worm@workCharulata (Satyajit Ray, 1964)
Satyajit Ray has long been a major blindspot for me. His work regularly appears in the Top 100 Club, a project I am, regrettably, too often unable to keep up with because of my own projects (like this one). Someday I will rectify this, but with wow's favorite film from her 2010 list,
Charulata, I am able to at least break the ice. Part of me is also thankful it is not a part of the Apu Trilogy, otherwise I would feel compelled to watch all three, yet likely fail to do so. That should be my next endeavor, however, given the qualities I appreciated so much from
Charulata. While it was not a film that floored me start to finish in my first viewing, it is one which has stayed with me, and certainly floored me at times throughout.
I had no idea what to expect. I wouldn't know what to expect with the Apu Trilogy either. When I said blindspot, I meant blindspot. I have not heard whiff of these films and what they are about, other than the fact that Ray was a wonderful director who made amazing films. That being said, I very much enjoyed the experience of
Charulata and evrything it had to offer. More precisely, I found the film to be a marvel to look at. I was lucky enough to get a Criterion DVD from my library system (the Blu would probably look that much better), and the picture quality was superb, which really highlighted the tremendous cinematography throughout, which is quite remarkable given the rather domestic story being told here. Really sharp image with some great imagination behind the camera as well. The shot on the swing is an all-timer for me. But the merits of the film go much deeper than simply technical.
The film is also emotionally fulfilling, with a rather simple and mundane domestic tale of a newspaper man who is more concerned with his business than he is his talented and curious wife. The blossoming of Charu is a sight to behold throughout, mostly due to a brilliant performance from Madhabi Mukherjee. Although Charu may never have blossomed the way she did without the neglect of her husband, or the encouragement of his cousin, I believe she could have carried any movie. That being said, it was a movie which took its time, and regrettably I don't think I was in the perfect mindset to watch this film. I powered through, nonetheless, and as a result I have been able to appreciate the film more in its reflection than perhaps I was in the moment. If I were smart, I would plan a more extensive exploration of Ray's filmography and include this film for a rewatch, to see which moments stick out to me once more, if there was anything I may have missed in my relative disinterest, as I am sure there was something.
Indian cinema escapes my cinematic history. With this film I have taken my first dip. With
Band Baaja Baaraat I shall take another, more modern dip. I really should try harder to explore world cinema and all the delights it has to offer.
*** - Very Good