Satyajit Ray: The Inner Eye

The Inner Eye by Andrew Robinson, (I.B.Tauris 2004) is an attempt to deal with an unusual problem: a writer, composer, artist and film maker, of world stature, who created in a relatively obscure language and whose works risk misrepresentation and oblivion without some sort of interpreter, both of the works and the culture which gave them birth. Before looking at the book we have to look a little at the problem. Satyajit Ray is a name to mention when compiling lists of great film directors, but when you ask around, not that many people have actually seen his films. The early Apu trilogy of films are well known, but Ray made 37 films and most of these are unknown, in India and in the West. The reasons are not far to seek. Ray was a Bengali, a Calcutta man to his core, and he preferred to, needed to, make his films in Bengal, spoken in Bengali. He thus missed out on the millions to be earned in the Bollywood film industry: Bengali is a minority language, and few Indians understand it. On the other hand Rays films were influenced by Western cinema, and his films have been shown there, but nuances, allusions and references obvious to Bengalis pass unnoticed or puzzle the Western viewer and cannot be conveyed in subtitles. Another way to consider this situation is to look at Ray as a Bengali might. This is not my viewpoint: both Western and Bengali cultures are alien ones to me. I am merely using my imagination. In Calcutta, one finds, there is not one Satyajit Ray but many. Ray is a best selling and enormously popular author who excelled at detective, science fiction and childrens literature, and made his living by writing it. His stories and characters are not just popular, but are known, in a way only possible where an oral culture lingers on. Western influence was strong on Ray, who admired the great British writer Arthur Conan Doyle enormously. It is said one can find fans of the stories who dont even know Ray made films. Ray was also a critic, whose writings on cinema, including his own cinema, is as perceptive as his films. Ray had an earlier career as a graphic designer. His typefaces are still used, his book jackets are famous. As well, many of his stories are accompanied by his own illustrations, which are loved in their own right. He was an excellent calligrapher and many viewers are familiar with his work through the titles of Rays films. Each one of his films was first created in a storyboard format with each scene sketched in: each book a work of art. Ray is a prominent composer fluent in both Western and Indian modes and self taught. He composed the scores of most of his films and is one of the major artists in that genre. Ray was also a song writer of genius, something he could have turned into a fortune by writing for the Bollywood market, but didnt. Song is something hard to classify: the place of song, filmi song, in Indian culture is quite unique. Rays songs are sung in the streets by those not swamped by Western rock music.

I cannot think of a more definitive biography than this one! The biography of a master filmmaker is of remarkable detail. Uncommon extras, from something as simple as a section on the maternal and paternal family tree to a page devoted to the pronounciation and origin of the name Satyajit Ray. Another unusual detailed section is NOTES. The notes refer to a reference line or quote and it's source, publication and date. If the section refers to the Apu Trilogy, then any quotes are clearly identified. Another feature is the glossary of words taken from the book, the languages are Bengali and other Indian languages. You will also get a complete Filmography and Bibliography, and the book includes a definitive index. The biography begins with his early life 1921 to his life as a commercial artist and critic. What I believe to be his most famous work, The Apu Trilogy, is well documented and a synopsis is included. There is plenty of insight into his others, The Music Room, The Goddess, Three Daughters, Kanchenjungha, The Expedition, The Big City, The Lonely Wife, The Coward, and The Hero, Calcutta Trilogy, Distant Thunder, Chess Players, and more. And, there is more! This is a wonderful reference to one of the greatest movie directors in history. And, he is also a composer! The version has been updated to cover his death in 1992 and the Ray legacy. A quote on the book from Films and Filming reads: 'A glorious book, a feast of research and insight' If you haven't seen a Satyajit Ray film, do so and read about it here within 420 pages. ......Rizzo

Any serious admirer of Satyajit Ray probably is already aware of this biography; I would also recommend it to general readers: if you aren't already familiar with Ray (I don't know many Americans who are), you will love him by the time you're done with this very engaging and readable critical bio. Robinson, who had been a friend of Ray's, spent a number of years working on this, and his account of Ray's family and childhood draws upon interviews and conversations, supplemented with material from Ray's own CHILDHOOD DAYS, MY YEARS WITH APU, and other sources. Robinson paints a portrait of a Calcutta overflowing with creative potential - Ray's family connections to Tagore are also detailed, as are the accomplishments of his father and grandfather, and the intellectual independence of his mother, who seemed to strongly influence at least a few of his cinematic characters. Later on, Robinson engages in a film-by-film analysis of Ray's career, which includes shorts and documentaries. Accessible but well-researched and well-written critiques are followed with some personal impressions, and quotes from varied film critics and other filmmakers: fans of Jean Renoir and Akira Kurosawa will note their presence here, and their influence upon Ray's thinking and career. Robinson locates each film with certain contexts: Indian cinema, the 1950s/60s international arthouse boom, the artistic milieu of Calcutta, and Ray's many international influences and fascinations; the end result is something that will make one want to see (and read) as much of Ray's work as one can get one's hands on. I'm a big admirer of Ray, but - in it's success in realizing its' ambitions - Robinson has also created one of the greater artistic biographies I've run across - this is a rich and very sophisticated piece of writing which I very highly recommended to all. -David Alston