Kanchenjungha [1962]
For his first feature film in colour, Bengali auteur Satyajit Ray chose the quaint and idyllic town of Darjeeling as the backdrop for the story. Members of a wealthy and educated Bengali family are on vacation at the beautiful Himalayan hill station. However, in contrast to the picturesque locales (exquisitely shot by Subrata Mitra), unspoken ideological schisms between the rich family patriarch (commandingly played by Chabi Biswas) and members of the younger generation, latent familial problems otherwise hidden from the eyes of the society, and the age-old struggle between ‘marriage of convenience’ and ‘marriage of choice’, play out against the changing faces of nature over the course of one day. Languorously paced, the movie might appear slow to some. However, it might have been deliberately so paced by Ray to gradually reveal the conflicts between the various characters, and juxtapose that with the decidedly ironic interplay between sunshine and mist that, in many ways, manage to define the mood of the story. The movie ends with a glorious view of Kanchenjungha, and the various problems too seem to have been resolved for the moment, but it is anybody’s guess as to what awaits them when they return to the daily of humdrums of Calcutta.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Genre: Drama/Family Drama/Ensemble Film
Language: Bengali
Country: India
7 comments:
does anyone have any idea as to how good the Big Home Video prints are? does it transcend Angel or are they more or less the same?
I have no idea. The vcd that I have is of Angel, and lets face it, picture and sound qualities weren't really flattering.
ar ekta khub priyo chobi.. :)
Yeah, very few people manage to make movies that, every other aspect apart, end up becoming an ode to the place on which it is based. Case in point: Joi Baba Felunath.
Do you know where I can buy Ray's movies online in India?
12 of his movies, including some of his masterpieces are available at India Times Shopping. Though thats a very small number considering that he made around 30 movies, but its a start nonetheless. I'll let you know if I manage to find an Indian shopping site where all or nearly all his movies are available.
Thanks for the info! Will check it out.
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