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The World of Apu

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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?

It is incredibly difficult to review any film by Satyavit Ray because he is an artist without peer...director, screen writer, composer. Unlike so many Hollywood films, Ray's films seem real, not contrived and stike at the core of our feelings. The "World of Apu" is one of the Apu trilogy including also "Aparajito" and "Pather Panchali". Okay, these are black and white films with old soundtracks. But this should not deter you from seeing these classic films. "The World of Apu" is my favorite. It is an incredibly poignant tale of a young man's personal tragedy and how he rediscovers life. It will carry a special meaning for anyone who has ever lost a loved one and worked through grief to hope.

THE WORLD OF APU is the third in the "Apu Trilogy," by the late, great Indian filmmaker, Satyajit Ray.
This film follows the title character, Apu, as a young, un-employed writer (Soumitra Chatterjee), who is searching for work, all the while aspiring to write his first novel. Pulu (Swapan Mukherjee), Apu's best friend from secondary school, has a beautiful young cousin, Aparna (Shamila Tagore), who is engaged to be married. Pulu invites Apu to attend the wedding, only to discover the day of the ceremony that the groom is a madman. Apu is asked to marry the bride, since the wedding day is auspicious and if she doesn't get married at the decided day and time, she is destined to have a life filled with bad luck and unhappiness. Though Apu has never even been in a relationship with a woman, he agrees to marry Aparna to do (as he says) "the honorable thing."

This film takes a look at Apu, his life's struggles and hard deck of cards that life has cast his way. I don't want to ruin the plot details, so I won't elaborate. I will say that the performances are beautiful and the story is wonderfully told. It is at once heartbreaking and inspiring. Highly reccomended......

The third and final installment of Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy, it's about a young idealistic man who learns about reality and responsibility. Apu is a writer living (and starving) in Calcutta. With a friend he attends a wedding, but when the bridegroom goes insane, the wedding is called off. Apu, thinking he's doing a noble deed, marries the girl. Things between them look dubious at first, but they grow to love each other very much. When she dies in childbirth he sinks into deep depression and spends five years wandering around India like a hermit. But he has a son and though he thinks of abandoning him, he comes home finally to raise him. It's a very touching and moving film, and in it's quiet way, very emotional. Soumitra Chatterji is wonderful as Apu, and Sharmila Tagore is openly expressive as his wife. Seeing Apu with his son on his shoulders at the end of the movie is powerfully uplifting. One of the great movies in world cinema.

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.

Satyajit Ray is just perfect in this 1959 classic and the last of Apu Trilogy.

Leaving his disturbing past,Apu is now working in Calcutta.He is now alone in the world- no strings attached.He dreams to be a writer,he plays flute in his time off and he thinks he is different from any other young man-Apu lives in his dreams.He never ever wants to "settle down"-he hates that kind of a life.One day his friend Pulu comes in to his den and invited him to his sister's marriage.By some beautiful twist of fate,the groom turns out to be eccentric and Apu lands up marrying the bride(Aparna).They start a new life back in Calcutta.

Ray paints the young and funful lovelife of Apu and Aparna with some eternally beautiful scenes.Camera tells more than spoken words in this part of the movie.Apu assures Aparna on the way back from a movie show that he would dedicate the book he is working upon to Apana.

Now comes the inevitable-Aparna dies in her native place giving birth to their son Kajal.Apu couldnot believe this news--how could this happen to him again and again?He leaves Calcutta forgetting Kajal(to Apu,Kajal's existence would mean Aparna is nowhere now) although the manuscript was with him.

Apu did not want to "settle down"--now his life has been unsettled by fate-the whole world is now meaningless to him.
Now,far away from Calcutta,he roams about here and there, aimlessly,searching for peace of mind.One day in a forest,he seems to have got some meaning of his life and throws all the pages of the manuscript on air that he was still carrying and decides to lead a different life by taking up a job in coal mine.Pulu enters here once again here and Apu has to swallow a lot about his lack of responsibility towards his son.

On the other front,in Aparna's native place,the 6-year-old boy Kajal's world is strikingly different from any other boy's world of his age-while he believes his father is very strong ,very big and stays in Calcutta although he has never seen him-and he does not belive these guys who are telling that his father would never come back.But,one day his father really comes back--just to show up his "responsibilty" and not to take his son back as he's an alien to him. But,seeing Kajal's life has become a hell without a "father's presence" -Apu,perhaps for the first time in his life makes a conscious and mature decision of taking his son back with him.

The ending scene of the movie is a celebration of life--as Apu is seen laughing again and Kajal,on top of his father's shoulder,too is laughing and Kajal's eyes show the lovely dreams which reminds us of child Apu himself.The life goes on instead of ups and downs.

If you have gone this far as to view all of Apu trilogy, you may have gathered some insight into the work of internationally known director Satyajit Ray who died in 1992. Born into a family of intellectuals, he was passionate about film at a young age and inspired by the greatest of directors, including neorealism filmmaking of Vitorrio de Sica.

Ray explored human relationships from various angles; use of some non-actors, on-location, and use of little dialogue. Ray is said to have known what the face of his characters would look like before the actor/nonactor was hired. His trait was to scour for those memorable faces. Another aspect of Ray's is the varying themes encompassed in the nearly 40 films, documentaries and short stories. Themes dealt with life and death; traditional vs. modern values; villages vs city; tragedy, fantasy vs. reality, youth vs. aging; etc.

