La pierre philosophale

Parash Pathar / The Philosopher's Stone (1958) : Brief Review -

A pure work of fiction by Satyajit Ray which brings comedy, fantasy, satire, farce and a touch of pathos together. Like other Satyajit Ray films, Parasha Pathar does not offer solid content but it is damn funny to look at the texture. Actually, it tries to prove the regular Satyajit Ray effects by putting middle-class family sufferings and economical crisis in the script but the efforts aren't enough to have made a concrete version. Although its humour partly transplants to the west, the technical sounding isn't understandable to the Indian culture or society as shown in the film. It's just a simple story of a middle-class clerk who accidentally discovers a stone that can turn other objects into gold. Whatever follows is pretty enjoyable even if it shows some terrible events because the main course is humorous. Parash Pathar lacks substantial programming to its fictional theories that causes film's directions to go downwards in the climax. On the other side, the performances and brilliant designing of screenplay uplifts the film a bit. The lead actor Tulsi Chakrabarty grabs your attention in first 10 minutes never to leave it for a second. Rabibala Devi, Kali Banerjee and Bireswar Sen have small roles but plays it very good. Ray's screenplay is crispy and elated which keeps the film engaged and that's the only reason why this predictable film never make you feel bored. As a director, Satyajit Ray does decent job which is below par considering his high standard. But figuratively speaking, it is not that bad because Ray had made only two films before this and both belonged to non-comedy genre. So you see that below par concerns his overall filmography he did in 36 years. Overall, Parash Pathar is a pleasant watch anyday but nothing special.

RATING - 6/10*

By - #samthebestest.

This is probably one of the least recognized but very well loved movie of Satyajit Ray.The fact that it is comedy but not necessarily a children's movie may have something to do with it.I have seen this movie at least twice and the charm of the movie increases with every viewing.The film begins with a look at the life of its protagonist who is the archetype Bengali middle class aged clerk living in the Kolkata of the 50s .His discovery of the philosopher's stone and his consternation at its power hints at the hidden fantasies of most middle class people who secretly dream of overnight riches but are scared of its consequences. As we follow his adventures with the stone till the movie ends on a note which celebrates humanity in line with Rays philosophy we are entertained in stellar fashion by the king of movie-making.I cannot recommend it highly enough!!

This is one of the films Ray make after having heartbreak of 'Aparajito''s bombing in box office. This is not only dark comedy, but a true comedy too. The lead, Tulsi Chakraborty was one of the best actors Bengal has ever seen and neglected. His acting is so well and, let us say, delicious to watch. And the second great thing in this movie [yes, we can call it a movie] is editing. I almost forget about the assistant's role. His meeting with the police inspector scene is one of those which I like to rewind and watch.

Parash Pathar is one of early Ray movies which tells a story of an ordinary office clerk who comes across a magic stone which turns iron onto gold. Tulsi Chakraborty, who plays a role of a lifetime in this classic piece, is the clerk whose life changes after he discovers that the small simple stone is the "Parash Pathar", the stone which can give him infinite riches as long as he can find enough scrap iron. The comical flair of Tulsi Chakraborty is a treat to watch. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is possibly one of the finest actors to come out of India who can play a comic role with élan and ease.

The wit of the script is enjoyable throughout, though this can get lost in sub-titles. This is a movie which is fun to watch, specially in scenes where we see Tulsi Chakraborty learning the ways of a rich man, attending parties, planning how to spend his new found wealth. Overall I rate this film at 9/10. Highly recommended.

I am an ardent Ray fan and I till now I have seen 14 of his movies and loved 13 of them. Only one that I didn't love is Parash Pathar.

Satyajit Ray is my favorite filmmaker and all of his movies are master pieces. It is hard to find a fault in any of his movies. Acting is always very good, yet subtle. Background score is never over the top. There is no cheap melodrama and the viewer is encouraged to make his own conclusions. Even a minor actor not acting up to par has a jarring effect. It is like watching a blemish on an extraordinary piece of art.

So I was quite surprised by this movie, as the lead character Paresh Chandra Dutt was overacting a lot. So were some other actors. While in almost all Ray's movies characters are very real here they are caricatures instead and there is no subtlety to be found. Also the story never took an unexpected turn, it is another morality tale centered around philosopher's's stone. Though you can find Ray's touches here and there, there are not enough of them to save the film.

Though it a good film when compared with other Indian films of the same period, it doesn't in any way compares with Ray's other movies. I would recommend it only to Ray's die hard fans like me. Though I didn't really liked the movie I didn't consider it a waste of time either.