Pather Panchali (1955), Bengali for “Song of the Little Road,” is an innovative and striking film by Indian director Satyajit Ray. Based on a book by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay, the story of a desperately poor Indian family is reminiscent of The Grapes of Wrath in its stark depiction of poverty. It differs from Steinbeck’s classic in that it centers on a child, Apu, and his older sister Durga; their lives are difficult, but they have the small joys of children: a kitten, a foil crown, sugar cane to chew. They still find ways to play and find interest in their surroundings, even when they wear rags for clothes.

The cinematography is exquisite: remarkably the work of just one amateur cinematographer, Subrata Mitra, the film features beautiful lighting and angles that bring home the deeply personal nature of the film. It seems that only half of the film consists of dialogue, its genius resting instead in the visuals. Perhaps it was precisely Mitra’s lack of experience that make this film so unique, freeing it from conventions of cinematography. In any case, the film’s portrayal of India’s strange mix of poverty and rapid modernization during the first half of the twentieth century is art at its finest.

I appreciated Pather Panchali for its simple style and for its tone. The film depicts the day to day life of Apu, his older sister Durga, and his parents. While the film contains tragic elements, including the death of Durga from an illness, it also depicts day to day life and simple pleasures. The characterization in the film is impressive, as is the realism achieved.

I particularly appreciated the film’s depiction of family life, and especially the way conflicts and family disagreements were handled. In one scene, Durga is accused by a neighbor of stealing a bead necklace. Durga denies this; however, she has a reputation for stealing fruit from a neighbor’s orchard. The neighbor accuses Durga’s mother, Sarbajaya, of encouraging her tendency to steal. Embarrassed by the neighbor’s accusation, Sarbajaya throws Durga out of the house. The next scene shows Sarbajaya telling Apu to find Durga and tell her that her dinner is ready. There is no depiction of Durga and Sarbajaya making amends. I felt this was an accurate depiction of the way family members, though they may become angry with each other, and may harbor significant disagreements or feelings of disapproval towards each other, put aside negative feelings. While there may never be an explicit reconciliation, over time hostilities fade, and life goes on. Your family is your family, even when they anger or disappoint you. I liked that the film’s treatment of the event was not overly emotional. The film’s treatment of family relationships, and of the strain that exists in these relationships, is impressive.

I also enjoyed the depiction of the relationship between Durga and Apu. The film captured the affection and irritation that exists between siblings well.

Pather Panchali was filmed by an amateur cameraman, and features mostly amateur actors. However, the film does not seem “amateurish” or poorly made. The style of the film is simple, but the simplicity of the film only enhances its realism. I was quite impressed by what the cast, crew, and director could accomplish. Had I not been told beforehand that the film had been made by an inexperienced crew, I would not have assumed so.

Pather Panchali is an excellent film, with strong characterization. I would highly recommend watching it.

The Bengali film juxtaposed a debilitating, poor family with a fairly well-off family. One family struggled to properly feed and clothe the children. The other family decorated the children with necklaces and fed them candy. One family relied on the dreams of an aspiring priest and scholar. The other owned an orchard full of guavas and mangos. And yet they coexisted. The film captured the true struggle of living in the shadow of something desired but unattainable. For the scholar’s family that something was not worrying about the next meal. The other family didn’t have to do that. Or a steady income to be able to occasionally get the kids candy, to send them to school wearing something other than rags, to live in the present without constantly worrying about what the future holds. The other family had all of that too. This gap between the two families was brutally clear when Durga and Abu watched the candyman walk over to the other family’s house after telling him that they couldn’t afford the sweets. It was clear every time Durga’s mother told her to return the guavas or mangos she had stolen from the other family. It was clear when the father left for almost half of a year to pursue scholastic dreams that never even came true. It was clear in every interaction the scholar’s family had with the other family. And yet they were only a street apart.

While this film lacks the kind of action favored in Hollywood movies, I can definitely see why Pather Panchali is so celebrated. You really get to understand each character’s motivations. Durga steals because she sees her family struggling and wants to help (and maybe also because she’s a little jealous of the other girls). Apu is an innocent and playful child, though we see him become more serious at the end. He’s fascinated with things like trains and bows and arrows, and when Durga dies he asks if she’s just sleeping. Harihar, their father, is a scholar who dreams of supporting his family off of his own original writings and always believes (a little naively) that everything will work itself out. He is ultimately proven wrong, but largely by chance (the consecutive storms and the delays in his finding work). Sarbajaya, the mother, has given up her own dreams to take up the responsibility of raising her children. She “nags” the others because of the pressure of seemingly failing in that responsibility, as she sees her children dressed in rags and Durga resorting to thievery. The old “Auntie” just wants to live her last days freely and die on her own terms. Her end is particularly sad because she dies alone and outside instead of in her ancestral home with her family, as she wished.

There are no truly dis-likable characters in this story. There’s no villain. Instead, the conflict arises because each character is struggling to do more than just survive (which is already difficult considering their poverty and isolation). Each person just wants to live how they want to live, and circumstances unfortunately get in the way.

Overall, I would definitely say this is the best film I’ve seen in the last two years. To anyone who likes to focus on characters as complex people, with their struggles and aspirations, I would recommend this film. When I find the time, I look forward to viewing the later two films of the trilogy.

Note: placed in the “Film” section in the absence of a more specific category