Pather Panchali (1955) ft. Peterson W. Hill
Dana and Tom with 5x Club Member, Peterson W. Hill (Co-Host of the War Starts at Midnight podcast), discuss the Indian cinema classic, Pather Panchali (1955) celebrating its 70th anniversary: written and directed by Satyajit Ray, cinematography by Subrata Mitra, music by Ravi Shankar, starring Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Subir Banerjee, Runki Banerjee, Uma Dasgupta, and Chunibala Devi.
Plot Summary: Pather Panchali (meaning Song of the Little Road) is a 1955 film by Satyajit Ray. It tells the story of Apu, a young boy in a poor village in Bengal. His father, Harihar, is a priest who dreams of a better life, while his mother, Sarbajaya, struggles to care for the family. Apu is very close to his older sister, Durga, who finds happiness in small things even though they are very poor.
The film shows daily village life—both its beauty and hardships—through the children’s eyes. As the family faces loss and change, Apu begins a journey that reflects the joys and sorrows of growing up.
Guest:
Peterson W. Hill - Co-Host of the War Starts at Midnight podcast
- @petersonwhill on IG, Letterboxd, and Twitter
- Previous Guest on Gone Girl (2014), Parasite (2019), Fight Club (1999), Ben-Hur (1959), Up in the Air (2009), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), La Dolce Vita (1960), The Social Network (2010) Revisit
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back Peterson
05:04 First Impressions for Dana and Tom
11:30 Peterson's Relationship to Pather Panchali
14:21 Background for Pather Panchali
16:33 What is Pather Panchali About?
20:32 Does Pather Panchali Deserve to Be Mentioned Among the Greatest Films?
32:11 Plot Summary for Pather Panchali
33:55 Did You Know?
36:18 First Break
36:59 What's Happening with Peterson W. Hill?
37:43 Best Performance(s)
52:15 Best Scene(s)
01:02:36 Second Break
01:03:17 In Memoriam
01:11:16 Best/Funniest Lines
01:12:52 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy
01:18:35 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance
01:24:14 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty
01:30:45 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness
01:35:58 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability
01:39:52 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total
01:41:08 Remaining Questions
01:46:45 Thank You to Peterson
01:48:41 BIG Announcement Tease
01:49:53 Credits
This episode is also available in full video on YouTube.
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For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/pather-panchali-1955-ft-peterson-w-hill
For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list
Keywords:
Pather Panchali, film analysis, cinema, character study, legacy, impact, Indian cinema, Apu trilogy, Satyajit Ray, cinematography, film analysis, human emotion, storytelling, cultural reflections, family dynamics, cinema history, childhood innocence, cinematic techniques, timeless films, emotional depth, Subrata Mitra, Ravi Shankar
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