problems as well as their joys so understandable for us.
Pather Panchali isn't a masterpiece, it lacks a bit the relevance and the bigger picture for that category. But what's truly impressive about this film is the cinematic look it has. It's an Indian debut-film from 1955, but every second or third shot is pure art and stays in your head. There are countless shots of Apu and his big eyes, taking in every detail he sees. There are shots of raindrops falling on water, shots of incredible beauty and an artistic vision which is remarkable for that time.
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