Satyajit Ray once mentioned, “… the one film that I would make the same way, if I had to do it again, is Charulata”. Adapted from a semi autobiographical novella by the great Rabindranath Tagore, this complex and haunting love triangle is set at the backdrop of the Bengal Renaissance – a movement that led to the formation of “modern” India. Bhupati (Sailen Mukherjee) is an upper class Bengali intellectual who is forever engrossed in the political newspaper he edits and prints; consequently Charulata (Madhabi Mukherjee), his beautiful and educated wife, has immersed herself into Bengali literature to alleviate her ennui. The arrival of Bhupati’s young cousin brother Amal (Soumitra Chatterjee), a sensitive poetry-loving vagabond-at-heart, breaks her stupor, and before long, the emotionally fragile Charu finds herself falling for the bohemian Amal. The exquisitely paced film boasts of stirring performances by the three leads, with Madhabi and Soumitra’s being truly astounding. The film comprises of a slew of unforgettable moments, right from the opening where Charu is whiling her time with her opera-glasses, and the one with Charu riding on her swing in complete abandon (perhaps an homage to Kurosawa’s Ikiru), to the terrific freeze-framed finale (reminiscent of Truffaut’s The 400 Blows). The scene where Amal slowly looks towards Charu, who’s standing at a distance, while Bhupati is mournfully speaking on trust, oblivious to Charu’s growing feelings for Amal – well, that was devastating! And Kishore Kumar’s rendition of the classic Tagore song Ami Chini Go Chini was cinema at its purest. The film boasts of great set designs, marvelous usage of light and shadows, and a lovely score (the latter by Ray himself).
p.s. This is my 500th movie review at Cinemascope, and what better way to reach this milestone than via a movie by my favourite filmmaker. So here's a hop, skip and jump from me!
Director: Satyajit Ray
Genre: Drama/Romantic Drama/Psychological Drama/Political Drama
Language: Bengali
Country: India
Berlin Alexanderplatz, based on Alfred Doblin’s novel, is R. W. Fassbinder’s magnum opus. Consequently, it has been a gratifying experience for me to complete this staggeringly ambitious 15 ½ hour epic, albeit over a number of sittings. Evocatively shot and leisurely paced, the movie, made in 13-parts and with an epilogue that delves into the surreal and grotesque recesses of a mad man’s mind, has the power to enthrall you and test your patience in equal measures. It chronicles the turbulent life and times, and the various loves and acquaintances of Franz Bieberkoff, its gullible, good-natured protagonist. Ex-convict Franz (played with incredible passion and power by Gunter Lamprecht), who was incarcerated for 4 years for killing his girlfriend in a fit of rage, decides to lead a straight life upon being released from jail; but life has other plans for him, and it comes a full circle for him when his sweetheart Mieze is killed by the man who he considers a friend – the serpentine and womanizing Reinhold, incidentally the same man who had once pushed him out of a car with tragic consequences. The film comprises of a slew of memorable, well-defined characters (brought through courtesy excellent performances, with my favourites being the melancholic Meck, and the vivacious Eva. However, all said, this does remain a flawed film. The rambling storytelling and the overt philosophizing aside, a lot of the actions of and interactions among the characters defy reason and/or explanation. Nevertheless they are mere footnotes vis-a-vis the grand and sweeping nature of this mammoth, tragic and operatic film.
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Genre: Drama/Psychological Drama/Political Drama/Romantic Drama/Miniseries
Language: German
Country: Germany
Noukadubi, released on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore, one of the most staggering geniuses known to humankind, is Rituparno Ghosh’s tribute to the great bard for his enormous influence on him, as on innumerable others. The story, set in pre-independent India, is a labyrinthine, emotionally charged four-pronged love story filled with high tragedy and complex human interactions, and comprising of a liberal dose of timely (as well as unfortunate) coincidences. At the centre of the film lie four exquisitely etched characters – Ramesh (Jishu Sengupta), an introverted middle-class law student; Hemnalini (Raima Sen), an rich young lady who’s intellectually liberated way beyond her times; Kamala (Riya Sen), a naïve semi-literate village girl whose life has been a series of tragedies; and, Nalinaksha (Prosenjit Chatterjee), a mild-mannered music aficionado-cum-respected doctor. Jishu is quite brilliant, and so is Raima, while Prosenjeet is all restraint in his small role; but the revelation of the film turned out to be Riya, hitherto known for everything but acting. The film, which comprises of some lilting Rabindra Sangeet (Songs of Tagore), and boasts of great cinematography, is yet another feather in the cap of Rituparno Ghosh – the filmmaker par excellence who seems incapable of doing any wrong as he keeps churning one finely crafted movie after another.
