Six: Barry Lyndon

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Year: 1975
Cast: Ryan O’Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Leon Vitali

Barry Lyndon, is a fascinating journey of one man’s quest of success and fortune. It is tale which tells us that there is very little difference between good and bad. That thin line which one unknowingly crosses. This is where your desire becomes more than the decision between right and wrong.

Stanley Kubrick, took William Makepeace Thackeray’s picaresque novel and turned into a beautiful movie. Though movie wasn’t very successful when it was released and nor the critics in those times were very enthusiastic but it has prevailed and won over time.



A picaresque novel is a sub-genre of fiction where the story normally humorous and satirical and tells an adventurous story of a hero mainly form a low class strata of society. This form came into existence in European literature through 16th century Spanish writing but was mostly inspired from Arabic literature of Al-Andalus era. Though, you can even find this kind of writings in ancient Roman and Indian dramas.

Kubrick shot this movie with camera which could capture natural light, for that he had to research and develop techniques based on methods used by NASA space flights. The impact is breathtaking, even the shots where only candle light has been used it looks as if you are in a room with candles lit around you. Some places the use of sunlight makes you feel as if you are in a painting of an old master, here the sunlight is playing tricks on you in colours which you have never seen them in.
Most shots were captured in natural light and in some cases even where artificial is used it is only to mimic natural one. The cinematography is breathtaking and it won many awards for it.

The storyline of the movie is basically divided into two parts and the narration from a neutral follower tells you what you are about to see very much in advance.

The movie starts with Barry, young man totally in love with his cousin is tricked into leaving his village so that she can marry a man of some fortune and with this betrayal in mind Barry is thrown to the wolfs of the world. Here misfortune after misfortune falls on to him. He is first stripped out of every penny that he is carrying by the duo of father and son who are bandits. He then joins the seven year war as a soldier. Not able to cope up with the demands and hardship of the service, he deserts and tries to run away only to be caught by Prussian captain and recruited into their ranks. In amongst men of the lowest standard he learns all kinds of trades and ways of life. Fortune now throws him into the hands of Chevalier de Balibari. They both combined to loot and swindle the biggies of courts across Europe. Now he is in a society in which he didn’t belong. Here he looks for someone he could marry and then lead a life of luxury. His fortune comes by when he encounters a beautiful woman of wealth whose husband is about to die and as soon as Sir Charles Lyndon dies, Barry pounces on the lady and adopts the name of Barry Lyndon.

The second part of the movie tells the decline of Barry Lyndon, his adulteries, his cruelty towards his wife and son, his mother’s conspiracies and he blowing the Lyndon fortune out to gain respect. This culminates into a gun fight with his stepson.

Though at this juncture he shows a sign of chivalry which the age of chivalry was known for but it is too little too late. His stepson has too much hatred for him to leave him unhurt. He loses his leg and is thrown out of England.



The movie starts with the audience liking the character of Redmond Barry, they then dislike him. They further dislike to the point of hate the character of Barry Lyndon which he has turned into and yet at the end they seem to have a pang of guilt for disliking him. He seems all too real and close to the person next door. You feel that fate has been cruel to him and go away with a little discomfort.


The movie itself varies on various fronts when compared to the novel. The novel is funny and has humorous touch to it, the movie is serious. The novel is projected from Barry’s own account and hence it has narcissistic or at least over glorification feel to it. The movie on the other hand is portrayed from an omniscient and neutral view. Of course there are a few changes in the storyline to as for example the ending scene with the gunfight or Chevalier de Balibari turning out to be his uncle in the novel. However taking out the whole, Barry trying to recover his family fortune from Lyndons has given the story a more tragic feel and that makes Barry, more of an antihero in the character.

