Pather Panchali

Amazon.com essential video

Pather Panchali tells the story of a family inching slowly and irrevocably, over the course of several years, toward the edge of financial and emotional disaster. In a rural Bengali village, circa 1919, Harihar (Kanu Bannerjee) recites sacred texts and performs religious rites for a living. He dreams of being a playwright, but he must support his growing family.

His wife, Sarbajaya (Karuna Bannerjee) must suffer her husband's long absences as he searches for work and the hostile pity of extended family members who are better off financially and socially. Her daughter, Durga (Uma Das Gupta), has the bad habit of stealing mangoes from the neighboring orchard, which adds to her mother's shame. When a son, Apu (Subir Bannerjee), is born, things seem to be looking up for the family. But it is only a short-lived illusion.

First films don't come any better than Pather Panchali. Made in 1955 by Satyajit Ray, this truly remarkable feat of storytelling is a must-see kind of movie. Ray reveals a gift for presenting stories that unfold gently, one engaging scene at time. This film delivers an amazing emotional punch that will linger in your consciousness for some time, not in spite of, but because of its simplicity.

The story is based on the novel of the same title, written by Bibhutibhushan Banerjee. Shot in glorious black and white, it runs for 115 minutes. The script is by Satyajit Ray, the music by Ravi Shankar. --Luanne Brown

Description

The first in a popular trilogy of Indian films! Pather Panchali is a moving story of a rural family cursed with bad luck. The father is a dreamer, while his wife struggles to feed the family, including son Apu. When a petty thief brings tragedy to them, they must find a way to survive.Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Multiple film festival awards.

Customer Reviews:

An amazing movie with a terrible DVD release........2007-05-12

Pather Panchali (Satyajit Ray, 1955)

This would be a ludicrously long review before I ran out of good things to say about Pather Panchali. But everyone else has already said all those things. If you didn't listen to them, you're not going to listen to me, but I'll put in a "see it. now." here for good measure and get onto what will be a review not of a great film, but a ludicrous DVD release.

Biswas proudly trumpets that it has exclusive rights to Pather Panchali in the DVD market. If this is the case, it should be considered a crime against nature. The video transfer is horrible, the sound transfer only marginally better. I've seen better subtitling on bargain-basement bootleg Chinese DVDs. If your only chance to see the film is in the Biswas DVD release, wait until you can catch a revival somewhere. This is terrible in the extreme, and hopefully, someday, someone will do something about it. The movie gets four stars; the DVD release, one.

beautiful introduction to Satyajit Ray.............2007-03-20

This is a great introduction to the masterful films of the late, great Indian filmmaker, Satyajit Ray. PATHER PANCHALI is the first of the Apu Trilogy, a series of stories that takes a look at the life of Apu, a young Bengali boy from a poor background. In this installment, Apu (Subir Bannerjee) is growing up with his older sister, Durga (Uma Das Gupta) who has the pesky habit of stealing mangos from their neighbor's tree. His mother, Sarbojaya Ray (Karuma Bannerjee) is constantly bickering with the children's elderly aunt (Chunibala Devi) and struggling to maintain a tidy household. Apu's father, Harihar Ray(Kanu Bannerjee) performs religious prayers and writes for a living. He ventures out to seek work for himself, leaving his small village and family behind him.

This story examines the ups and downs that the struggling family must endure, and is truly poetry in motion. What's more, it has a quiet intensity that flows beautifully with the wonderful musical score by the legendary sitar master, Ravi Shankar. Be sure not to miss this treasure......

DVD has annoying screen logo displayed throughout play.......2006-09-23

Ordered through Amazon merchant/member nehaflixcom and the product was delivered promptly and in good shape. While I'm glad I took a chance on the first product in the Apu series and it makes me want to acquire the rest, the product received does not match the graphic (cover image) shown on Amazon and the content contains one disappointment. Throughout the viewing there is an annoying graphic much like the ones you see on broadcast/cable TV that identify the broadcast source. It is a large letter A with the word ANGEL below it for:

ANGEL VIDEO CALCUTTA INDIA

The case itself is a minimalist, half thickness, card paper folder with a plastic center just deep enough to hold the DVD. The front graphic has a small picture in the lower left corner of the character Apu wearing a crown he fashioned from silver paper stolen from his sister Durga and above that image is a larger graphic:

Celebrating 50 Years

I've never seen the DVD associated with Amazon's image of just Apu's head, the movie title, and the critic's comment, but that one might not contain the annoying screen graphic and if it doesn't it should be worth more to any collector.

If I can't find better, I'd still buy the remaining titles, Aparajito & The World of Apu from Angel Video.

Loss, Love, and Redemption.......2006-06-09

I'm sorry to see that as if this date Amazon has no copies of this film for sale. I hope this is temporary. It would be a shame if this film were not made available for people to own.

I have all three DVDs of the Apu trilogy. This, the first in the trilogy, is the best one, I think. Three of the major themes are the irrevocable nature of loss, the power of human love, and the simple but powerful ways we experience redemption.

