Arguably the most beautiful long shot in Pather Panchali is the train scene. It begins with Durga looking up at power lines which alone takes seventeen seconds. Already, even with no dialogue, the scene speaks volumes. Durga, to the viewers' knowledge, has no concept of power lines. The characters never appear to be on the phone and live in a house/hut hybrid. This clearly portrays the separation of Indians in poverty and those who are well-off. There is no dialogue. Italian neo-realist film also often had long takes with little dialogue. Apu walks towards the power line pole and presses his face to it. Durga and Apu continue to walk through the large Kaash grass. The Kaash sways in front of the camera making the setting ideally and aesthetically pleasing to the viewer. The siblings continue to explore the grassy terrace. Apu finds what I believe to be a sugar cane and finds is sister sitting elegantly under the tall grass. The scene feels so natural as if there is no acting involved and though the shot is long and lacks discourse it remains engaging. Ray leaves the natural sound of the strong wind in the scene as well. Just like it is believed that these siblings have never observed power lines or are even aware of their purpose when we see the train we assume this is also new. Ray chose to use off-screen space and not show the train right away so that the viewers' eyes are exposed to the train only when the children are. It is no exaggeration to say that one may even feel their curiosity and amazement towards their first look at the vehicle. Ray’s close shot of the train moving helps to convey how strongly they are observing this moving object. After the train has passed, the camera does not move, focusing on the smoke left behind. Just as Sica shows the appreciation of everyday tasks, we come to appreciate objects and modes of transportation we take advantage of every day. I can’t personally remember the first time I had seen a train with new eyes but this is the closest I will get to this experience.
Satyajit Ray’s Panther Panchali shows that it has been clearly influenced by the Italian neo-realist movement. Ray successfully puts his spin on realistic film while using long shots to portray everyday life for a poor Bengali family. The train scene is deemed one of the greatest spectacles in film history while still acting as an homage to the neo-realist movement. Satyajit Ray deserves his rank as one of the greatest auteurists[sic] of all time.
This is a tribute to the maestro and his train scene in Pather Panchali. A poor attempt indeed, but nevertheless an attempt to recreate the famous train scene in Satyajit Ray's evergreen Pather Panchali
There were two Metre Gauge Railbuses serving the 37 kilometre stretch between Indara and Dohrighat. This is an isolated MG section under the Varanasi Division of North Eastern Railway. On normal days only one railbus makes four trips from both the ends and the other one rests as spare. On special occasions, however, both the railbuses are coupled and run together. This video was shot in May 2013. As of now, 2017, these are no more functional as the stretch is scheduled for gauge conversion.
Check the cute railbus and leave your comment if you wish.