My Favourite Quotes:

1. It would require a great philosopher and historian to explain the causes of famous seven years war in which Europe was engaged, in which Barry’s regiment was on its way to take part. It is suffice to say that England and Prussia were allies and were at war against French, Swedes, Russians and the Austrians. (Narrator: When describing the war)
2. It is well to dream of glorious war in snug arm chair at home but it is very different thing to see it first hand. (Narrator)
3. Gentleman may talk of the age of chivalry but remember the ploughman, poachers and pick pockets that they lead. It is with these instruments that your great warriors and kings have been doing their murderous work in the world. (Narrator: During the villages being burnt by soldiers)
4. Those who have not been out of country know very little what is to hear a friendly voice in captivity. (Narrator when Barry and Balibari meet for the first time.)
5. Thenceforth, Redmond Barry acquired the style and title of Barry Lyndon
6. Lady Lyndon: Lord Bullingdon, you have insulted your father. Lord Bullingdon: Madam, it is you who has insulted my father. (Young Lord Bullingdon replying when he is asked to kiss his new father, ‘Barry’)
7. King: Good, that’s right Mr. Lyndon, raise another company and go with them too. (When Barry meets the king and )


My Favourite Scenes:
1. When everyone in the village is looking at the force being created for the war. The scenery is breathtaking.
2. The scene in which the two men loot Barry. They do it in such a sophisticated way.
3. When Barry meets Chevalier de Balibari and how the friendly voice and tongue has an effect on both.
4. The scene where Sir Charles Lyndon accuses Barry of trying to seduce his wife.
5. The carriage ride after the marriage and his sudden arrogance in believing that he has arrived.
6. The scene where Barry beats up his stepson.
7. The look on Barry’s face when ultimately he is told of his final fate.

Disappointments:
1. At some places the characters seem to act a little differently than a normal behaviour, but I guess that is a writer’s discretion.
2. The ending, I hope that it was a little more explanative of Barry’s life.
3. Chevalier de Balibari, disappears from the movie suddenly, the person who played such an important part in the protagonist’s life has no clear exit.
4. Too much beauty sometimes takes away the attention from the characters.

Five: Bande a part

Godard is one of those famous directors who have attracted more controversies than they actually wanted. Recently when he was being facilitated by the Academy there was nervousness around because he is considered to be a Nazi sympathizer or at least an Anti Semitic. Now that is something Hollywood doesn’t tolerate.

However all his reclusiveness, his existentialism & Marxist thoughts, his strong likes and dislikes cannot take away from him, his genius of treating simplest of stories with utmost creativity.
Though this was my first Godard movie and it grew upon me. ‘Bande a part’ was made by Godard and his wife Anna Karina (who is also the heroine of it) when they had just finished working on a big budget three producer film and hence this carries a small budget, simple setting theme. Anna Karina is a sweetheart in the movie. What is with women who play these innocent victim roles? Why do men get attracted to them?

The movie starts when two unemployed and ignoble characters Franz (played by Sami Frey) & Arthur (Claude Brassuer) trying to seduce Odile (Anna Karina) into making her an accomplice into a heist. Anna has befriended Franz in an English learning centre and reveals to him that there is a big pile of cash lying at her wealthy benefactor’s villa. Franz tells this to Arthur and they scheme to steal the money. Anna is of course the bait to get to the fish. Both guys get attracted to her with Arthur having no true feelings and Franz over the time realising the intense protectiveness he feels towards her. The heist itself has no meaning but the emotional journey for three of them has an attraction which makes watching this movie worthwhile.

It is interceded with a narrator’s voice (done by Godard himself) which keeps the story glued in the times when the visuals are hard to portray. Brilliantly shot in black and white with winter in Paris as a backdrop. You feel the gloom so well that even it would have been shot in Eastman colour the colours wouldn’t have changed much. Godard brings in a lot of allegory through the stories which are told by the characters in the movie, mostly by Franz. Anna Karina is fabulous as her portrayal of young and naive Odile whose effort to impress these two guys always wins over her sense of what is right. Sami Fray is brilliant as and Brassuer plays a brilliant scoundrel. Anna was Godard’s wife and muse and he was totally in awe of her and that sometimes has a negative impact on people as far as her talent is concerned, however, for me that wasn’t the case as I didn’t even know who she was before I saw this movie.

There are a couple of scenes which are worth mentioning here in detail, the dance sequence which I am guessing each critic or admirer would pick too as their favourite and I am not different. The spontaneity of the shot is so wonderful that for me it is already the best dance sequence in any movie that I have seen till now. Especially when the music stops and Godard intervenes by telling us what each character are thinking while they are still dancing, that was a wonderful touch. I truly wanted to put the scene here in the blog but then I felt not to ruin the pleasure of watching the movie.


It’s a movie which needs to be watched for any number of reasons but for me what stood apart were the small little stories that are sewn into the fabric. For example, When John tells about the story with a letter he is referring to Edger Allan Poe’s ‘The Purloined Letter’ or the story where the guy is banished for lying, or the trio trying to break the record set by some American for going through the Louvre fastest or even at the start when the teacher is reading out Romeo and Juliet.

