Satyajit Ray is believed to be one of motion picture's most important luminaries, a truly magic lantern in the dark of every modern theater. His films have shaped the course of Indian cinema, not to mention moviemaking at large. Ray embodied the auteur ideal. He wrote his own scripts, shot his own footage, did his own editing and composed his own scores. His APU TRILOGY represents the pinnacle of Indian filmmaking thus far, and one of the most important contributions to 20th century cinema.
THE WORLD OF APU, (APU SANSAR) the final film in that momentous series, was based on "Aparajito," a novel by acclaimed author Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay. Mr. Bandopadhyay also wrote "Pather Panchali," the book on which Ray's eponymous film is based. Like the earlier films in the series, APU SANSAR follows Apu, a sensitive, Bengali youth making his way toward adulthood.
The beggining of the film finds Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee) living a hand to mouth existence in the bustling Bengal capital. Without enough money for university, Apu devotes himself to a budding novel based primarily on his own experiences. Apu soon finds himself happily married to Aparna (Sharmila Tagore) his dear friend's cousin. Aparna however, dies while giving birth to their first child, leaving Apu in a state of utter distraction. Estranged from his newborn son and his newly finished novel, Apu heads for the hills, determined to put some distance between himself and his memories of married life.
The film delves into the darkest regions of existential crisis, as Apu stumbles blindly over all he once held dear. With a poetic sort of grace THE WORLD OF APU captures all of life's loaded moments without going in for the easy swill of sentiment. Ray, master of subtlety, shows us what it means to be truly human in this wild, wicked world, what it means to come home to oneself, after long wanderings. This is a true classic, from a truly classic director.
