The Coward

After watching two rather lengthy, rambling Ray films, "Big City" and "Charulata", it was nice to see this concise, 70 minute parable about the folly of turning one's back on love because one is scared to commit. Felt like a combination of DeMaupassant, with the twist of the knife at the end, and Maugham, with the tawdry, tea plantation setting. Add a dash of James M Cain (the lonely, alcoholic husband) and you've got a most satisfying movie. Give it an A.

This melancholy little chamber piece from the director of 'Pather Panchali' also ends beside a railway line; once again holding out the possibility of a new departure.

It has much of the mood of the epilogues of 'Une Partie du Champagne' and 'Les Paraplues de Cherbourg', but this time comprises the entire movie, with the sadly recalled happier times just brief flashbacks.

Kapurush / The Coward (1965) : Brief Review -

Satyajit Ray's burning take on incomplete lovestory. A Classic contrary version to his own Masterpiece Charulata. You know i often say that Indian Cinema can never have a Masterpiece like Casablanca (1942) but we have Charulata (1964). It was Ray's visionary take on a Woman's Love for the other person than her Husband but the person with high ethics doens't fall for it. That reminds me of Casablanca, you know Rick sending off the couple to stay happy in their married life in the legendary climax scene. Though, Ray's Charulata was differen. But for me that's the only thing from India which i can compare to Casablanca and you know it's a big statment. So, Kapurush is contrary to Charulata or should i say it's a male version of it. A by chance meeting rekindles old memories between a screenwriter and his ex-girlfriend, who is by now married to a well-to-do man. Here, we see the woman having those ethics and showing her loyalty. However, her burning heart and pain does not remain hidden and that's what delivers a Classic heartbreaking climax to this short film. In 67 minutes, Kapurush smartly manages to showcase all the required things including past events. It's an achievement for any film with this much short runtime. Remember those Classic love stories of Hollywood from silent era? Kapurush is that for Indian cinema. I know it's too late, i mean 4 decades, yeah but still at last we have something to tell. Soumitra Chatterjee, Madhabi Mukherjee and Haradhan Bandopadhyay are in their sublime forms in the film. Satyajit Ray's dark theme and extremely earnest framework are the two major highlights of Kapurush. Even though that 'Coward' element seems little udiscovered considering the importance it holds towards the title, the rest of the narrative is nothing short of a Classic Cinematic Experience.

RATING - 8/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Two years after Jean Luc Godard's brilliant "Contempt" ("Le Mepris," 1963), about a feckless screenwriter, who loses his wife to a wealthy and powerful man, Satyajit Ray released his film about a feckless screenwriter, who lost his college girl friend to a wealthy and powerful man. I wonder what these directors have against screenwriters. Could it be that they did not like the scripts they were getting and had to sweat over their own? A car driven by Soumitra Chatterjee breaks down in a remote village and the local garage will have to send away for a part. But it just so happens that a friendly man of substance is in that same garage at that same time and offers the writer the hospitality of his home. The writer agrees and when they reach their destination, it just so happens that the man of substance is married to the writer's college girl friend (Madhavi Mukherjee), who he rejected but never got over. Perhaps a professional screenwriter would be uncomfortable with all these coincidences, but, once accepted, there's much suspense in how this ends.

A short, simple & stimulating drama released as one half of the double bill presentation along with Mahapurush, Kapurush (The Coward) follows a screenwriter who rekindles old memories following a chance meeting with his ex-girlfriend who is now married to the person who offers him hospitality for the night after his car breaks down.

Written & directed by Satyajit Ray (The Apu Trilogy & Charulata), the premise is a love triangle brimming with strong emotional undercurrents & gradually increasing tension between the two characters with a shared past. Ray utilises the camera with a probing eye to keep us guessing and smoothly navigates from present to past to inform the viewers.

The drama isn't hurried and the actors play their roles with conviction but it still requires extra breathing space than what its 74 mins runtime offers. Performances from the trio are gripping throughout, plus their interactions also hint at complex emotions swirling beneath the surface, for our lovelorn protagonist pays the price for his earlier betrayal & cowardice.

Overall, Kapurush is the better & stronger story of the two entries that make this double feature offering as it not only narrates its story in more enriching & productive fashion but also benefits from sturdier inputs from its cast. A brutal reminder of how our past actions are responsible for our present being, this poignant drama doesn't dig too deep but still delivers the desired goods.