My Favourite Scenes:

1. The fake shooting game between the two actors.
2. The opening class room scene where Odile takes the cigarette from Arthur which brings out a pang of jealousy very clearly.
3. Odile running away from home to go out with these guys, she makes you want be a teenager.
4. Arthur telling Odile that there is a run in her stocking.
5. “The minute of silence”, which actually only lasts for 36 seconds.
6. Of course the dance scene.
7. The song in the metro, and the Godard mixes it between Odile’s voice and the singer.
8. The end scene in the car.

My Favourite Quotes:

1. Odile to Franz: This isn’t your first lie either. Franz: He told you that he killed his grandma with a hammer. Odile: Is that true? Franz: No, just a second lie.
2. Random guy to Franz: Empire crumble, republics founder, but fools go on.
3. The narrator during the dance sequence: Franz thinks of everything and nothing. He wonders if the world is becoming a dream or if the dream is becoming the world.
4. Odile to Franz: Where will you go? South America. Franz: No, North, to the Jack London country, he wrote some terrific books.
5. Just before the heist, the narrator: Under a crystal sky, Arthur, Odile and Franz, crossed bridges over impassive rivers, nothing moved on the palace front, the water was stagnant, a taste of ashes floated in the air.
6. Franz: Isn’t it strange how people never form a whole. Odile: In what way? Franz: They never come together. They remain separate. Each goes his own way, distrustful and tragic. Even when they are together, in big buildings, or in the street.

Disappointments:
Didn’t understand how Lady Victoria was alive when all of them had thought that she was dead.

Rating:

Four: Baby Face

Let me start by saying that Baby Face has probably one of the best female characters that I have seen in movies. Barbara Stanwyck is 11^th in list of top 20 greatest female artists of all time. Some of the actresses above on that lists are there because of their star power but Stanwyck in no doubt was a far better actress than a lot of them. Her sexuality, sensuality and yet the strength makes her alluring to all men (still). In Baby Face they said that you can't take eyes off her.

Coming back to the movie, it comes from the collection of Forbidden Hollywood. Hollywood at the beginning of Talkies in 20s was experimental and by the end of the great depression it had started to experiment with themes which were too outrageous for conservative America. Baby Face is one of those talkies. In the 20s there were also a lot of issues with Stars, Directors and Producers and their private lives. Hence in early 30s a gentleman called Will. H. Hayes was hired to clean up Hollywood and put a moral code around it. In 1934 they adopted what is called the 'Hayes Code'. This was an exact copy of Landis commission to clean up baseball league in 1919. The real issue was, how long can you stretch 'Freedom of Speech' as a fundamental right? The Supreme Court of the US had already that this fundamental right is not applicable to movies but everyone kept pushing the envelope until it burst open in censorship called 'Hayes Code'. 'Hayes Code' survived till almost 1966 though it had started losing its sheen by the late 50s. Baby Face was released at the end of pre code days and it upset a lot of people.

Baby Face is about sexuality and love for self. Your own success and achieving it at all cost is the theme. In this the protagonist is a female and that gives the movie a new set of challenges and a different approach to solve them.

The movie starts with Lily Powers serving as a hostess at a seedy bar that her father runs in Erie, Pennsylvania. With men all around she seems like a small fish with hundreds of fish hooks trying to get her. Her father pimps her but she is strong and stands up for herself too. Here we see Mr. Cragg, the man who wants her to go away, is trying to make her strong and is like a father figure to her. After the death of her father in the accident Lily is motivated by Mr. Cragg to leave the town and go to a big city. He tells her that she has the power and that power comes from being a woman. Big city cannot be bigger than New York City and this is where Lily and the maid land up after seducing the train attendant.

Lily uses her charm and sexuality to climb out of misery, get a job and go up the corporate ladder, though not for herself but the men she charms. Men are not able to keep themselves away from her charm. She reaches right to the top to Mr. Stevens and then to his boss and would be father-in-law Mr. Carter. Both men start vying her and Stevens becomes fatal. Though for Lily there is one more step to go and that is owner of the bank himself. She is transfered to Paris where she works hard to do her job. After marrying him they settle down into a cosy luxurious life until one day she finds that even he is broke. What happens next?

