{"id":83481,"date":"2022-04-29T23:31:36","date_gmt":"2022-04-30T06:31:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83481"},"modified":"2025-07-14T15:10:36","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T22:10:36","slug":"world-of-apu-the-1959","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83481","title":{"rendered":"World of Apu, The (1959)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Living itself brings fulfillment and joy.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Poster-219x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"219\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-83482\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Poster-219x300.png 219w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Poster-94x128.png 94w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Poster-197x270.png 197w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Poster.png 609w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 219px) 100vw, 219px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhen grown Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee) &#8212; living in poverty after dropping out of college to work on his writing &#8212; receives an invitation from his friend (Swapan Mukherjee) to attend his cousin&#8217;s wedding, he unexpectedly finds himself married to the bride-to-be (Sharmila Tagore); but once their life together is tragically altered, will Apu be able to rally himself on behalf of his young son (Alok Chakravarty)?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Father and Child<\/li>\n<li>Indian Films<\/li>\n<li>Newlyweds<\/li>\n<li>Satyajit Ray Films<\/li>\n<li>Writers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAs Peary writes, this &#8220;final installment in Satyajit Ray&#8217;s classic <em>Apu Trilogy<\/em>&#8221; shows us a surprising view of an &#8220;arranged marriage&#8221; in India, in which the new couple &#8220;illuminate each other&#8217;s lives, falling deeply, madly in love, and living for each other&#8217;s company.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Couple-Reading.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Couple-Reading.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1007\" height=\"737\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Couple-Reading.png 1007w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Couple-Reading-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Couple-Reading-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Couple-Reading-768x562.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Couple-Reading-369x270.png 369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1007px) 100vw, 1007px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Of course, &#8220;as in most of Ray&#8217;s films, there will be great tragedy, reflection, guilt, and, ultimately an affirmation of life,&#8221; which circles back once again to the grounding anchor of nature.  <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Tree.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Tree.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"999\" height=\"729\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Tree.png 999w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Tree-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Tree-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Tree-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Tree-370x270.png 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 999px) 100vw, 999px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary writes that while this &#8220;beautiful film has [a] familiar plotline&#8221; (I disagree), &#8220;Ray presents everything in unique ways&#8221; and the &#8220;final shot&#8230; is the perfect reward for us having gone through so much suffering with Apu in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83417\"><em>Pather Panchali<\/em><\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83462\"><em>Aparajito<\/em><\/a>, and this film.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Father-Son2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Father-Son2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1001\" height=\"733\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Father-Son2.png 1001w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Father-Son2-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Father-Son2-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Father-Son2-768x562.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Father-Son2-369x270.png 369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1001px) 100vw, 1001px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>He points out that &#8220;Ray has been criticized for failing to give a clear picture of the changing India,&#8221; but counters that &#8220;here we see industrialization, get a quick view of a picket line, hear of strike-breaking, get a glimpse of a decrepit school where no education is possible and the back room of a factory where workers waste their lives &#8216;labeling&#8217; for slave wages.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Labeling.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Labeling.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1023\" height=\"729\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Labeling.png 1023w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Labeling-300x214.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Labeling-128x91.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Labeling-768x547.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Labeling-379x270.png 379w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1023px) 100vw, 1023px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Peary concludes his review by noting that &#8220;even if this isn&#8217;t a social document, it manages to give us insight into people (men and women, children) that few filmmakers have been able to match&#8221; &#8212; and &#8220;for viewers, there aren&#8217;t many films that are as emotionally rewarding as the <em>Apu<\/em> films.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Lying.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Lying.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1007\" height=\"737\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83498\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Lying.png 1007w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Lying-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Lying-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Lying-768x562.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Lying-369x270.png 369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1007px) 100vw, 1007px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I fully agree. Although I find <em>Pather Panchali<\/em> (Ray&#8217;s debut film) to be the most magical of the trilogy, this one is a close second given its mature depiction of love, heartbreak, and compromise. Young Aparna is stunningly beautiful:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1015\" height=\"725\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Cinematography.png 1015w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Cinematography-300x214.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Cinematography-128x91.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Cinematography-768x549.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Cinematography-378x270.png 378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1015px) 100vw, 1015px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and she and Chatterjee make a fine couple; her willingness to leave behind a life of relative leisure with servants to follow her unknown husband to his ramshackle apartment speaks volumes about her loyalty and character. We fully understand the depth of Chatterjee&#8217;s grief when tragedy strikes, and are grateful that Ray allows us to experience the relentless impact of this as it hits Chatterjee over a period of days, weeks, and years. While this film&#8217;s storyline (based once again on a novel by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay) is far from easy, we know we&#8217;ll be rewarded by authenticity and genuine pathos. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Soumitra Chatterjee as Apu<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Still-Train.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Still-Train.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1021\" height=\"729\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Still-Train.png 1021w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Still-Train-300x214.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Still-Train-128x91.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Still-Train-768x548.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Still-Train-378x270.png 378w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1021px) 100vw, 1021px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Sharmila Tagore as Aparna<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Face-Window.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Face-Window.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"995\" height=\"725\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Face-Window.png 995w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Face-Window-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Face-Window-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Face-Window-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Face-Window-371x270.png 371w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Subatra Mitra&#8217;s cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Newlyweds.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Newlyweds.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1013\" height=\"731\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83487\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Newlyweds.png 1013w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Newlyweds-300x216.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Newlyweds-128x92.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Newlyweds-768x554.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/World-of-Apu-Newlyweds-374x270.png 374w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Ravi Shankar&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a moving finale to the trilogy, and a fine film in its own right. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Foreign Gem<\/li>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1458\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0052572\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/review\/3463\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s998apu.html\">DVD Savant Review (older DVD review)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1960\/10\/05\/archives\/world-of-apu-opens-at-fifth-ave-cinema.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Living itself brings fulfillment and joy.&#8221; Synopsis: When grown Apu (Soumitra Chatterjee) &#8212; living in poverty after dropping out of college to work on his writing &#8212; receives an invitation from his friend (Swapan Mukherjee) to attend his cousin&#8217;s wedding, he unexpectedly finds himself married to the bride-to-be (Sharmila Tagore); but once their life together is tragically altered, will Apu be able to rally himself on behalf of his young son (Alok Chakravarty)? Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Father and&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83481\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83481","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83481","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=83481"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83481\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":98958,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83481\/revisions\/98958"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=83481"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=83481"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=83481"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}