Pratidwandi / The Adversary (1970) :
Brief Review -
An intensely gripping, devastating and haunting start to the famous 'Calcutta Trilogy' by Satyajit Ray. Pratidwandi marks the beginning of Calcutta Trilogy of Satyajit Ray which focuses on modernisation and unemployment in the city and yet did not harm any communistic beliefs. Ray had made a Classic Appu trilogy before so it wasn't anything new for him except that Pratidwandi is far different in every perspective and just the word trilogy doesn't make it comparable. However, i would love to judge it individually and ask everyone to follow the same for better experience and judgement. In Pratidwandi we see a young college graduate who is struggling to find a job. He lives in a flat with his younger, employed sister, revolutionary brother and widowed mother. The strain of the situation ultimately causes him to hallucinate and later changes his point of views about the city. Sunil Gangopadhyay's writing has done half of the job easy for Ray as he literally makes every scene look artistic even before we see Ray's execution on screen. What i mean is, i could predict the next scene and feel it even before it appears on screen which is clear implication of pure magical writing. Thereafter, Ray's artistic visualization and intense storytelling makes it even more impactful than what i had imagined a few moments ago in my mind. In the lead role, Dhritiman Chatterjee shines brightly in this dark toned film with his immensely depressed character. The supporting cast also does well and surely leaves a strong impact with their acts. The dialogues have subtle meaning and long-term burning affects but only if one is familiar with this horrible period of political disaster and unemployment. In one word, it's a CLASSIC! No questions asked.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.
An intensely gripping, devastating and haunting start to the famous 'Calcutta Trilogy' by Satyajit Ray. Pratidwandi marks the beginning of Calcutta Trilogy of Satyajit Ray which focuses on modernisation and unemployment in the city and yet did not harm any communistic beliefs. Ray had made a Classic Appu trilogy before so it wasn't anything new for him except that Pratidwandi is far different in every perspective and just the word trilogy doesn't make it comparable. However, i would love to judge it individually and ask everyone to follow the same for better experience and judgement. In Pratidwandi we see a young college graduate who is struggling to find a job. He lives in a flat with his younger, employed sister, revolutionary brother and widowed mother. The strain of the situation ultimately causes him to hallucinate and later changes his point of views about the city. Sunil Gangopadhyay's writing has done half of the job easy for Ray as he literally makes every scene look artistic even before we see Ray's execution on screen. What i mean is, i could predict the next scene and feel it even before it appears on screen which is clear implication of pure magical writing. Thereafter, Ray's artistic visualization and intense storytelling makes it even more impactful than what i had imagined a few moments ago in my mind. In the lead role, Dhritiman Chatterjee shines brightly in this dark toned film with his immensely depressed character. The supporting cast also does well and surely leaves a strong impact with their acts. The dialogues have subtle meaning and long-term burning affects but only if one is familiar with this horrible period of political disaster and unemployment. In one word, it's a CLASSIC! No questions asked.
RATING - 8/10*
By - #samthebestest.