The movie is full of sexual innuendos and no where you find a sex scene or even a full kiss. Yet the theme always revolves around Lily's escapades as she beds men and more pawerful men.

This movie is Nietzsche in practise but does Nietzsche win at the end.

My Favourite Scenes:

When she goes to Mr. Clark after her father's death.

When she is looking for a job.

Camera spanning from floor to floor.

When Lily walks into Stevens room knowing that his fiancé would be around soon.

The board room meeting.

Lily waiting for the cab in Paris.

My favourite quotes / dialogues:

After her father's death, Lily visits Mr. Cragg

Mr. Cragg: "What's going to become of you? Its up to you to decide, If you stay in this town you are lost."

Lily: "Where would I go, Paris, I got four bucks."

Cragg: "That's what makes me mad at you, you are a coward, I mean it, you let life defeat you, you don't fight back."

Lily: "What chance a woman got?"

Cragg: "More chance than man, a woman young, beautiful like you, can get anything she wants in the world because you have power over men, but you must use men not let them use you, you must be a master not a slave, look, here, Nietzsche says (shows her the book), 'All life, no matter how we idealise it, is nothing more or nor less than exploitation."

(closes the book) "Thats what I am telling you, exploit yourself, go to some big city, where you find opportunities, USE MEN, be STRONG, DIFIANT, use men to get the things you want.

Maid and Lily in New York City looking at a restaurant,

Maid: ummmm! Sure I could use some of those pork chops.

Lily: "It's all in your mind, you ate yesterday didn't you.

At the office of clerk Mr. Pratt

Pratt: (with a grin on his face) "Have you had any experience?"

Lily: (with a smug) "Plenty"

Mr. Cragg send Lily a book 'Nietzsche: Thoughts out of season' with a passage marked

Passage: 'Face life as you find it – defiantly and unafraid. Waste no energy yearning for the moon. Crush out all sentiments.'

When Mr. Stevens visits Lily

Lily: "Sorry my butler is off today, (handing him his cap), I like my guests shown out in style."

In Trenhomes car while he is dropping her home in Paris.

Trenholm: "Frankly I am surprised."

Lily: "Why?"

Trenholm: "I didnt expect you to stick to the job."

Lily: "That's why I stuck."

Disappointments:

Not many, just a few glitches here and there.

Rating:

Three: The Awful Truth

In the early 1930s, Hollywood started to experiment beyond the classical western theatre by exploring situations and characters which fit more with time and the silver screen rather than the stage. One of such experiments was especially around the female character which could stand up on her own. The use of this kind of format combined with comedy gave the comedy genre called ‘Screwball Comedies’. One of these comedies was 1937 production called ‘The Awful Truth’ it stars Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. Though the idea of ‘Screwball comedy’ can again be traced back to Shakespeare and his ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ but it wasn’t till the 30s that the strong women characters came out in the open. Another major social change that was happening in this post depression era was that even the rich were being portrayed as people who had common problems in love, life and money.

Though, like a lot of other genre it has been used again and again with all kinds of deviations and hence The Awful Truth doesn’t throw any surprises. Also with a very simple comic story that we have seen over and over again initially it doesn’t seem to be put in this list. However, even if it is predictable it grows on you.

Cary Grant is absolutely fantastic. His comic timing, his one liners and style are all of his own. No wonder Ian Fleming had him in mind when he created the character of James Bond. But Cary Grant was always common; his characters had nothing special to offer they were just you and me in special conditions. He portrayed that fabulously. Irene Dunne was wonderful too, though I haven’t seen any of her other works but this was a treat. Leo McCarey received the Academy award for the Best Director for it.

The movie starts with Grant & Dunne being married to each other and get into a fight due to a music teacher (played by Alexander D’Arcy) and that leads to their divorce. Enter another Oil magnet to woo Irene. One funny situation leads to another till it ends in Irene and Ralph Ballamy breaking up. However, by now Grant is supposed to be engaged to a rich heiress. But like all romantic comedies some fun is still in store.

My Favourite Scenes:

• Jerry, Lucy, Leeson and Dixie Belle sitting in a restaurant.
• Jerry clarifying to Leeson’s mother with his fingers crossed.
• The cap confusion with Jerry wearing a bigger hat.
• Lucy remembering wedding vows.
• Lucy and Jerry riding police motorcycles.

