I just got finished watching this, the finale to the "Apu Trilogy." I loved the cinematography and some of the music, but seriously, the same conflict over and over, death of a loved one. Don't bathe in and drink from the Ganges already! And have you ever seen anyone have as much trouble waking up as this dude? In movie #1 his mother and sister have to pound on him every morning, in movie #2 it's mostly his mother, and in #3 his wife, but at least she's smart enough to get an alarm clock. In "World of Apu," at the end where he goes to wake up his estranged son and get to know him, the kid wakes up right away when he touches him. I thought there was going to be some kind of joke there--that the kid was going to be sluggish about waking up and Apu was going to be all "That's my boy!" But the kid must have taken after his mother, because he popped right up.
The best thing about this trilogy was the old lady (the Auntie) in the first movie. Her role was poignant, and she nailed it. Her song was transcendent. The child actors, both Apu and his sister, were charming. The grown-up Apus, less so. Start there, with Pather Panchali; you can finish there too and not miss much.
The best thing about this trilogy was the old lady (the Auntie) in the first movie. Her role was poignant, and she nailed it. Her song was transcendent. The child actors, both Apu and his sister, were charming. The grown-up Apus, less so. Start there, with Pather Panchali; you can finish there too and not miss much.