by Afra Nariman

Two (1965)

Director: Satyajit Ray

REVIEW:

Money and material possessions as objects of imprisonment (literally as personified by a barred window), that cause artistic artifice and stunted imagination (rather than creating music, as the poor boy does with his flute and drum, the rich boy has toys which imitate these sounds, but all that comes out of them is noise). Ray highlights the reality of class separation and illustrates the importance of people coming together; emphasizing shared humanity over the invisible differences that result in arbitrary rivalries which only lead to conflict, violence, loneliness, and the suffocation of everyone’s freedom.  

A perfect final scene. All of the rich boy’s toys making noise all at once, but the simple music of the poor boy’s flute overcoming it all as the outside world seeps into the rich boy’s imprisoned home in the form of wind; effectively shattering his illusions of what holds the most value in life — realizing they are freedom, art and imagination.

MY RATING /5:

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