Pather Panchali (1955)

September 30, 2022 11:42 AM

Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar’s elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life, while their parents suffer the daily indignities heaped upon them.

A Bengali language film starring Subir Banerjee, Uma Das Gupta, Karuna Banerjee, Kanu Bannerjee, Chunibala Devi, Runki Banerjee, Reba Devi, Aparna Devi, Tulsi Chakraborty, and Haren Banerjee.

Directed by Satyajit Ray. Screenplay by Satyajit Ray, based on the novel of the same name by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.

98% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.

Currently streaming in the US on HBO Max, Criterion, ErosNow, Kanopy, and Plex. Also available for digital rental on multiple outlets. JustWatch listing.

posted by DirtyOldTown (4 comments total)

This trilogy is so good I cannot even begin to tell you.
posted by nushustu at 3:36 PM on September 30, 2022

It's insanely good. I still think about it sometimes, even as I make plans for someday. :-\
posted by johnofjack at 6:15 PM on September 30, 2022 [1 favorite]

It's just amazing that this could be anyone's first film.
posted by octothorpe at 6:30 PM on October 1, 2022

I really need to revisit this. I only watched the trilogy once, but they blew me away and I'd rank them amongst my favourites of all time.
posted by Alex404 at 8:57 AM on October 2, 2022