Days and Nights in the Forest 4K 1970

One of Satyajit Ray’s best films, wonderfully subtle and evocative. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to find anywhere, and anyone who wants to see it has to settle for the version in the original Bengali with English subtitles. I watched this film at the Ray retrospective at the Museum of Cinema (back when it was still located on Krasnopresnenskaya Street). The film was shown with an excellent Soviet dub. So why not re-release it? I’d buy the DVD at any price (within reason, of course). Many will find this film slow-paced because it deals with everyday life and lacks any major surprises. Also, don’t expect "The Disco Dancer" or other Bollywood fare, because this black-and-white film is as far removed from that as Leonid Gaidai’s films. But all of that is more than made up for by its artistic merits.

The direction is simply flawless, as is the acting, and I feel awkward repeating this hackneyed cliché, but it’s the plain truth—what can you do? Ray was a student of Renoir, and such training certainly left its mark. Bergman would have been proud of this film’s visual artistry. Watching the beautiful Sharmila Tagore is a pure delight.