You have to make allowances when watching a film that’s 50 years old. Try and do some steps back to when it was and where it was made (India) and the kind of sensibility that may have informed it.
By all accounts Satyajit Ray is a “timeless” director, considered to be one of the “greats of cinema” – so i guess i go into this film with a head of respect on, seeing if it could add to my education as a watcher of films.
Sharmila Tagore is a 14 year old wife (married at age 11) Not that we’re gonna bat an eyelid. Cus she’s an incarnation of the Divine Goddess Kali, the Divine “Ma”. Supposedly. If you’re a Believer you fall at her feet and wish to be blessed.
She is Divine. Astonishing beauty. Captivating. But being the Divine Ma petrifies her, imprisons her. Being a Goddess is too much to bear. She suffers.
I preferred her when she was shy Doya, the girl-wife playing cheeky charming girl games. You’d want to kiss her feet. And not cus you want to be divinely blessed.
Sharmila Tagore is probably the best reason to watch this film. Cus you wanna watch her. Cus you can’t take your eyes off her.
Satyajit Ray, a “Cinema Great”? I don’t know. Not on the evidence of this. I’ll need to watch more of him (Luckily, Channel 4 are showing 3 more of his films in the coming weeks)
Dir: Satyajit Ray, India
6/10
Windows on the World 