Plot Summary
Satyajit Ray’s exquisite story of a woman’s artistic and romantic yearning takes place in late nineteenth-century, pre-independence India, in the gracious home of a liberal-minded, workaholic newspaper editor and his lonely wife, Charulata (Madhabi Mukherjee). When her husband’s poet cousin (Soumitra Chatterjee) comes to stay with them, Charulata finds herself both creatively inspired and dangerously drawn to him. Based on a novella by the great Rabindranath Tagore, Charulata is a work of subtle textures, a delicate tale of a marriage in jeopardy and a woman taking the first steps toward establishing her own voice.
Credits
Director
Screenwriter
Producer
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
96%- Reviews Counted: 25
- Fresh: 24
- Rotten: 1
- Average Rating: 9.2/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: To put it baldly, as the Ray camera could never do, the picture is an artistic masterpiece, impeccably performed, but diluted in impact and power by a stately, inchworm pace that accentuates a plot as old and familiar as the hills.
Fresh: Possibly more relaxed and leisurely than most Satyajit Ray films, Charulata nevertheless has a graciousness and dignity which impart an added sincerity to the simple, yet thoroughly acceptable story.
Fresh: Film masterpieces, like our heart's desire, shouldn't elude us forever; Charulata is an experience every movie-lover should share.
Fresh: You shouldn't miss this.
Customer Reviews
Enjoyed
I love the photography of the movie. Good acting!!!
Incomparable
Possibly the greatest film by one of the world’s greatest filmmakers. Although there are gadzillions of films about falling in love, very few movies tackle the subject of marriage. “Sunrise,” and “Eyes Wide Shut” come to mind, and like Kubrick’s final masterpiece, “Charaluta” will probably be most deeply felt by those who have been long married or in a long-term relationship, “Charaluta” waits until the very end to deliver its most powerful moment, and to anyone who’s been there, it’s as devastating a conclusion as the cinema has to offer.
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