GRADE: 9.5
This final installment in Satyajit Ray’s Apu Trilogy follows Apu’s life as an orphaned adult aspiring to be a writer.
Director: Satyajit Ray
Country of Origin: India
Thoughts:
The closing chapter of The Apu Trilogy is a deeply moving conclusion that first introduces us to Apu as a newly graduated young man. He kicks back in his dirt-cheap apartment, writing a semi-autobiographical novel, philosophizing with a friend, seemingly at peace with the meager life he is scratching out for himself as a tutor. Bizarre circumstances land him in the role of husband and, for the first time, Apu falls in love. As with each entry in the series, conflict arrives in the form of the death of a loved one, leading Apu to escape to the wilderness of India to hide from his pain and new responsibilities as a father. The final scene, in which Apu finally comes to terms with his son, is a genuine joy to witness. Apu’s life has been difficult from the start, and tragedy has beset him at ever turn. But his spirit remains indomitable, and we leave Apur Sansar knowing that he has arrived at adulthood having beaten back his demons, ready to rekindle his sense of adventure and his gentle, loving nature. A fitting, humanist finale for a great trio of films.
Cinematography and music are exquisite, as per usual.