1001 Movies Club - Pather Panchali (1955)

#286. Pather Panchali (1955)

Why It's In The Book: "Satyajit Ray's first film was eventually to form part of a trilogy together with Aparajito (1957) and The World Of Apu (1959)... Ray's mise en scène has great delicacy, capable of expressing both strong emotion and lyrical delight... Helped by Ravi Shankar's marvelous music, Pather Panchali achieved worldwide success, earning Ray recognition at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival." -1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Member Ratings

Chris Lejarzar - 9/10
"While Pather Panchali truly is difficult to watch, it’s also one of extraordinary beauty."
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Klaus Ming - 9/10
"It is a sad but beautifully-filmed dramatic tale of an impoverished rural family who attempt to live their lives in their ancestral village, despite being outcasts because of their poor economic and social  standing"
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Michaël Parent - 9/10
"Ray's films are hard to get and sometimes as Occidentals we are a little confused about what's going on the screen but for a glutton and curious cinephile like me Pather Panchali leads you in something completely different and very interesting."
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SDG - 9/10
"Pather Panchali easily brings you to tears with harsh realities of life but it also portrays simple joys of life triumphantly."
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Adolytsi - 8/10
"This is a film that will make you feel, in both positive and negative ways, and really, that’s all we can ask out of the films that we watch; that they make us feel, and entertain us, and Pather Panchali succeeds despite its simplistic structure and composition."
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Jaime Grijalba - 8/10
"This movie is essential to anyone who considers himself a film fan and, even if it's not the best thing in the world, it can be watched."
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Doug Tilley - 7/10
"In some ways Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali - the first of his celebrated Apu Trilogy - is a film easier to respect than to enjoy."
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Movie Guy Steve - 7/10
"It’s slow and the pacing feels like it could be sped up a few miles per hour just so that something happens every now and then."
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Squish - 6/10
"Talking about how important this film was in 1955 is in no way a selling point to the average moviegoer today, though it may be for those of us willing to suffer the honest hard work of an inexperienced film crew with a ridiculously small budget and main characters played by actors who have never made any film before or since."
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Jay Cluitt - 5/10
"A historical moment in cinema, but one that I'm not keen to repeat, and definitely cannot recommend."
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Overall Rating: 7.7/10