Parallel cinema cuts loose from the musicality of Bollywood and the common perception of Indian cinema at large. Coming out of West Bengal in the 1950s, parallel cinema appeared as an alternative to the glamour and dance; socially conscious and experimental in style and mood, it maps the origins of art cinema in India, and for the first time, the rest of the world was looking at India as an innovator of film language (Satyajit Ray’s 1955 train sequence Pather Panchali is one of the most celebrated in film history). In this movement, which followed in the wake of Italian neorealism, life's diegetics became the soundtrack, real life movement over set up musical numbers. This mix traces some choice moments in Parallel Cinema’s sound. Many songs and soundtracks from this period have a lofi quality to them—due in part to the quality of audio recording equipment throughout the years of the movement,...
- 10/29/2021
- MUBI
Chicago – In between the second and third installments of his infamous “Apu Trilogy,” Bengali master of cinema Satyajit Ray made two films that were striking departures from his signature portrait of poverty-stricken youth. The first was 1958’s failed comedy “The Philosopher’s Stone” (sorry, Potterheads, no relation) and the second was 1959’s masterpiece, “The Music Room.”
This landmark classic is brought to electrifying life by Criterion’s magnificent digital restoration. The renewed picture quality allows Ray’s elegant visual poetry to be savored like never before. Without changing locations or resorting to heavy-handed symbolism, Ray is able to explore the decline of feudalism by depicting the life of a once-wealthy aristocrat whose bloodline is literally washed away by the ever-encroaching waters of the Ganges.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
Unlike Indian filmmakers of the day, Ray sought to integrate action and music into his narrative rather than feature them as separate entities.
This landmark classic is brought to electrifying life by Criterion’s magnificent digital restoration. The renewed picture quality allows Ray’s elegant visual poetry to be savored like never before. Without changing locations or resorting to heavy-handed symbolism, Ray is able to explore the decline of feudalism by depicting the life of a once-wealthy aristocrat whose bloodline is literally washed away by the ever-encroaching waters of the Ganges.
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0
Unlike Indian filmmakers of the day, Ray sought to integrate action and music into his narrative rather than feature them as separate entities.
- 7/27/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.