My favourite quotes:

• Oh, Mrs. Warriner, your husband is not like an American man, he has what I call a continental mind.
• Oh. Mr. Warriner, you are out of your continental mind.
• Dan Leeson: “New York, is good.... Jerry (with smug on his face) and Dan together: “for a visit but I wouldn’t like to live here.”
• Jerry (when Dixie is singing): “I just met her”
• Leeson: “I have certainly learnt about women from you.” Aunt Patsy: “Here is your diploma.”

Disappointments:

• I thought that the end scene was dragged a bit after a fast paced comedy for the first hour and half.
• A little choppy with characters coming and disappearing.

Rating:

Two: The Apu Trilogy

The Apu Trilogy is the series of 3 movies made by Satyajit ray during 1951 to 1959. It tells the story of Apurba, who grows up from being a small boy in the first to father of his own child in the third. These three movies made almost amateur-isihly have come to define Ray's cinema and more importantly Bengali & Indian cinema. They still remain the most admired and arguably the greatest work to come out of India. The character became so famous that the 'The Simpsons' character 'Apu Nahasapeemapetilon' is named as a tribute to Ray and his Apu.


When the first shot of movie was shot, Ray hadn't directed, Subrata Mitra, his cameraman hadn't photographed, child actors hadn't acted, one of the actresses hadn't acted in 15 years and the music was given by a certain Ravi Shankar who in those days had no name or fame. Yet or maybe because of it the movie was all too natural. When you watch the movie you become a part of it.

My first experience of Ray was with 'Gopi Gayan Bhaga Bayen'. After the death of Satyajit Ray on Doordarshan aired a lot of Ray's movies and I saw some of them then. Then in 1996 I was at Rolla, Missouri. One evening at the film school they were showing, 'Teen Konya', when I reached there the whole auditorium was full and the Dean stood up to introduce the movie. He raved about Ray's movies and it made me realise how famous he is outside India.

Martin Scorsese who has been heavily influenced by Ray had seen 'Pather Panchali' in mid 1950s on television and fell in love with it. Living in 50s America he couldn't believe that a culture so different from his could still hold such attraction for him. The movie transcends cultures as the basics of human values remain exactly the same. He kept seeing it again and again over the years, he had once said that when you see 'Pather Panchali' every 20 years it becomes better and better. I have a very similar feeling. The first time I had seen it I was struck by the sadness, maybe I was young and hadn't seen life enough to feel the beauty in it. This time around it blew me away.

These movies were made with utmost difficulties. Amateur actors, no fancy equipment, rustic location and have totally been shot on locations and no sets have been used. At one point Ray ran out of money and the shooting couldn't start for almost 2 years before West Bengal government stepped in to help him.

The movies are based on a novel by 'Bibutibhushan Bandopadhya'. Its inspiration was autobiographical 1920s India. Any coming of age 'Bildungsroman' novel needs to tread carefully as the essence of a person doesn't change and yet the change has to be evident. The good and bad instances which form us have to be subtle and yet stark enough to be relayed to the audience. The magic of Bibutibhushan and Satyajit Ray are seen both in the novels and the movies.

The first of the lot is Pather Panchali, 'The song of the little road'.

It starts with a young girl stealing mangos and fruits and sharing them with an old lady, to the horror of an ever struggling mother Sarbojaya (Played brilliantly by: Karuna Banerjee). You immediately feel a part of this little village and realise the small community's life is confined to trivial of their existence and not on the world outside. It is a close knit community where the fights and help are just an arm's length away. The relationship between Sarbojaya and Indir Thakrun is a complex one, Sarbojaya oppressed with poverty seems to be cruel towards the old woman.

(Indir Thakrun was played by Chunibala Devi, who was an old theatre actress and hadn't acted in 15 years. When Ray started to look for her, he found her living in a red light area. As he approached her she thought that Ray was there looking for a girl.)

On the other hand Harihar Ray, the father seems to be an idealist and optimist. As the time moves on a new member in the family is added, it's our protagonist, Apu. Apu and Durga's relationship flourishes, they become best of buddies. The life is set to move slowly, the stealing of the mango, the kids following the sweet vendor, the band at a wedding party and of course after the fight for trinkets the running and the eventual discovery of train.

(Here it is important to mention that the train scene was the first shot that Ray had shot and the only one when he showed it to the great John Hurst, he wrote back to America that he had just seen the work of the next great filmmaker.)

