collectedsoul
Joined Oct 2005
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collectedsoul's rating
A story about ugly love with a surrealist and at times playful treatment. Miha Baloh faithfully portrays an aging actress tragically dependent on a brooding man while also being the subject of a young prompter's obsession.
The mess that is this triangle is intriguingly contrasted with a young couple clearly in the throes of an idealized love. The screen time afforded this ideal love may be minimal but the fantastical scene where Marusa (Baloh) undergoes a makeover and emerges beautified, her moment of acclaim is offset by the kissing young couple. All that is false about her and her relationships is exposed by contrast with this glimpse of 'true' romance. And yet. the 'true' romance is hardly as compelling as the main characters. A poignant comment on art, perhaps.
Incessant rain forms the backdrop of this dark study of soured relationships.
There is a really interesting scene about theatre/film where Marusa decries the trifling role of directors on being fired and bemoans her condition, as the camera draws up to reveal her a tiny speck in a composition dominated by hanging lights and strewn ladders. Hladnik uses sound in surfeit and designs the narrative so that surreal elements are not clearly demarcated from the designated reality. A clear influence of Godard and Bunuel on a film that deserves closer analysis than I've done here.
The mess that is this triangle is intriguingly contrasted with a young couple clearly in the throes of an idealized love. The screen time afforded this ideal love may be minimal but the fantastical scene where Marusa (Baloh) undergoes a makeover and emerges beautified, her moment of acclaim is offset by the kissing young couple. All that is false about her and her relationships is exposed by contrast with this glimpse of 'true' romance. And yet. the 'true' romance is hardly as compelling as the main characters. A poignant comment on art, perhaps.
Incessant rain forms the backdrop of this dark study of soured relationships.
There is a really interesting scene about theatre/film where Marusa decries the trifling role of directors on being fired and bemoans her condition, as the camera draws up to reveal her a tiny speck in a composition dominated by hanging lights and strewn ladders. Hladnik uses sound in surfeit and designs the narrative so that surreal elements are not clearly demarcated from the designated reality. A clear influence of Godard and Bunuel on a film that deserves closer analysis than I've done here.
This is a film popular the world over amongst film scholars as a 'World Cinema' masterpiece. For various reasons it is most definitely that - a masterpiece.
Ray started making this film in 1950 and finally completed it in '54. The problem? Lack of a financial backer. The reasons for this were two: 1)Ray was an unknown in the film-making business and 2)his ideas for the film were deemed unworkable in terms of catering to a paying audience. However, Ray persevered and managed to obtain the financing from the local West Bengal Govt. and in the process changed the face of Indian cinema forever (and it needed some changing too).
This is a miraculous film if one is to look at what had preceded it in India and most of what has come after. It is sensitive to the ambiance of rural Bengal (which is brought out oh so beautifully by the graceful photography and the musical score of Ravi Shankar) and it is - unlike most Indian cinema - honest and tender to its rustic characters without a shade of any patronising or exploitative element. The result is a beautiful, warm, languid film that truly captures the essence of village life in Bengal in a celluloid form that any movie-goer the world over will be able to not only appreciate, but more importantly, love.
The acting is stunning considering a lot of non-actors were used here - a la De Sica's 'The Bicycle Thief', an inspiration according to Ray. I must mention the lady who plays Chunibala - you will not find a role better executed in cinema. A prostitute in her younger days, Ray tracked her down at the local Red Light District where she was living with her daughter. Ray was always an expert at picking the right man for the role and then prodding them along till they produced near-perfect performances on screen and this film is no different.
This is a landmark film for Indian cinema in so many ways - the first time in India that shooting happened almost entirely outdoors, the first time someone with any knowledge of the film medium and film-making the world over handled a camera, the first time that actors acted naturally instead of the melodrama-infused performances that were and still are the norm in Indian cinema. Keeping everything surrounding the film in mind, and then watching the film for the beautiful journey that it is - makes you realise just how immense this work is. A remarkable tour-de-force. A triumph of cinema in a truly hostile environment for intelligent film-making.
Ray started making this film in 1950 and finally completed it in '54. The problem? Lack of a financial backer. The reasons for this were two: 1)Ray was an unknown in the film-making business and 2)his ideas for the film were deemed unworkable in terms of catering to a paying audience. However, Ray persevered and managed to obtain the financing from the local West Bengal Govt. and in the process changed the face of Indian cinema forever (and it needed some changing too).
This is a miraculous film if one is to look at what had preceded it in India and most of what has come after. It is sensitive to the ambiance of rural Bengal (which is brought out oh so beautifully by the graceful photography and the musical score of Ravi Shankar) and it is - unlike most Indian cinema - honest and tender to its rustic characters without a shade of any patronising or exploitative element. The result is a beautiful, warm, languid film that truly captures the essence of village life in Bengal in a celluloid form that any movie-goer the world over will be able to not only appreciate, but more importantly, love.
The acting is stunning considering a lot of non-actors were used here - a la De Sica's 'The Bicycle Thief', an inspiration according to Ray. I must mention the lady who plays Chunibala - you will not find a role better executed in cinema. A prostitute in her younger days, Ray tracked her down at the local Red Light District where she was living with her daughter. Ray was always an expert at picking the right man for the role and then prodding them along till they produced near-perfect performances on screen and this film is no different.
This is a landmark film for Indian cinema in so many ways - the first time in India that shooting happened almost entirely outdoors, the first time someone with any knowledge of the film medium and film-making the world over handled a camera, the first time that actors acted naturally instead of the melodrama-infused performances that were and still are the norm in Indian cinema. Keeping everything surrounding the film in mind, and then watching the film for the beautiful journey that it is - makes you realise just how immense this work is. A remarkable tour-de-force. A triumph of cinema in a truly hostile environment for intelligent film-making.
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