The Music Room

Depicts the end days of a decadent zamindar (landlord) in Bengal, and his efforts to uphold his family prestige even when faced with economic adversity.

Original Title: Jalsaghar 
Director: Satyajit Ray
Country of Origin: India

Thoughts:

A feast for the eyes and ears, The Music Room is an insightful drama about a wealthy landlord whose love of music and obsession with maintaining prestige proves to be his downfall as social and economic upheavals bring societal change. The story is both an evocative character study and a unglamorous look an Indian history. But the beauty is in the details: the cinematography is haunting and superb, the music exquisite, and the acting, particularly by Chhabi Biswas, is wonderful. As the movie ends you think of the chandelier, the dancing feet, the hookah, the spider on the portrait—unforgettable images that give this film its power to linger on the mind.