Apu is a man with great hopes for a wonderful life. He is ready to live the life of a starving artist and write a novel. He is charming and kind and handsome. He gets away with a lot because of this. The fact is that he was always able to go his own way with little or no responsibility. One day, he is asked by a friend and workmate to come with him for the marriage of his sister. I don't know all the ins and outs of Indian weddings. It turns out that when the arranged groom arrived he had turned mad. If she doesn't marry within a short period of time, she becomes damaged goods. Because she can't marry the former man, the friend asks Apu to marry her. This seems absurd until he buckles under and agrees, much to the great joy of her family. The man she was to marry was rich, so her life now becomes much less than she had hoped for. Nevertheless, after some tough times, Apu falls deeply in love with her and she begins to love him back. When she becomes pregnant, she goes back to her family. While there, she dies in childbirth. The little boy is saved but she is gone. Apu is torn to pieces, never seeing his son and dropping into the depths of depression. While he sends money occasionally, he works manual labor, he gives up on his dreams and can't get over feeling sorry for himself. This film is wonderful, with the most incredible cinematography, closeup so to die for, and acting that is nonpareil. These three films show why Ray is the consummate director, working with concise, minimalist technique. What a lovely movie.
Review of The World of Apu