All along you are treated with the importance of education in the family, the struggle for money and of course the optimism of the father. Harihar has to leave the village in search of money and this is when the hardships turn into a burden for Sarbojaya. Each letter brings more unhappiness for her and then the true tragedy strikes.

My favourite scenes: Too many to mention

1. Durga hears the sweets vendor and asks Apu to ask for money from their father. As Apu is unsuccessful in procuring it they follow the vendor and a dog decides to follow them too.
   
2. The love and devotion that Indir has for the girl, especially when Sarbojaya beats her up.
   
3. The music depicting the agony of father when he realises his loss and the wailing after it.
   
4. The spider crawling out of the Durga's box with beads in it.
   

My favourite quotes:

1. Indir singing a song:
   

   "Those who came before are gone,
   

   I am left behind, a penniless beggar,
   

   Day draws to it close, night's mantle descends,
   

   Row me across to the other side."
   

2. Right at the end when the family is leaving,
   

   Sarbojaya: "I don't know what we would have done if you and your husband hadn't helped us."
   

   Nilmoni's wife: "If we had done more perhaps you would have stayed".
   

Disappointment:

1. The only one was that my two favourite characters will no longer be seen in the following parts of the trilogy.
   

Rating:

The Second of it is Aparajito, 'The unvanquished'

A lot of people consider this as the best of the three. However, it's a true growing up melodrama. It starts when the family has reached Kashi. Here you find Apu growing up at the banks of Ganga where his father is a priest and prescribes herbal medicines to the needy. From the dilapidated home and surreal surroundings of the village the town life seems to be doing well for the family. Apu has friends and Sarbojaya seems to be happier here. It lasts until the tragedy strikes again. Now left with a bitter choice of going back to a village with an old uncle, Sarbojaya decide to work in a rich family's home as a maid. Apu's life seems to have taken a little twist as now he is helping the family too with small odd-jobs. However, when Sarbojaya realises that she can lead that life but can't let her son into it she again returns to Bengal to the confine of a small village. Here Apu is being groomed to be a priest but his yearnings for school take him to the one nearby. He excels at studies. Then the adolescent Apu passes school and now wants to go to college in Calcutta. The dilemma of the mother is evident as Sarbojaya is not able to decide between the desires of his son and the fear of losing him when he goes away.

However, Apu persists and moves to Calcutta to his new college and his new life. This part ends as Apu finally is leaving the village life. The catharsis of life is gut-wrenching in it.

My favourite scenes:

1. Sarbojaya waiting to hear from the guest on how the tea is made.
   
2. Apu feeding monkeys at the temple.
   
3. Sarbojaya looking at Apu filling the hookah and taking a hard decision in that instant.
   
4. Apu sitting at the railway station.
   

My favourite quotes: (I am biased towards the few which I might have heard in my own childhood.)

1. Don't you have any money, Ma, don't you?
   
2. Do you like reading? And I don't mean textbooks.
   
3. We may live in remote corner of Bengal but that does not mean our outlook should be narrow.
   

Rating:

The Third of the lot is Apur Sansara, 'The world of Apu'

Having lost everyone around him Apu (played by 'Soumitra Chaterjee') is left with his only friend Pulu ('Swapna Mukherjee') with him. The protagonist has grown up and now we know that all that has proceeded in the last two movies will come into foray. What life holds for Apu now? Pulu is whisked away from the tormenting landlord by Pulu for his cousins wedding. At the wedding when the family finds out that the bridegroom is mad Apu is asked to be his substitute and marry the girl. Apu with money and no source reluctantly agrees, though he is not ready to be tied down he still accepts the fate. He marries a young shy girl from a rich family is uncertain about it. A 14 year old 'Sharmila Tagore', plays Aparna. Moving back to Calcutta the life slowly settles down and the love flourishes between them. Apu himself is amazed at his devotion for his wife and it shows in every aspect of his life. When Aparna passes away in child birth Apu's life is devastated too. He runs away to hide from himself and the world.

There is only one man who can save him and that is Pulu. Of course Apu needs to redeem himself and go back to claim his son. His son, 'Kajal', without is father is growing up to be a prankster and naughty boy.