Many reviews focus on the title character, Apu, yet this is also a powerful portrayal of various phases of women's lives: maiden, mother, and crone, if you will. Durga, the maiden, is often described as a petty thief, yet her acts often seem heroic to me and serve to underscore the pettiness and selfishness of her neighbors. Why should Durga have to steal guavas from the land that used to belong to her father? Why can't the neighbors share?

As for stealing the beads, Durga's desire for something pretty, while not so heroic, is perfectly understandable when one realizes how little Durga is appreciated in a family that dotes on Apu, the boy. Yet there are no villains in this film. All characters are fully rounded. The mother, who often seems cruel, is also a sympathetic character who tries to keep her pride in tact while descending deeper into poverty all the time.

The grandmother is, to me, the best character of the bunch. She's as mysterious as she is mischevious. The petty bickering between Durga's mother and grandmother doesn't show an absence of love but results from the pressures of day to day survival. The women, in fact, are woven into the same tapestry of life. In one brilliant shot, the mother is shown holding her weary back while the grandmother, bent from years of hardship and work, shuffles in the background. Life is hard and the inevitability of old age is just around the corner. How is one's hard work and sacrifice repaid? Are we destined to end up like Durga's grandmother, whom nobody seems to want? Nobody, save Durga, who has a pure heart and shows her love by bringing lovingly her hungry grandmother stolen guavas.

The people and situations are never sentimentalized, not even the death of the grandmother, whose body is discovered by Durga and Apu.

Yes, this is the story of Apu, a young boy, but it's also the story of the three main phases of women's lives. This film is rich visually and is one the viewer will think about for a long time. One of my all-time favorite films. PATHER PANCHALI is the best of the three, but THE WORLD OF APU doesn't miss this distinction by much.

Good visual drama.......2005-10-13

This film came recommended to me by several of my friends, so I felt compelled to see it. After watching the film, I am glad that I listened to them as this was a very good movie. Even though this is done with subtitles, I had no trouble following the story.

Although not really a draw back, this film is the first part of a trilogy, so the ending is more of a prelude to a beginning. The story is following a Brahmin family that has fallen on hard financial times. The ever optimistic father has trouble bringing enough money in to meet the needs of his family and keeping the ancestral home in good repair. Tragedy after tragedy besets them, which is the impetus for the ending of this movie (and beginning of the next).

In no part of this film did I have trouble following the filmmaker's work. The story kept me locked in and watching. I would highly recommend this film to others.

Average customer rating:

Superlative movie, horrible dvd

Pather Panchali DVD

Manufacturer: Angel Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Aparajito

ASIN: B000KK1MSE

Product Description

Kanu Banerjee , Subir Banerjee , Runki Banerjee , Karuna Banerjee

In Bengali. English Subtitles. Black & White.

The first film in director Ray's acclaimed Apu Trilogy (which also includes APARAJITO and THE WORLD OF APU) shows Bengali life through the life of Apu, an Indian boy.

A boy named Apu is born to a poor but proud Brahmin family. His loving older sister, Durga, is a sweet girl, but has formed the bad habit of stealing fruit from an aunt's orchard, much to her mother's dismay. Their father Harihar, a poet and lay priest, finds a treasury job that will bring the family steady income for the first time in a while. For a brief period afterward, their mother, Sarbajaya, manages to make ends meet, and the children are left to their own devices and run freely. But when Harihar loses his position, he leaves his family to search elsewhere for work. He leaves them with depleted resources. In his absence, their condition deteriorates. Months later, Harihar returns to face the tragedy that forces them to leave their ancestral home. This acclaimed debut by Satyajit Ray is the first part of a trilogy of poetic, lyrical works.

Customer Reviews:

Superlative movie, horrible dvd.......2006-11-19

It is a sad commentary on Indian DVD manufacturers that the maestro Satyajit Ray gets such a shoddy treatment on DVD. Please don't buy this Angel video version of the film.
Go in for the Sony classics version or the bfi version which has the trilogy on 3 discs. I have the latter and its worth every cent.
If there were more than 5 stars I wouldnt hesitate to give them to this masterpiece of world cinema. But the Angel video dvd... yuck.

