*SPOILER ALERT*
WORLD OF APU (APUR SANSAR) only suffers in comparison with its' predecessors - it isn't the masterpiece that PATHER PANCHALI is, but it's still a GREAT film. Ray - early in his career - was already a master at balancing human drama and unforgettable visual stylishness, and - perhaps because of this visual sense of style - I didn't mind the slightly elevated level of melodrama seen here. The final scenes of the three films are similar - with one difference here - in WORLD OF APU, Apu is walking into the unknown, with a sense of optimism and hope (compared with the grief in the first two installments), curious as to what life will next bring, and confident that the knowledge he will gain will only make him a richer person. This film, and the entire trilogy, easily stands alongside BICYCLE THIEF or SANSHO THE BAILIFF as one of the greatest human dramas to have ever been made.
There are few films that I think everyone should see at least once - the APU trilogy is near the top of my list.
WORLD OF APU (APUR SANSAR) only suffers in comparison with its' predecessors - it isn't the masterpiece that PATHER PANCHALI is, but it's still a GREAT film. Ray - early in his career - was already a master at balancing human drama and unforgettable visual stylishness, and - perhaps because of this visual sense of style - I didn't mind the slightly elevated level of melodrama seen here. The final scenes of the three films are similar - with one difference here - in WORLD OF APU, Apu is walking into the unknown, with a sense of optimism and hope (compared with the grief in the first two installments), curious as to what life will next bring, and confident that the knowledge he will gain will only make him a richer person. This film, and the entire trilogy, easily stands alongside BICYCLE THIEF or SANSHO THE BAILIFF as one of the greatest human dramas to have ever been made.
There are few films that I think everyone should see at least once - the APU trilogy is near the top of my list.