[.ca] World Of Apu

Amazon.com Essential Video:
If you ever feel like you've got it tough, watch the Apu trilogy by Satyajit Ray. The World of Apu is the third story in Ray's magnum opus. And yes... things can get worse for our hero, Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee). By now it's the early 1930s, and Apu is a grown man. A dreamer and a writer like his long-dead father, Apu is working on a novel about his life. When his best friend Pulu (Swapan Mukherjee) asks him to his sister's wedding, Apu has no idea that he'll be the one going home with the bride. Poor Aparna (Sharmila Tagore) is betrothed to an insane man and when his illness becomes apparent, the wedding is cancelled. But Aparna will be cursed unless another bridegroom is found. Apu, in a weak moment, agrees to marry Aparna in return for a job. Then the unexpected happens. Aparna and Apu fall deeply in love. But will it last? Knowing Apu's luck in the past, the obvious answer is "no," and when Aparna dies in childbirth, Apu is left hating his son, Kajal. Finally, driven by guilt, Apu approaches his son, five years after the death of his beloved wife. Will they be able to salvage some happiness in an already too bleak life? You won't be disappointed in the outcome. This last installment will leave you wishing Ray had made Apu IV. The music is by Ravi Shankar. --Luanne Brown

a criminal treatment of a classic film:
i'm questioning whether they did anything at all but take the existing vhs edition and simply transfer it to dvd. compared to the vhs edition, one can still find the same scratches and grainy picture quality, the same sub-par sound, and the same embarrassingly inaccurate subtitle translations. regardless of anything and everything, however, one should walk the desert and cross the seven seas to see this movie. 'the world of apu' is a complex study of the artist, the role of economic conditions on the artist's life, and a commentary on india's traditional marriage system. and yet, with all these topical distinctions, the movie rarely fails to do anything but touch the heart - in light or in break - in the most primitive and simple way possible. to put things into perspective, this movie encapsulates the most beloved director, actor, actress, and musician of the bengali speaking world in 1959. and in 2003, it is one of the most beloved movies of anyone and in anywhere in the world. 'the world of apu' is not only my personal favorite of the apu trilogy, but along with the stars, the moon, and the air that i breathe - it is one of my favorite things in the world. criterion, are you out there?

Essential:
The DVD release contains no extra features; the print quality is good; the movie is remarkable. Too bad Criterion didn't get the Apu Trilogy, but it is essential for film collectors nonetheless.

Satyajit Ray concludes the his beautiful Apu Trilogy:
Having lost his sister and his parents in the first two installments of "The Apu Trilogy," I made the mistake of thinking there was no one left for Apurba Roy (Soumitra Chatterjee) to lose, but Satyajit Ray proves in Apur Sansar ("The World of Apu") that such expectations are foolishness. At that start of this 1960 film Apu has left school before graduation, dreams about being a writer, and is three months behind in his rent, which forces him to sell some of his beloved books. Then Pulu (Swapan Mukherjee), an old college friend, convinces Apu to attend a village wedding. When the groom turns out to have gone insane because of the fasting and meditation in preparation for the wedding, Apu's friend suggests he become the groom so that the wedding can continue and the family's honor maintained. At first Apu dismisses the idea out of hand, but then relents because he does not want the young woman to be cursed forever, and gets married to the beautiful Aparna (14-year-old Sharmila Tagore). The middle of the film shows the happy time when Apu and Aparna get to know each other and fall in love. Two people who were complete strangers become incredibly close as we see a simple romance that rings true in a way few in cinema ever have before or since. However, after all of the suffering and hard times we have endured to this point in the trilogy it is hard to believe that Apu has finally found happiness, and indeed tragedy follows. We are suddenly confronted with the sense that we have come full circle and that once again our hopes in this story have come down to the fate of one small boy. Even after three films Ray's genius is in using the camera to show character. What is memorable in these films are always the moments, and not the dialogue. It is the look that characters give each other than communicates much more than the words. For those who would complain that they do like to watch foreign film because it involved reading subtitles, these films should not be a problem. Ultimately it is the cinematography of Subrata Mitra and music of Ravi Shankar that are the chief mediums of communication (the only other time I have been struck this much by a similar combination was in "Road to Perdition," where the late cinematographer Conrad L. Hall won his final Oscar and Thomas Newman was nominated). Although "The World of Apu" can stand on its own, you would be foolish not to go back and start with "Pather Panchali" ("Song of the Road") and "Aparajito" ("The Unvanquished"). Satyajit Ray is one of the greatest directors of the world, whose impact on the film industry in India was monumental, and deservedly so. When you are working out the short list of "foreign" directors with whom you need to become familiar Ray is right there with Akira Kurosawa and Ingmar Bergman.

Apu Faces the Realities of Existence and Finds Love:
In Pather Panchali and Aparajito we watch Apu grow into manhood all while he seems to be very unaware of the exotic Indian women swirling about him in all their beauty. This contributes to the subtle humor when he finds himself in a situation where he must save a family's honor. Apu's ancestral family home has been destroyed; he has lost his sister, father and mother and is now living alone next to a noisy railway. As he faces the realities of existence, he spends his time reading, playing a wooden flute and occasionally looking for work. His job prospects are disheartening at best. His optimism is reminiscent of his father's attitude to life and he is also becoming a writer. His beauty and artistic carefree spirit is always in danger of being funneled into a life of quiet desperation. After reuniting with his childhood friend Pulu (Swapan Mukherjee), Apu attends a wedding in which he ends up having to make decisions that changes the entire course of his life. Aparna (Sharmila Tagore) and Apu fall in love and yet can we hope that Apu has found true happiness? All hopes are soon dashed as the unthinkable occurs. As Apu dreams of publishing his own novel, his life plays out a story of impending doom. The scene where he lifts a child from a location close to a railroad is a foreshadowing of an event that soon takes place in his own life. Finally life throws him a challenge he is not willing to face. It takes times for Apu to process the tragedy in his life and finally he is overwhelmed by grief. Although this movie is filled with tragedy, there are moments of humor. Apu's casual defiance when he turns on the lights amused me because I'm always turning on lights and my husband is always turning them off. You will find yourself laughing at various moments throughout the Apu Trilogy. The World of Apu is best watched after viewing Pather Panchali and Aparajito. After watching all three movies I tried to sleep for a few hours and awoke with words racing through my mind. The Apu Trilogy immerses your mind in a world of contemplation and I could not help thinking that Apu was on some journey towards enlightenment. Through his suffering he learned more than he could have ever learned through a life of leisure. Throughout Apu's life he continues to show an almost undaunted optimism and in the end he exchanges the fantasy for the reality. ~TheRebeccaReview.com

A Masterpiece of the Indian Cinema:
The Apu trilogy is compulsory viewing for whoever is seriously interested in foreign cinema. This is the touching story of Apu, an Indian boy, from small child to early adulthood. Every time I watch these movies I find myself glued to the screen. One of the most famous and respected Indian movie directors, Sayajit Ray succeeded to make of a simple story a lesson in life, wonderfully told through the movie medium. I recommend it highly. I gave it 4 stars only because they could have made a better job remastering the movies (video transfer and audio).