Like the domestic troubles and idiocies that abound in a typical Yasujiro Ozu film, which almost always transcends to the universal, Satyajit Ray’s films seem to likewise contain personal and comic moments that all viewers, from any background, can relate to. The problem with Aparajito, especially in relation to Pather Panchali, is that, as far as domestic troubles go, the first film’s were more existential and deeper in nature, making those suffered in Aparajito seem trivial by comparison. But, that is the trouble with comparing excellent art to great art — it always suffers by the comparison.
On its own, Aparajito is an outstanding film, and, hopefully, provides merely a relatively weak link to a final film that is the equal of Pather Panchali, and one that shows Apu finally taking center stage in his titular trilogy’s plight.
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