Director: Rituparno Ghosh
Genre: Drama/Romance
Language: Bengali
Country: India
Though the likes of Sergio Leone, Sam Peckinpah et al are revered for their Westerns, when it comes to one name vis-à-vis this quintessential American genre, the choice is usually very simple – John Ford. And his My Darling Clementine, along with his The Searchers, Stagecoach and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, rank among the greatest Westerns ever made. One of the many retellings of the Wyatt Earp legend that eventually led to the legendary shootout at OK Corral, the film had Henry Fonda playing the role of the iconic former lawman-turned-cattleman. Upon reaching a shanty town called Tombstone, his cattle are stolen and his youngest brother is murdered. He quietly vows to avenge, and takes the job of Marshall to take the notorious, smooth-talking Old Man Clanton and his sons down – one way or the other. The film is however not just about the feud, as it was enriched through the inclusion of some fine characters, not the least of which being a fatalist, self-destructive, Shakespeare-quoting loner called Doc Holiday, and the two women in his life – the hot headed beaut Chihuahua and the beautiful lady from his past, Clementine (who Earl starts developing a soft corner for). The film opens with the soulful ballad “Oh My Darlin’ Clementine”, and maintains a sense of poeticism and light-heartedness throughout its crisp length, despite the harsh, rugged and unforgiving terrain where the story is set. Lovingly paced, filled with well-delineated characters and great off-the-cuff deadpan humour, this gorgeously photographed film on how the West was won, remains one of the great American masterpieces.
Director: John Ford
Genre: Western/Traditional Western
Language: English
Country: US
Francois Truffaut has always been vocal about his love for Alfred Hitchcock, and that love was more than apparent in some of his films, including The Soft Skin which is filled with such Hitchcockian elements as adultery, betrayal, revenge and murder. However, that said, despite the seemingly pulpy content, the finely photographed movie is suffused with such distinctly French archetypes and sensibilities as softness, freewheeling tone, intellectual conversations, and understated emotional depth. Pierre (Jean Desailly) is a respected and well-known literary critic. He’s been married to Franca for 15 years and has a cute little girl. However, he throws his well-set life to the winds when he falls for a pretty, much younger air stewardess Nicole while he’s on his way to Lisbon to deliver a lecture on, you guessed it, Balzac. Pierre tries to keep his illicit tryst a secret for a time, but that turns out to be wishful thinking. Initially his wife starts suspecting which inevitably leads to the breakdown of their marriage. And when she gets confirmation of his affair, tragic and chilling repercussions ensue. The filmmaking is marked with restraint, the characters have been well etched so as to make them believable, and the acting is entirely naturalistic. All said and done, it might not rank among Truffaut’s greatest works, but it certainly was not because of any dearth of quality or good intent.
Director: Francois Truffaut
Genre: Drama/Romantic Drama
Language: French
Country: France
George Lucas’ debut feature was in the genre he’s come to be associated with, viz. science fiction. But, contrary to what one might expect, it was a polar opposite to the kind of flamboyant extravaganza that he’s popular for thanks to his Star Wars series. THX 1138, expanded from his award-winning student short, is a brooding, disquieting, even surreal exploration of an Orwellian reality. Set in an unknown time in a dystopian, computer-controlled future where everyone is under perpetual surveillance, and a pristine, dehumanising environ reminiscent of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the film has Robert Duvall as the eponymous bald-headed nameless protagonist. Always dressed in white androgynous attires, he ends up committing two crimes considered inexcusable by the state – those of reducing his sedatives and making love with his female roommate (Maggie McOmie); and these end up in providing him with the resolve to break free. Less about plot, the film is filled with claustrophobic visuals and an oppressive, menacing tone. However, that said, I found the film a tad uneven, and overly self-conscious and sluggish at times – but I’m sure these facets can be passed over given the bold setup of this 1984-esque mood piece.
Director: George Lucas
Genre: Sci-Fi/ Thriller
Language: English
Country: US
