Pather Panchali (1955)
Different setting but this quiet slice-of-life film focuses on something universal about the perils of raising kids - small problems becoming big problems, sibling relationships, and marriage under financial strain. It isn’t that far from several European films depicting poverty I’ve seen, which speaks to the universality of its themes. I liked how it isn’t filled with pity or overly dreary storytelling. There is mostly a neutral, calm tone as we watch the children play, get into trouble, and find joy and beauty in small things. This makes the ending land harder than if the film had asked for pity from the start.
Criterion Channel - 28. Directed by Satyajit Ray
Rating: 3.5