(Warning: Heavy Spoilers Ahead)
Pather Panchali
I have to admit, when I watched this, I didn't love it. It was well made and all and it was very interesting to see a movie set in India and made for Indians, to see what India was really like to them; but plot is very important to me, and I'm just not a fan of sad movies. Spoiler: the Apu Trilogy is the saddest movie series ever. It's literally about a poor Bengali boy named Apu who has to deal with death over and over and he loses his family members one by one. But, back to the first of the series. I knew his sister was going to die as soon as she mentioned "as soon as I'm better, we'll go see the train." Nobody lives after making that "as soon as I'm better" promise. Still, the scene with the storm and her mother trying desperately to heal her moved me. It actually made me feel afraid and sad for her - then, when the father came home and asked how his daughter was after she had died, my heart broke a little. I watched this one with Eileen, from last year's beloved film class, and she pointed out that the shots of the trees in nature reminded her of Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa) and I totally see that as well. It was made in nearly the same era, both in Asian countries, so maybe that's a cultural similarity of highlighting nature and light in film. But that's merely speculation. Anyway, this was a really well-made movie, but the plot killed me a little inside.
Pather Panchali
I have to admit, when I watched this, I didn't love it. It was well made and all and it was very interesting to see a movie set in India and made for Indians, to see what India was really like to them; but plot is very important to me, and I'm just not a fan of sad movies. Spoiler: the Apu Trilogy is the saddest movie series ever. It's literally about a poor Bengali boy named Apu who has to deal with death over and over and he loses his family members one by one. But, back to the first of the series. I knew his sister was going to die as soon as she mentioned "as soon as I'm better, we'll go see the train." Nobody lives after making that "as soon as I'm better" promise. Still, the scene with the storm and her mother trying desperately to heal her moved me. It actually made me feel afraid and sad for her - then, when the father came home and asked how his daughter was after she had died, my heart broke a little. I watched this one with Eileen, from last year's beloved film class, and she pointed out that the shots of the trees in nature reminded her of Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa) and I totally see that as well. It was made in nearly the same era, both in Asian countries, so maybe that's a cultural similarity of highlighting nature and light in film. But that's merely speculation. Anyway, this was a really well-made movie, but the plot killed me a little inside.
Aparajito
This was my least favourite of the trilogy. Apu infuriated me. Maybe my close relationship with my mom makes me more mad than necessary, but he literally left his sick mother alone, when her husband and her daughter had died, he left her all alone until she died of sickness himself. She was his last living family member and he never visited and ignored her when she talked to him and I am MAD like how RUDE! Also, the father's death scene was really intense. My mom had to explain to me the significance of the river water, and how he was holding on to life just long enough to get a drink of it, and I thought that was kind of beautiful. It was tragic, but beautiful. I still feel so bad for the mother and I'm honestly eternally pissed at Apu. I remember I was thrown off guard by Apu's change of actor. I didn't expect him to grow up that much that fast, and I didn't realise it was the same character at first. I think his teen actor was a little awkward though, he seemed a bit strange. The acting felt different and he felt almost like a different character. Maybe I'm just prejudiced against this movie, but I do like how every film ended with Apu and those family members he may or may not have left walking away to begin a new life elsewhere. Now, for my favourite.
This was my least favourite of the trilogy. Apu infuriated me. Maybe my close relationship with my mom makes me more mad than necessary, but he literally left his sick mother alone, when her husband and her daughter had died, he left her all alone until she died of sickness himself. She was his last living family member and he never visited and ignored her when she talked to him and I am MAD like how RUDE! Also, the father's death scene was really intense. My mom had to explain to me the significance of the river water, and how he was holding on to life just long enough to get a drink of it, and I thought that was kind of beautiful. It was tragic, but beautiful. I still feel so bad for the mother and I'm honestly eternally pissed at Apu. I remember I was thrown off guard by Apu's change of actor. I didn't expect him to grow up that much that fast, and I didn't realise it was the same character at first. I think his teen actor was a little awkward though, he seemed a bit strange. The acting felt different and he felt almost like a different character. Maybe I'm just prejudiced against this movie, but I do like how every film ended with Apu and those family members he may or may not have left walking away to begin a new life elsewhere. Now, for my favourite.
Apur Sansar
This movie made the trilogy for me. Before I had seen it, I felt very negatively about the other two movies and was expecting to feel equally negative about the third, but to my surprise, it made me feel a lot better about the other two. It ends with Apu walking off once again to start a new chapter of his life; but this time with his child. And for once, he looks happy. I really loved Apu's friend too, who went all the way out to find him and try to talk sense into him. That was a good friend and a neat character, well acted too. My favourite scene of this film was the scene where he threw the papers of his story away. It simultaneously broke my heart and lit my soul because of how beautiful it was and how amazing it looked on screen. I think that was my favourite shot of the whole series if I'm honest, followed closely by the very end of the movie where Apu finally looks happy for once with his boy on his shoulders. I was pleasantly surprised by this series, and it's not one of my favourites, or one I would watch again for fun, but it was very cool and I feel like a total film nerd now that I've seen them. Those were some cool movies. Side note though: when the hell did he learn how to play the flute??? Asking for a friend
This movie made the trilogy for me. Before I had seen it, I felt very negatively about the other two movies and was expecting to feel equally negative about the third, but to my surprise, it made me feel a lot better about the other two. It ends with Apu walking off once again to start a new chapter of his life; but this time with his child. And for once, he looks happy. I really loved Apu's friend too, who went all the way out to find him and try to talk sense into him. That was a good friend and a neat character, well acted too. My favourite scene of this film was the scene where he threw the papers of his story away. It simultaneously broke my heart and lit my soul because of how beautiful it was and how amazing it looked on screen. I think that was my favourite shot of the whole series if I'm honest, followed closely by the very end of the movie where Apu finally looks happy for once with his boy on his shoulders. I was pleasantly surprised by this series, and it's not one of my favourites, or one I would watch again for fun, but it was very cool and I feel like a total film nerd now that I've seen them. Those were some cool movies. Side note though: when the hell did he learn how to play the flute??? Asking for a friend
Warnings for the Apu Trilogy: Death. More Death. Still.... more death. There are some kittens, though! Death.
Also, second side note, I really wish Neha were still here because I know the actor for adult Apu would totally be her type. Like, dang, that depression beard tho.
Also, second side note, I really wish Neha were still here because I know the actor for adult Apu would totally be her type. Like, dang, that depression beard tho.