GHARE BAIRE (THE HOME AND THE WORLD)

India, 1984, 140 minutes, Colour.
Soumitra Satterjee, Victor Bannerjee, Swatilekha Satterjee, Jennifer Kendal.
Directed by Satyajit Ray.

The Home and the World is based on a novel Rabindrinath Tagore. Satyajit Ray had intended to film it in the '50s - but said that he was able to do the story more justice because of his experience as a film-maker and understanding human nature.

It is a fine work by writer-director Ray (who also composes the musical score). It is set in 1905, the period of the 'divide and rule' policy of British rule. It shows the response of the people of Bengal to British overlordship - and the differing responses of the Hindus and the Muslims. (This theme was also to the fore in Ray's 1977 The Chess Players, although the setting was 56 years earlier, around Lucknow.)

The film is beautifully photographed, moves at a measured pace, involves the audience in the situation and the characters and leads to some personal and political confrontations. The film is also interesting as focusing on the period out of which Mahatma Gandhi would emerge.

The film also focuses on the emergence of Indian women. At the centre of this film is Bimala, the wife of an enlightened landowner, who gets caught up in the covenant for trade mobilised against the British. It shows the Indian woman, so long kept in the background, emerging as an intelligent and powerful force in 20th century politics as Mrs Gandhi eventually would.

The film has a strong cast which includes Victor Bannerjee Tho appeared in The Chess Players and, as Dr. Aziz, in A Passage to India) as well as Swatileckha Chatterjee who has appeared in many of Ray's films. An interesting and impressive piece of cinema.

1. Audience interest in this story of India? its impact for an Indian audience? For international audiences? For understanding India in the 20th century? The work of Satyajit Ray over several decades and his insight into India? The basis of the book in Tagore's writing and insights?

2. 1907 and the political situation in India, as dramatised in Bengal? The particular focus on a family - the location photography for the environment, the home and the rooms, the villa, the village, the presentation of the estate and Hindus and Muslims? The contribution of the songs - with their political lyrics, melodies, incantations? Reg's atmospheric score?

3.. Audience understanding of India and the British? The history of the 18th. and 19th. century? The impact of Lord Curzon and his divide and rule policy? The impact for Hindus, for Muslims? The dividing of the religious groups? The importance of trade and foreign goods? The focus on the theme of the Motherland? The Swadeshi movement? The significance in the title in this context?

4. The political issues and audience sympathies? The stances of the three principal characters? Their interaction - as a kind of political dialectic? The rights and wrongs? The causes? Personal assertion and devotion to causes? Users and used? The consequences? The situation from which Gandhi and independence would emerge?

5. The framework of the film, the focus on Bimala and the fire, her comments? Bimala at beginning and end? The audience experiencing her change and growth? A woman with whom the Motherland could be identified? her grief, her experience? Her personal understanding, growth, disagreement?

6. The focus on Bimala and the narrative direction of the film? Her place as an Indian wife, her relationship with her husband? The importance of her place in the home, her sister-in-law's presence? Jealousies, comparisons? Her retirement, ignorance? Her being trained by the English governess, the importance of dress, education, reading, English language, playing the piano? The theme of 'Long Long Ago' as melody, as symbolic? The change in Bimala? Her love for her husband, his encouraging her to change? Men and women agreeing and disagreeing? The friendship with Sandip? Her seeing him, hearing him and his campaign, her reaction, understanding? The foreign goods in her own home? Her being stirred by the song, the new situations, reaction, coping? Her husband's difficulties, Sandip and his presence in the home, his failing in love with her and her reaction? Seduced? His wanting her for the money and her supplying it? Deceiving her husband? Sandip's stay, her passion, giving her gold and jewels? The discovery of the truth, her grief? Letting him go? The reconciliation with her husband? His death? Her world destroyed? Her being the equivalent of the capable political contemporary woman - and the film indicating how 20th century women would emerge from 19th century India?

7. Nikhilesh as a good man, his beliefs, his understanding of the people on his estate, treatment of the poor? University education, his beliefs, reliance on English? Love for his wife but wanting her to emerge? The lessons for Bimala and his motives? His joy in her change and growth? His wanting her to hear Sandip? His disagreements with Sandip? His friendship with the headmaster, the discussions about politics and the situation in the village? His mediation for the villagers? Their ruin because of the Swadeshi situation? His disagreement with it? The presence of his sister, and her comments? The encounters with Sandip, the discovery of his ruthlessness and exploitation? His going out with a sense of duty after reconciliation with his wife? His death? A good man, his 19th century attitudes, trying to come to grips with the 20th century?

8. Sandip and his friendship Nikhilesha, the background of their education, political movement? The bonds between the two? Friendships, jealousies? The photo? His presence, arrival, powerful speech, his skill as an actor in persuading his audience, the cause and its incantation? His assistants? The irony of his smoking foreign cigarettes? His being charmed by Bimala, calling her his Queen Bee, staying, contriving situations to see her, the seduction? His lack of scruple in treatment of people, the old man and the thugs, death? Money and sending Anulya? His deceit, selfishness? The havoc that he wrought in the name of his cause? The film’s comment on self-seeking leaders - the justness of their cause but their ruining them by their own power-hunger and lack of scruple?

9. The portrait of the headmaster, his beliefs, his friendship with the political situation? Anulya and his leaving the school? The robbery?

10. Sandhip and his assistants, the thugs, the burning of the crops and the devastation that they wrought?

11. The clash between Muslims and Hindus? The Muslin reaction, fear? The destruction of the crops? The illustration of the divide and rule policy?

12. The detailed picture of Indian society, the traditions of the l?9th. century, Indian traditions, the influence of the British, education, culture, the clashes of the two cultures? The changes and the emerging of India in the 20th century?

13. The film's focus on women and their status, tradition, the education of women, their emerging into society, into politics, their influence?

14. This kind of film as a way of insight for international audiences to understand the recent history of India?