Friday, May 03, 2013

The Lonely Wife

Charulata, or The Lonely Wife is a 1964 Indian film by Bengali director Satyajit Ray. He directed The Apu Trilogy, which I watched a few years ago. This film is based on a novella by Rabindranath Tagore. The trials of "the idle rich" are hard to sympathize with these days, yet this family's struggles drew me in. Family relationships are complicated, and we are often hurt more by family members than by anyone else. This is a tragic story.

via youtube:



Senses of Cinema has an examination of the film, noting that some consider it Ray's best. Slant Magazine gives it 4 out of 4 stars, says, "The film affords a dazzling view of Ray's mastery of the medium and gives vital proof of his ability to explore universal themes without compromising his uniquely Bengali sensibilities," and calls it "a singularly accomplished song to love, idealism, heartbreak and disillusionment." FilmReference.com calls it "one of Ray's undoubted masterpieces". Rotten Tomatoes critics give it 100%.

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