Seemabaddha (1971)

A more correct measure of success lies not in what it gets us - but also in what it costs us. Seemabaddha by Satyajit Ray ends on the same crossroads - without taking sides. May be less poetic than his more popular work but quite contemporary in the way it's told.

PS: Read more reviews of Satyajit Ray movies: Apur Sansar > Devi > Samapti > Parash Pathar >Seemabaddha (1971)

[Original pic by vidiot]

Samapti

In Satyajit Ray's Samapti, a tomboy defies all attempts by her mother-in-law and others around to rush her into womanhood. But when the transition happens, it is surprisingly swift - and unaided. A simple story of inevitable change - minus the bells and whistles. And, Ray wisely doesn't add any.

PS: Read more reviews of Satyajit Ray movies: Apur Sansar > Devi > Samapti > Parash Pathar

[Original pic by GIa Quicolli]

Rhapsody in August (1991)

Rhapsody in August by Akiro Kurusowa's is a grim reminder that in war there are no survivors. Even if they go on to live another 45 years.

PS: Not regarded amongst the best of his work but it's not without flashes of absolute brilliance now and then.

Parash Pathar (1958)

Parash Pathar by Satyajit Ray is an endearing story of a middle class clerk from Calcutta, who chances upon the philosopher's stone that can turn metal into gold. Greed overrides the fear that usually follows when fairy tales turn real. A rags to riches adventure transpires until fear and folly overtake him - making the philosopher's stone a liability.

May not be one of Ray's best works but watch it only for the way it extricates the comical ex clerk out of his predicament - so characteristic of Ray's refreshingly human touch.

PS: For more information on subtitles, please see Apur Sansar.

[Original pic by poopee shmoopee]

Manhattan (1979)

Starring New York, Manhattan by Woody Allen is a wry take on modern relationships - and changes of heart that are more frequent than bad capucinnos at Coffee Day.

The fatigue of fleeting relationships and the tingle of stand-ins is made indulgently bittersweet in its 96 minute run time - which by the way's a breeze.

Woody Allen's patented cynicism comes thick and fast as intended, but Gordon Willis' camera romancing New York in it's element is the crowning stroke. It provides a contrast of endurance to serve as a backdrop for some passing attachments.

[Wallpaper courtesy Ben.a]

Devi (1960)

A young daughter-in-law is revered as a goddess after her father-in-law has a vision that she's an incarnation of Maa Kaali (Goddess Kaali). A mass hysteria follows. The odyssey from a mere mortal to that of goddess is swift and exalting. But for the 'goddess' herself, is the transformation a boon or a curse?

Satayajit Ray's Devi leaves us viewers with some not so very comforting questions. It reminds us that no matter how much we mortals want it, there's no going back home.

PS: For more information on subtitles, please see Apur Sansar.

[Original pic by Eva Marieville]

Beowulf (2007)

If you thought only superhuman mythical beasts can kill a hero, think again. A fixation with technique while telling a story can do just the same. And in Beowulf's case, it definitely delivers the killer blow.

[Original pic by Dunechaser]

Apur Sansar (1959)

Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) by Satyajit Ray is a visual and sensual treat - almost like cinema in verse. This was my first Ray film and my first engagement with cinema in art form.

Apur Sansar is the last in the Apu trilogy series, the first being Pathar Panchali followed by Aparajito. If I had seen them in sequence, it may have been a far richer experience. While watching the movie, however, I had no idea of the trilogy or Apur Sansar's place in it. To me the film worked as a standalone piece. And I have been told, so do the other two masterpieces.

The story is set in rural and urban Bengal around the 1930s. The protagonist, Apu, is an unemployed writer living in the squalor of Calcutta city. A serendipitous trip to a friend's village returns him a married man. Love blossoms between him and his angelic wife amidst daily domestic chaos.

However, the journey from solitude to blessed companionship is sweet but short - with the death of his wife during childbirth. Overcome with grief, it takes Apu five years of mindless wandering to come to terms with the loss. In the end, life comes a full circle.

The film's universal theme of loss and redemption makes it timeless. And Ray's effortless and understated direction renders it sublime.

PS: You may have to brave the less than perfect subtitles, for this lesson in cinema. (I watched it on Zee Studio's special series on Satyajit Ray airing every Sunday in December '07.)

[Original pic by wmacphail]

Peter Brook's Mahabharata (1989)

Having grown up on rich legends from the Mahabharata and on B.R. Chopra's definitive TV version, it required me to summon an open mind to appreciate The Mahabharata by Peter Brook .

The original epic is more complex than it initially appears. The account of the epic battle (Kurukshetra) between the good (Dharma) and evil (Adharma) led by victorious Pandavas against the mighty Kauravas is, in reality, a reflection on the duality of human nature.

Peter Brook's version, on the other hand, is shot more in the style of a play - with minimalist sets, costumes and interpretations. This approach helps avoid expected, and unexpected, distractions - which is the film's main asset. Plus, it tells the story in its purest form - outside of its physical and geographical trappings. The result is as timeless as the epic itself.

A conventional and straightforward interpretation of an otherwise multifaceted epic, it still makes for absorbing viewing (barring some minor irritants). The 6 hour viewing time seemed only like an instant, or two. And that's testimony from someone who pressed the play button as a die hard skeptic.

[Original pic by HGM]

Aaja Nachle (2007)

Touted as Madhuri Dixit's comeback film, Aaja Nachle from Yash Raj films stops at being just that.

The story begins with Ajanta - a dance school in the town of Shamli that's soon to be demolished to make way for the new retailing phenomenon that we call the shopping mall. But Dia (Madhuri Dixit), an NRI with roots in Ajanta, decides to revive it to its original glory with the promise of a decisive performance that will make the Shamli junta root for their culture (aka Ajanta) instead of consumerism. So begins her trial to eke out a sell-out performance from a crew comprising of initially-reluctant locals.

Aaja Nachle starts with a promise that never takes off. Even the long list of dependable actors who pop up regularly during the entire length of the film fail to make a connect at any level. And that is thanks mostly to over-the-top sentimentalism resulting from a half-baked script.

Borrowed heavily from Chocolat, the film is not even half as appetising. They, no doubt, have got hold of the recipe. But as any reader of recipe books will attest, good food is much more than a few ingredients thrown in.

[Original pic by Simone Merli]

Amadeus

I do not know how accurate or inaccurate an account it is of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; but to me, the movie Amadeus made great viewing.

The film has stellar perfomances, ornamental sets, magnificent architecture, lavish costumes and ostentatiously fashionable wigs. But at it's core it's a tale of ageless conflict between the genius and mediocrity.

It's the story of Mozart as told by Antonio Salieri, his arch enemy. Salieri can hardly accept that a seemingly frivolous Mozart was chosen as the instrument of God for divine music instead of someone more deserving like himself. Mozart's middle name 'Amadeus' (meaning 'God's beloved') only seems to mock at Salieri, pushing him to declare a war between himself and God, with Mozart as their battlefield.

As someone who can more than see his inadequacy in Mozart's genius, Salieri rightly foresees that only pure genius is immortal. Anything less than genius is but inadequate.

Regardless of its historical or musical context, it's a story that is timeless and told impeccably well. For me, learning more about Mozart was a bonus. Plus, it made me reach out to my iPod and listen to his music finally.

[Original pic by roujo]