Jana Aranya (The middleman) is a film about the nature of politics and the state of an average youngster in Calcutta of early 70's. It is about the trials and tribulations of the protagonist (Somnath Bannerjee) and his transition from an innocent bystander to someone who is in the middle of the seething world of corruption. It touches upon many dilemmas which he faces in his daily life and also about the fatality of the choices that he makes. It looks at the issue from an all encompassing point of view. What makes the film superior is its ability to be non judgmental and to present the situation without being didactic. Kolkata in early 70's was a heady mix of disillusionment and idealism even in the face of destruction. It was also when the Marxist government was voted in power for the first time. The political undertones are very much evident in the background and leave you with a wistful feeling. Satyajit ray again demonstrates his genius with a seemingly "simple" film which has the immense potential of arousing mixed emotions in us.
1 comment:
The thing about Satyajit Ray that I understood from Pather Panchali is that he is able to bring out the emotions and internal feelings of the protagonists on screen very well. The black and white look enhances the state of despair, or utter helplessness or rage. Its very difficult to get hold of these films.. But I have seen the Bengali stuff being available in Landmark. Hope to pick it up soon.. :)
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