Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne

Still not available on DVD? This film (and it's sequel) are unique for Satyajit Ray, who (except for some tongue-in-cheek detective films)spent his cinematic career portraying the conflicts and contradictions of modern Indian society in films that are both realistic and poetic (like the films of his mentor, Jean Renoir). Many of them feature characters trying to make the transition from traditional, village-based life to modern urban life (e.g. the Apu trilogy, Mahanaghar), or trying to preserve traditions in a world that no longer has a place for them (e.g. Jalsaghar). This is one of the main themes of African literature and cinema as well.

Many of Ray's films also show women trapped by tradition (Devi, Charulata) or using their education and ingenuity to escape from it (Mahanagar). But in the fairy tale world of Goopy and Bagha, both talent and opportunity are given them by divine intervention, because their desire to make music attracts the deity's attention. And when one of them is betrothed to a princess (leaving the other empty-handed) a local king obligingly asks if they need another princess. Contrast this with the plight of Apu in the real India, looking for a job after graduating from college. A prospective employer shows him a large room full of people who spend all day, every day, sorting old buttons into trays.

As other reviewers have mentioned, Ray's fantasy is beautifully photographed, and full of realistic psychological detail (as well as sly humor) which draw us effortlessly into the story. How long will it be before this, and Ray's other films, are available on DVD?

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.

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.

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.

In today's age where most kids and family films are nothing more than mindless action or stupid humor, this was a breath of fresh air to more enchanting times back then when it was about adventure and wonder. Some kids may balk at the fact that this is black and white and from another country (including subtitles which for newcomers can get a little getting used to), but eventually they will discover this film's magic. I would like to travel to India sometime in my life for all its enchanted splendor and the adventures of the two lovable musicians captures it beautifully. The cinematography really deserves some accolades especially in the King of Ghost song and dance number that still looks a little freaky yet still delightful. I've seen Satyajit Ray's Apu trilogy which is just as magical and this movie is never boring in any frame. This one's hard to find but worth it all.