Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne

I was not merely pleased, rather I was shockingly impressed by the level of finesse in the art work of this movie. Some of the stuff is years ahead of its times.

The dark shadows of ghosts, their dances and the part of the movie in which Goopy and Bagha meet the beings from the other side is plain superb. A must see.

The great Satyajit Ray has become one of my favorite filmmakers, and unfortunately it's become very difficult to see most of his films in the US. GOOPY GYNE BAGHA BYNE easily ranks as one of Ray's most intriguing creations - a wonderful family film, which also contains the complex philosophies that enliven Ray's many other masterpieces. In his own film writing, Ray expressed admiration for certain experimental filmmakers who came to prominence during the 50s and 60s, and this film gave him an opportunity to do a bit of stylistic experimentation of his own, while also creating something of a tribute to his father's and grandfather's writings. The results are one of Ray's finest films.

I won't summarize the plot, which is well-described here. But I would point out several outstanding elements of GOOPY AND BAGHA - the first would be Ray's creative use of effects - apparently the film was made on a small budget, but the story is captivating enough that one doesn't really notice - such constraints force a filmmaker to rely upon his own expertise, imagination and ability to improvise and innovate, and in this regard, GOOPY AND BAGHA almost feels like a great, kids version of a 'new wave' film (in the best senses of the term) - willing to try the unexpected, and confident that the unexpected will work well.

A second strength is Ray's creation of a sophisticated family film that has much to offer adult viewers - GOOPY AND BAGHA offers a great amount of hope and strength in the face of a changing world, as the film was made at a time in which momentous and troubling events were occurring throughout the globe. I'm certain that Ray was mindful of this, and sought to incorporate a sophisticated engagement with changes in the outside world into the underlying philosophy in this dreamlike and magical film. Many writers have commented in vague fashion on Ray's 'humanism,' but the worldview expressed is far more detailed and wide-ranging than that term would imply - a well-thought way of looking at life connects all of Ray's films, and that includes this one.

A magnificent film, one very much deserving of wider appreciation around the globe.

I rate 10 to the movies I can watch hundred times, time and again. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is one of them. I grew up watching this movie, watched several times and each time was none the less exciting...charming.

One of Ray's great directorial acumen was to select perfect casts for the movie. If you just see the actors he chose to perform various characters in the movie, you will think that the story was actually written keeping them in mind. And the actors impeccably perform their parts.

This is the story about two simpleton musicians who were respectively banished by their village for their cacophonous music and coincidentally teamed up in a forest lived by ghosts. Furtunately the king of ghosts liked their music and gave them three magical boons. There started the adventure of Goopy and Bagha.

Another powerful aspect of Ray's movies is their music. Mostly he composed himself. He did for this movie too. One more fact keeps you wondering is how such a fairy tale movie can be made with so less special affects and low cost. The sets were adorned with crafts and symbols that accentuate the ambiance, like the Magician's room in the palace of Shundi.

This is the first of the movies about adventures of Goopy Bagha. There are two more of them - Heerak Rajar Deshe (In the land of Diamond King) and Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (Goopy Bagha Return) - each worth watching, the third movie is directed by Ray's son, Sandip Ray.

The film is simply superb .... a real masterpiece. The film is so rich in every respect - Nothing new to say. It had all sort of spices, ghost, a good king, an abnormal king, palaces, evil prime minister, evil magician, etc.It was a new landmark in the Indian film. This is an evergreen film for generations to come. The songs were beautiful. Only one small defect. In the last song when Goopy wanted lots and lots of sweets, they should have clapped.Because, they get food only both of them claps. Here foods came but there were no clapping! But this is very very negligible. And finally we have to admit a new quality of songs.The lyrics, the background music, the comedy within the songs - a completely new type.

It is one of the greatest as well as, one of the most under-rated masterpiece in the history of cinema (comparing its overseas success w.r.t other notable Ray films). Handling of characterizations, simplicity, political undertones, musical sensibility and the masterly crafted visual aspects not only makes it a special gift for child viewers but also becomes a coherent masterpiece for movie lovers.

It is the adventure of goopy the singer and bagha the drummer, both driven out from their kingdom because of their horrible musical cacophony, got three boons from the king of ghost and froze everyone by their music. The rest is their terrific story that tells the the music of humanity and gracious peace. All the actors, Tapen Chatterjee, Rabi Ghosh and specially Santosh Dutta gave astounding performances. And then it is Satyajit Ray, the god of cinema, has shown how beautifully a musical which is so much Indian, can be made ....all the song are so pure,freshening and lastly so deep to the roots. Many important social aspects are presented by simple and linear narratives. Even the visual stunts for ex. dancing shadows of demons (a masterly choreographed sequence), sequences when gopy and bagha moved to their desired places by clapping or the war song where sweets appear on the sky and fell on ground is starling and fresh even in Today"s intricate visual effect era.

Lastly handling of emotions, for instances the sequence where raja of Amloki drove goopy out leaving only his father in tears and despair whereas, the villagers were having fun, or fist song "dekho re" where goopy overjoyed in disbelief hearing his own voice, or the king of halla who ran in joy at the last scenes because of his freedom, will surely touch your heart. And if you see the movie carefully, u can always feel the influence of it in a deep subconscious level. Evil surrounds a major part of the human mind and beyond desire and greed all of us ultimately want to be free and happy!! Honestly speaking the movie is like a dream where the characters have become strong enough to go above bindings of anger and greed and say so simply the futility and stupidity of war.......three boons of king of ghost came out to be the boons that every human crave for......watch it not only for cinematic experience but also for its gracious humanism that is surely going to move you.....................