SR: Truffaut, Kurosawa – I admire many Japanese directors. They are great filmmakers, which means all aspects of filmmaking. Kurosawa has great humanism, style and verve. His style is very different, and has something of the West in him. I also like Western directors. These days I find I like films more than I like directors. These days, directors do not come up to your expectations all the time. I like Masculine et Feminine, but there is a lot of Goddard that I don't enjoy.
The two films have been reunited once again at Cannes this year. Both have been restored by the Academy Film Archive. The Ray film was restored under the auspices of the Satyajit Ray Restoration Project, which has restored 15 of Ray's 29 feature films thus far. The Renoir was restored by the Academy and the British Film Institute.
The films were shown to resounding applause at the Salle Bunuel in the Palais Du Festivals in Cannes, on May 12 and May 15.
The restoration itself is a remarkable tale - David Shepard and Dilip Basu visited Calcutta in 1992 to survey the condition of the films. They were horrified to find multiple tears in the reels, with 3 of the 12 having deteriorated from the 'vinegar syndrome'. Another negative was in London. Plans to use this one to restore the film were foiled when the lab in London burned down. The restorers at the Academy were forced to work from good quality positive print and an interpositive made for the National Film Archive in India. The restored print is now preserved in sub-zero temperatures in the climate-controlled vault of the Academy.
The River was restored from the original Technicolor negative at the BFI, and the restored masterpiece will premiere in the United States on May 26 in Los Angeles. It is available in the Criterion collection already.
Article comments
1 - Quack Corleone
I've only seen Ray's Pather Panchali, but the film made a huge impression on me. The scene in which the mother fights against the storm outside is unforgettable. And the scenes before that, in the rain and seeing the train. Beautiful.
Which Satyajist Ray film do you recommend the most?
And fantastic article!
2 - Quack Corleone
*Satyajit Ray
3 - Aaman
If I had to pick one Ray film, I'd probably pick Charulata, or Ghare Baire
4 - swingingpuss
It is surprising that Indian cimena has not been able to produce a film maker like Satyajit Ray. Bollywood still has lot to learn from Ray who didnt give a fig about commercialism.
5 - Aaman
Even Hollywood has not really measured up to the auteurs of cinema, but that's not surprising in a world driven by commercialism
6 - souptick
I've recently downloaded the musical scores created by Satyajit Ray in his different films from a website. The scores are just brilliant. To my mind he is the 'world's best film music composer'.
7 - Aaman
Where did you get them, souptick?
I absolutely agree with you as to his talents