Average customer rating:

An amazing movie with a terrible DVD release.
beautiful introduction to Satyajit Ray......
DVD has annoying screen logo displayed throughout play
Loss, Love, and Redemption
Good visual drama

Pather Panchali
Starring: Kanu Bannerjee , Karuna Bannerjee , Subir Bannerjee , Uma Das Gupta , and Chunibala Devi
Director: Satyajit Ray
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

General | Art House & International | Genres | VHS | Video

Ray, Satyajit | ( R ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Deals Under $10 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

General | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6304104286
Release Date: 1996-08-13

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

An amazing movie with a terrible DVD release........2007-05-12

beautiful introduction to Satyajit Ray.............2007-03-20

DVD has annoying screen logo displayed throughout play.......2006-09-23

Loss, Love, and Redemption.......2006-06-09

Good visual drama.......2005-10-13

Average customer rating:

Pather Panchali (1958)

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Aparajito

ASIN: B000CD35RA

Product Description

Format: BLACK & WHITE, IMPORT, NTSC ALL REGION, FULLSCREEN AUDIO: DOLBY DIGITAL in Hindi. SUBTITLE LANGUAGES: English, Chinese, . PRIMARY ACTOR: Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Bannerjee, Subir Bannerjee SUPPORTING ACTORS: Uma Das Gupta, Chunibala Devi DIRECTOR: Satyajit Ray PLOT SUMMARY: Made in 1955 by Satyajit Ray, this truly remarkable feat of storytelling is a must-see kind of movie. The story is based on the novel of the same title, written by Bibhutibhushan Banerjee. Shot in glorious black and white, it runs for 115 minutes. The script is by Satyajit Ray, the music by Ravi Shankar. --Luanne Brown The first in a popular trilogy of Indian films! Pather Panchali is a moving story of a rural family cursed with bad luck. The father is a dreamer, while his wife struggles to feed the family, including son Apu. When a petty thief brings tragedy to them, they must find a way to survive.Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Multiple film festival awards. Pather Panchali tells the story of a family inching slowly and irrevocably, over the course of several years, toward the edge of financial and emotional disaster. In a rural Bengali village, circa 1919, Harihar (Kanu Bannerjee) recites sacred texts and performs religious rites for a living. He dreams of being a playwright, but he must support his growing family. His wife, Sarbajaya (Karuna Bannerjee) must suffer her husband's long absences as he searches for work and the hostile pity of extended family members who are better off financially and socially. Her daughter, Durga (Uma Das Gupta), has the bad habit of stealing mangoes from the neighboring orchard, which adds to her mother's shame. When a son, Apu (Subir Bannerjee), is born, things seem to be looking up for the family. But it is only a short-lived illusion.

The Apu Trilogy (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World of Apu) [Region 2 Import]

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The Apu Trilogy (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World of Apu) [Region 2 Import]
Director: Satyajit Ray
Manufacturer: World Cinema
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Features:

English Subtitles; Digitally restored picture and sound
'Pather Panchali' storyboards
Stills and poster galleries
'The World of Apu Masterclass' Documentary
and more

ASIN: B000LSYIMM

Product Description

The Apu trilogy is the most celebrated work of Satyajit Ray, the greatest filmmaker ever to have emerged from India cinema. The three films - each a masterpiece in its own right - are enormously touching in their simplicity, emotional sweep and visual beauty and established Ray in the pantheon of the world's finest directors. 'Pather Panchali', Ray's extraordinarily accomplished debut feature, begins the story of Apu, a young boy born into a poor but loving family in rural Bengal, and continues in 'Aparajito', when adolescence and his growing independence bring both joy and sorrow. 'The World of Apu', the final and most profoundly moving chapter in the trilogy, encompasses the extremes of joy and despair, ultimately reaching a conclusion that is among the most uplifting and life-affirming in cinema.

Apu Trilogy (Aparajito / Pather Panchali / Apur Sansar) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]

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Apu Trilogy (Aparajito / Pather Panchali / Apur Sansar) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Satyajit Ray
Manufacturer: Artificial Eye
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

"Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Bengali(Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), SYNOPSIS: Pather Panchali (Song of the Road): Pather Panchali (Father Panchali), Indian director Satyajit Ray's first feature film, relates the story of an impoverished Bengalese family. When the father (Karuna Bannerjee) leaves for the city to pursue a writing career, the mother (Karuna Banerji) is left with the responsibility of caring for the rest of the brood. Gradually, the film's true central character emerges: Apu (Subir Banerji), the family's son. Though excruciatingly realistic at times, Pather Panchali takes an occasional timeout to dwell on the purely cinematic... Aparajito (The Unvanquished): The Unvanquished is the second of Indian director Satyajit Ray's 'Apu Trilogy' (the first was Pather Panchali). Ray's young protagonist Apu is permitted a formal education over the gentle objections of his mother, who'd wanted him to be priest. Eventually, Apu earns a university scholarship and arrives in the teeming metropolis of Calcutta. Overwhelmed by life in the Big City, the impressionable country boy forgets about his loving mother... Apur Sansar (The World of Apu): Originally released in India as Apur Sansar, The World of Apu was the last of Satyajit Ray's 'Apu Trilogy'. Now Apu (Soumitra Chaterjee), having abandoned college due to lack of money, hopes to find success as a writer. He is sidetracked from this goal when he meets Aparna (Sharmila Tagore), whose impending wedding is cancelled when the groom turns out to be mentally unstable. To save Aparna from a custom-dictated life of spinsterhood, Apu marries her himself... SPECIAL FEATURES: 3-DVD Set, Box Set, Documentary, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Photo Gallery, Posters, Production Notes, Storyboards, "

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