Pather Panchali
With the release in 1955 of Satyajit Ray's debut film, an eloquent and important new cinematic voice made itself heard all over the world. A depiction of rural Bengali life in a style inspired by Italian neorealism, PANTHER PANCHALI's naturalistic but poetic evocation of a number of years in the life of a family introduces us to both little Apu (Subir Banerjee) and, just as essentially, the women who will help shape him: his independent older sister, Durga; his harried mother, Sarbajaya, who, with her husband away, must hold the family together; and his kindly and mischievous elderly "auntie," Indir--vivid, multifaceted characters all.
With resplendent photography informed by its young protagonist's perpetual sense of discovery, PANTHER PANCHALI, which won an award for Best Human Document at Cannes, is an immersive cinematic experience and a film of elemental power.
Winner Best Film and Best Director at the 1957 San Francisco International Film Festival
Running Time
126 mins
Year
1955
Kanopy ID
1220946
Filmmakers
Features
Languages
Subjects
Show More
Related videos
The Music Room
Satyajit Ray brilliantly evokes the crumbling opulence of the world of a fallen aristocrat (the beloved actor Chhabi Biswas) desperately clinging to a fading way of life. His greatest joy is the music room in which he has hosted lavish concerts over the years--now a shadow of its former vivid…
Tokyo Story
A profoundly stirring evocation of elemental humanity and universal heartbreak, TOKYO STORY is the crowning achievement of the unparalleled Yasujiro Ozu.
The film, which follows an aging couple's journey to visit their grown children in bustling postwar Tokyo, surveys the rich and complex world of family life with the director's…
Apur Sansar
Satyajit Ray had directed not only the first two Apu films but also the masterpiece The Music Room by the time APUR SANSAR was released and was well on his way to becoming a legend. This extraordinary final chapter brings our protagonist's journey full circle. Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee) is now…
Aparajito
Satyajit Ray had not planned to make a sequel to Pather Panchali, but after the film's international success, he decided to continue Apu's narrative. APARAJITO picks up where the first film leaves off, with Apu (Smaran Ghosal) and his family having moved away from the country to live in the…
Zero Bridge
A truly independent film of integrity and offhand grace, ZERO BRIDGE tells the deeply affecting tale of a student and small-time criminal in Kashmir who develops a crush on an older, college educated woman.
The Home and the World
Both a romantic-triangle tale and a philosophical take on violence in times of revolution, The Home and the World (Ghare Baire), set in early twentieth-century Bengal, concerns an aristocratic but progressive man who, in insisting on broadening his more traditional wife's political horizons, drives her into the arms of his…
A Peck On The Cheek
In this Bollywood-esque musical, 9 year-old Amudha discovers she is an orphan from war-torn Sri Lanka. In a moment of bravado she and her adopted family decide to face their greatest fears and travel to her violent and turbulent homeland in order to reunite with her birth-mother. Along the way…
Rashomon
This riveting psychological thriller that investigates the nature of truth and the meaning of justice is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.
Four people give different accounts of a man's murder and the rape of his wife, which director Akira Kurosawa presents with striking imagery and an…
Pickpocket
Robert Bresson's incomparable tale of crime and redemption follows Michel (Martin LaSalle), a young pickpocket who spends his days working the streets, subway cars, and train stations of Paris. As his compulsion grows, however, so too does his fear that his luck is about to run out.
Tautly choreographed and…
The 400 Blows - Les quatre cents coups
Francois Truffaut's first feature is also his most personal. Told through the eyes of Truffaut's cinematic counterpart, Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud), THE 400 BLOWS sensitively re-creates the trials of Truffaut's own childhood, unsentimentally portraying aloof parents, oppressive teachers, and petty crime. The film marked Truffaut's passage from leading critic to…
Bicycle Thieves
Hailed around the world as one of the greatest movies ever made, the Academy Award-winning BICYCLE THIEVES, directed by Vittorio De Sica, defined an era in cinema. In poverty-stricken postwar Rome, a man is on his first day of a new job that offers hope of salvation for his desperate…
Sunrise
From emerging Indian director Partho Sen-Gupta, SUNRISE centers around Social Services officer Lakshman Joshi, whose bad past and current reality begin to converge as he investigates a kidnapping ring within the rain-soaked back alleys and seedy nightclubs of urban Mumbai.
Featuring a great performance from Adil Hussain as the worse-for-wear…
Comments (8)
Is this version the remastered edition that Criterion was working on? How great are the subtitles? Thanks.
There are many lenses that can be used to view this film--it is a master piece. The simplest things in life seem to make Apu and his sister happy--they had no electricity or TV but yet the children were thrilled to listen to old aunt/grandma tell them stories. The kids were excited to see a ...Read more
There are many lenses that can be used to view this film--it is a master piece. The simplest things in life seem to make Apu and his sister happy--they had no electricity or TV but yet the children were thrilled to listen to old aunt/grandma tell them stories. The kids were excited to see a train go by. Apu was extremely happy and danced when the family received a letter. Lovely contrast to what makes us happy today. Every moment of this movie is packed with symbolism.
Read lessThis is a very sad story that depicts the harsh conditions and dreadful life that one very impoverished Indian family must endure in-order to stay alive..The film depicts the simple pleasures of children and the enormous sacrifices their parents must make to keep them safe.This film ...Read more
This is a very sad story that depicts the harsh conditions and dreadful life that one very impoverished Indian family must endure in-order to stay alive..The film depicts the simple pleasures of children and the enormous sacrifices their parents must make to keep them safe.This film further dramatizes the family's unyielding spirit to survive against all odds.
Read lessAn absolute masterpiece. The first of the Apu Trilogy, all of which are essential cinema.
A film to remember. Satyajit Ray has created art in a seemingly impossible situation. Highly recommended.
sad but so so good
Beautiful and poignant.
A beautiful debut film from master filmmaker, musician, and novelist Satyajit Ray. I cannot recommend Ray's films enough. See as many as you can.