My favourite scenes:

1. Apu & Pulu sitting in the cafe.
   
2. Newly married Aparna looking out of window through a torn curtain.
   
3. Of course the last scene.
   

My favourite quotes:

1. You must lend me a shirt and I must have a shave.
   
2. Apu: Aparna, Can you live with a poor husband? Aparna: Yes
   
3. Kajal: Who are you? Apu: Your friend
   

Rating:

The visual imagery of these movies is beyond comparison. Each shot keeps you engaged and makes you realise the beauty of the world we live in. Every time you watch them you realise that the beauty exists in small little things that are all around us. Subarta Mitra was facilitated in mid 90s for his work and he did not thank Ray or anyone else, he thanked his camera.

There was this Canon's advertisement hoarding in Gurgaon where a guy is sitting at almost an unreachable place on a mountain. My brother used to see it and always said 'What a great place he is sitting at.' I always replied, 'But you don't see how hard he must have worked to get there', He always retorted, "Why do have to say it every time?" Apu Trilogy and especially 'Pather Panchali' is like that. Satyajit Ray was a genius; he was not only a great filmmaker, great writer, great cameraman both with still and moving, great artist and a great musician and yet no one cares how hard Satyajit Ray and his team must have worked to make it, How many times he might have felt like quitting? How many times people may have discouraged him? How many time he must have felt hopeless. But finally, like most masterpieces of art he gave the world a movie which would remain in top 100 movies of all time for all time. Like the movie it tells us that great things only come out when they are not done for the money but only for love of it.

To end it: ""Not to have seen the cinema of Ray means existing in the world without seeing the sun or the moon.": Akira Kurosawa.

(One) Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes

In 1972 Werner Herzog made the movie, Aguirre, Der Zor Gottes which translates in English as 'Aguirre – The wrath of God'. Like most Werner Herzog movies its main character has impossible dreams and inhuman character both in terms of depravity and dreams. Klaus Kinski who plays Aguirre has played the part so well that you start disliking Klaus himself instead of the character. It is rumoured that Klaus and Herzog completely disliked each other but that didn't stop Herzog to make movies with him as his leading man.

Aguirre is an almost true account of historical characters. Though there is no direct source of information on what went on during that journey it seems a very plausible account. As the Incan empire fell and the legend of El Dorado became very prominent a lot of expeditions were taken by Spanish Conquistadors to find the mythical city. The story starts with the expedition of Pizzaro, which he is forced to abandon and move back. Though Pizzaro ended up being one of the great conquerors at the same level or maybe greater than Cortes, his first attempt was a disaster.

However, Pizzaro instead of immediately moving back sends a small team led by 'Don Pedro de Urusa' to go further on rafts and return in a specific time if they do not find El Dorado. It is very clear from the beginning the Aguirre doesn't like Urusa and very soon wounds him and charges him with treason to control this expedition. Aguirre is motivated to find the El Dorado and wouldn't let anything stop him. He even uses a canon to destroy a raft with fellow team members which is stuck and slowing them down. Urusa's wife and Aguirre's daughter are the only female members on this trip. Once in command his degradation as a human and his desire to rise takes control. He takes the raft with people who are loyal to him and moves further down the river.

The movie though sometimes moves very slowly has no real plot. You immediately know where the movie is heading and as an historical account you also know the fate at the end; however it is gripping because of the characters. I was a little disappointed when Urusa is rendered useless pretty early in the movie and conflict of two totally different characters is not shown at all.

Though most actors play their roles very well but Kinski as Aguirre dominates everyone and hence everyone else in the movie seems to be just a supporting cast. Helena Rojo, was a Mexican superstar and she plays Urusa's wife and in the movie she wears disgust for Aguirre on her sleeves. But one of my favourite characters of the movie is accidently appointed puppet king (of nothing but imagined conquered land) played by Peter Berling, his gluttony is as haunting as Kinski's greed.

The movie ends with some very powerful scenes with monkeys creating havoc on the raft.

This is an adventure and also I must say that not understanding German wasn't a big deal. The dialogues were simple and emotions, faces and subtitles make sure that language isn't your biggest problem.

My favourite scenes:

1. The opening scene where Pizzaro's party is descending the Andes to get to the river.
   
2. A long shot with absolutely no background music where the team is trying to hear noises coming from the forests.
   

My favourite quotes:

1. I am the wrath of God, who else is with me?
   

My rating:

Mood: When you want to appreciate good cinema.