The World Of Apu

The final and weakest part of Satyajit Ray’s Apu trilogy (begun with Pather Panchali and continued with Aparajito), this 1959 feature follows Apu through an arranged marriage that unexpectedly blossoms and then ends tragically, followed by a dark period and eventual spiritual regeneration. Though the rhythm of the storytelling is choppy and Apu himself seems incompletely realized, the first appearance of the remarkable Sharmila Tagore as his well-to-do bride upgrades the film’s middle section, and the final scene between the title hero and the son he’s never known certainly carries a charge. In Bengali with subtitles. 103 min. (JR)

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