JANA ARANYA (THE MIDDLEMAN)
India, 1976, 131 minutes, Black and white.
Directed by Satyajit Rey.
The Middleman is one of Rey’s best films of the 1970s. After making a great impact in the 1960s with his Apu Trilogy as well as a number of other films like Charaulata, Satyajit Rey became one of the great screen directors of the 20th century. Many of his films are based in his city of Kolkota. This film shows the transitions of the 1960s and 70s, the beginning of some modernisation (and the period of Mother Teresa’s work in that city).
The film focuses on a college graduate who is unable to find a job, experiencing all kinds of strange interviews – which provide some of the humour for the film. Eventually, a friend sets him up as a middleman, preying on client weaknesses in order to make money. The middleman then finds that this is soul-destroying and that he must make a more moral decision for his life.
The film is beautifully shot in black and white, has a great deal of verbal reflection in the screenplay, takes us into moral issues in the world of India and especially of Bengal.
1. The impact of this film as an Indian film? Its impact on Indian audiences, on foreign audiences? How did the film help the audience to enter into the Indian world and understand its people? India in the 20th, century, its traditions, and yet the influence of the whole world?
2. The importance of black and white photography? Calcutta locations, the atmosphere of the city, the use of light and darkness, Indian music, the detail of editing. the language question? Indian spoken with so much English? How did these technical aspects help audiences to get an Indian flavour of the film?
3. What presuppositions about India and India in the 20th century did the film have? What presupposition about India do audiences have? How would they influence response to this film?
4. The detail of Calcutta, the initial crowds, university results, home life, family traditions and pride, lack of opportunities for work, the factories and big business?
5. The focus of the film on Somath? The presentation of him in Indian society, the university, his indifferent results, his friends and their attitudes? His relationship with his fiancee and her marrying? Seeing him in the light of his family, the comparison with his brother, with his sisters, the expectations of his father? His frustration with the interviews for the jobs? The accident and meeting the older adviser? His initial response to the broker's work? His success as a middleman? His skills in helping people? How much of life was open to him in the early stages of the film? How could audiences identify with this kind of man?
6. The contrast of his father's attitudes? What values did his father hold for? The past and the future? The father's attitude towards the two sons? His disappointment in his son and his lack of success? The pressure of hie father's expectations?
7. The support of his mother? Her understanding of him? Her permissiveness when faced with moral crisis?
8. The portrayal of business people? This ordinary way of doing things, the bribes and the corrupt atmosphere? Its impact on Somath? His need to make decisions?
9. Somath and his friends? The manager of the factory, the sexual overtones, the private detective and his snooping? How well did the film suggest an atmosphere of business and moral corruption?
10. The philosophy of bribes? As explained by the older brother? The speech of the private detective?
11. How real were the choices open to Somath? The reasons for his changing his business, continuing? Somath an weak?
12. Somath and the transition to the final corruption? The long sequence of finding the girl, taking her to the hotel, leaving her with the manager? The irony of the father's rejoicing at his son's success? Leaving the audience with this message?
13. How wise a film about innocence, corruption, society and its pressures, individuals in the modern world? Moral choice?