The World of Apu, (1959) named best foreign film of 1960 is the third of a trilogy, and focuses on Apu, now a man, writer, husband and father. If you have not seen the other two, do so before this one. "Pather Panchali" begins with his birth while "Aparajito" follows him through his education and further family hardships. Although the films were made in the mid-to-late 50s, the earliest depicts the mid 20s.

Apu is forced to abandon his education. By chance, he marries a beautiful woman, Aparna, who was cursed on her wedding day because her family would not allow her to marry her intended groom. He is either insane or with some retardation. Apu reluctantly marries her and falls deeply in love with her and she lives with him in his shabby existence.

She leaves for her homeland to give birth to a son and Apu is absent for the birth. She dies and for 5 years, he blames and rejects the child because of her death.

It is here that Apu makes a decision of live, to harbor feelings on the love he lost, or his desire or willingness to re-gain a son he blamed for Aparna's death.

To enjoy the depth of Apu's world, see the first two films of this trilogy, and if you embody foreign film by acclaimed filmmakers, you may feel the need to learn more about Satyajit Ray, because, sadly, the DVD has no commentary on the film. .....Rizzo

Man seeks to live on his own, but his conditionings does not allow him to. Opu (Apurba) is only too happy to live with and within himself, but the basic human passion called hunger prompts him to search for a job. Amid his troubles, he meets childhood freind Pulu and the wheel of destiny is in full flow. Ray displays his artistic calibre in the mellowed and meticulous treatment he meted out to the theme, which can be argued to be rather cliched. Soumitro Chatterjee and Sharmila Tagore display their potentials as well in many a scene. The Calcutta streets wherein Apu hopes from dungeons to dungeons, and those melodic backgrounders all give the viewer an hour or more in paradise.

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.

~The Rebecca Review

Apur Sansar is a film that delights in little things. In the beginning of the film Apu's apartment is a disheveled mess, like most bachelors'. But, within a few scenes of her appearance there, Aparna transforms it into a place where a woman calls home, by subtle decor. Yet, Ray never calls attention to this. It just happens naturally, and only an astute observer would notice; such as a scene where he is teaching her English, because that is the language that allows Bengalis to escape poverty. At other times, he lets romantic intimacy lead one to a change in Apu: there is a deft scene where Apu finds a hairpin between pillows, and then he sees his wife doing cleaning in a hallway, and tries to light a cigarette, only to find a note from her inside his cigarette pack stating that he promised to only smoke after eating. Later, a series of playful letters are exchange between the separated couple, when she is off to her parents' place to give birth. One can sense the delight and excitement Apu gets just from reading the words of his wife, even when interrupted by a co-worker or a man on a trolley. I doubt I've ever seen onscreen love portrayed so well without any physical affection nor intercourse shown. Yet this is just an extension of the great human interactions Ray captures. Earlier, in the first sequence with Pulu, we get a sense of the depth of their friendship when, after a night on the town, the two men are returning to Apu's apartment and walking along train tracks at night. They are arguing over women, literature, and the camera just pulls back and leaves the two friends in the midst of their personal comity. Then, after Aparna has died, and Apu is bedridden with grief, Apu is seemingly brought back to reality by the screech of a train whistle- the very thing that, within the bounds of the trilogy, symbolize some greater horizon for him. Yet, we soon see that it is not a call to life that has roused him, but he seems to now be standing on tracks, waiting to be run over, until we learn that the wail we hear, when the camera moves up and away from Apu (as if to let his end come without voyeurism, and foreshadowing a similar scene of pain heard on a payphone in Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, where the camera looks away from the protagonist who is being dismissed on the phone, by a woman he desires), is that from a pig whose leg has been crushed, not Apu. Such cinematic poesy and mastery are grace notes that abound in Apur Sansar, and make it such a fabulous work of art; and one with many more moments of insight and depth than these few herein described..

Oftentimes critics confuse the terms major and great, as if they were synonyms. They are not. There are great works of art that are small chamber pieces: think Woody Allen's Stardust Memories, Ingmar Bergman's The Silence, or Curse Of The Cat People. These films are gems, but contain large pieces of cosmic power in their small delineations. Then there are major films, that, while having good moments, and dealing with titanic dilemmas, miss greatness because they do not core deeply enough into things, despite their impact on the culture and their medium: think Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura, Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window, or Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows. Then there are films that are both great and major, for they are technically, aesthetically, and intellectually great while having a major impact on the culture and cinema. These would be films like Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kenji Mizoguchi's Sansho The Bailiff, and Taxi Driver. Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy- as a whole, or taken in bits, belongs to both classes.

Apur Sansar not only has meaning, but imparts meaning to its viewers, not just of its own internal realities, but those which communicate individually to the percipient. Only humans can bring or gift meaning, for only we can comprehend it. The greatest of artists know this; yet, paradoxically, because it can be so difficult, so few even try to impart it in what they claim as their art. Satyajit Ray had no such worries, and one only wishes more filmmakers followed his lead, one which Apur Sansur so splendidly embodies.