In this series
of films, which consist of Pather Panchali, Aparajito, and The World of Apu, life
is viewed through the eyes of a young, penniless Bengalese boy who loses his sister and
then moves to the big city before again suffering the loss of his father,
mother, and, as an adult, his wife, all the while succeeding as a student and
attempting to stake his own claim in the world. From the writings of Bibhutibhushan
Bandyopadhyay, Satyaji Ray's The Apu Trilogy is a succession of gracefully made
films that capture a harsh, tragic, and impoverished life while also noting the
joys of childhood and maturation, often through keen and beautifully poetic
observation. The films positioned Ray on the international map and are made
with a unique, fluid, and seemingly effortless hand.
**** out of
*****
