Sat August 2, 2014
The Golden Fortress (Satyajit Ray; India, 1974)
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at PFA Theater
(see times)
Recommended for Ages 8 & Up
Introduction with Tipu Purkayastha.
One of Ray’s little-known yet unforgettable sojourns into the populist pulp of children’s fables and detective fiction, The Golden Fortress spins a yarn about young boy embarking on an adventure into the desert wilds of Western Rajasthan in search of visions, peacocks, camels, and a fortress of gold. A pair of thieves soon halts his travels, though, and it’s up to the fearless detective Feluda to rescue him. As Feluda, the great actor Soumitra Chatterjee seems a long way from his role as Apu, but he and Ray are both at the top of their games, breezily creating a crowd-pleasing adventure that was acclaimed by Variety as on par with the best of Hollywood. Rajasthan proves the film’s other star attraction, its vibrant colors and otherworldly landscapes adding more drama than any special effect.
• Written by Ray. Photographed by Soumendu Roy. With Soumitra Chatterjee, Siddhartha Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Kushal Chakravarty. (115 mins, In Bengali with English subtitles, Color, 35mm, From Satyajit Ray Film and Study Center, permission Academy Film Archive)
Preceded by TWO (A.K.A. PARABLE OF TWO) (1965). The afternoons of a bored rich kid and a poor child, as told through sound, music, and vision. “A tour de force in simplicity” (Marie Seton). (11 mins, B&W, 16mm, From Academy Film Archive)
Total running time: 126 mins
show less
Introduction with Tipu Purkayastha.
One of Ray’s little-known yet unforgettable sojourns into the populist pulp of children’s fables and detective fiction, The Golden Fortress spins a yarn about young boy embarking on an adventure into the desert wilds of Western Rajasthan in search of visions, peacocks, camels, and a fortress of gold. A pair of thieves soon halts his travels, though, and it’s up to the fearless detective Feluda to rescue him. As Feluda, the great actor Soumitra Chatterjee seems a long way from his role as Apu, but he and Ray are both at the top of their games, breezily creating a crowd-pleasing adventure that was acclaimed by Variety as on par with the best of Hollywood. Rajasthan proves the film’s other star attraction, its vibrant colors and otherworldly landscapes adding more drama than any special effect.
• Written by Ray. Photographed by Soumendu Roy. With Soumitra Chatterjee, Siddhartha Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Kushal Chakravarty. (115 mins, In Bengali with English subtitles, Color, 35mm, From Satyajit Ray Film and Study Center, permission Academy Film Archive)
Preceded by TWO (A.K.A. PARABLE OF TWO) (1965). The afternoons of a bored rich kid and a poor child, as told through sound, music, and vision. “A tour de force in simplicity” (Marie Seton). (11 mins, B&W, 16mm, From Academy Film Archive)
Total running time: 126 mins
Recommended for Ages 8 & Up
Introduction with Tipu Purkayastha.
One of Ray’s little-known yet unforgettable sojourns into the populist pulp of children’s fables and detective fiction, The Golden Fortress spins a yarn about young boy embarking on an adventure into the desert wilds of Western Rajasthan in search of visions, peacocks, camels, and a fortress of gold. A pair of thieves soon halts his travels, though, and it’s up to the fearless detective Feluda to rescue him. As Feluda, the great actor Soumitra Chatterjee seems a long way from his role as Apu, but he and Ray are both at the top of their games, breezily creating a crowd-pleasing adventure that was acclaimed by Variety as on par with the best of Hollywood. Rajasthan proves the film’s other star attraction, its vibrant colors and otherworldly landscapes adding more drama than any special effect.
• Written by Ray. Photographed by Soumendu Roy. With Soumitra Chatterjee, Siddhartha Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Kushal Chakravarty. (115 mins, In Bengali with English subtitles, Color, 35mm, From Satyajit Ray Film and Study Center, permission Academy Film Archive)
Preceded by TWO (A.K.A. PARABLE OF TWO) (1965). The afternoons of a bored rich kid and a poor child, as told through sound, music, and vision. “A tour de force in simplicity” (Marie Seton). (11 mins, B&W, 16mm, From Academy Film Archive)
Total running time: 126 mins
read more
Introduction with Tipu Purkayastha.
One of Ray’s little-known yet unforgettable sojourns into the populist pulp of children’s fables and detective fiction, The Golden Fortress spins a yarn about young boy embarking on an adventure into the desert wilds of Western Rajasthan in search of visions, peacocks, camels, and a fortress of gold. A pair of thieves soon halts his travels, though, and it’s up to the fearless detective Feluda to rescue him. As Feluda, the great actor Soumitra Chatterjee seems a long way from his role as Apu, but he and Ray are both at the top of their games, breezily creating a crowd-pleasing adventure that was acclaimed by Variety as on par with the best of Hollywood. Rajasthan proves the film’s other star attraction, its vibrant colors and otherworldly landscapes adding more drama than any special effect.
• Written by Ray. Photographed by Soumendu Roy. With Soumitra Chatterjee, Siddhartha Chatterjee, Santosh Dutta, Kushal Chakravarty. (115 mins, In Bengali with English subtitles, Color, 35mm, From Satyajit Ray Film and Study Center, permission Academy Film Archive)
Preceded by TWO (A.K.A. PARABLE OF TWO) (1965). The afternoons of a bored rich kid and a poor child, as told through sound, music, and vision. “A tour de force in simplicity” (Marie Seton). (11 mins, B&W, 16mm, From Academy Film Archive)
Total running time: 126 mins
show less
Date/Times:
PFA Theater
2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
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