Devi

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Master filmmaker Satyajit Ray explores the conflict between fanaticism and free will in Devi. In turn, he issues a subversively modern challenge to religious orthodoxy and patriarchal power structures.

In rural India in the second half of the nineteenth century, a wealthy feudal landlord (Chhabi Biswas) is seized by the notion that his beloved daughter-in-law (a hauntingly sad-eyed Sharmila Tagore) is an incarnation of the Mother Goddess. This delusion proves devastating to the young woman and those around her.

The elegantly stylized compositions and the chiaroscuro lighting by cinematographer Subrata Mitra heighten the expressionistic intensity of this domestic tragedy, making for an experience that is both sublime and shattering. Description adapted from Janus Films.

Director: Satyajit Ray. Country: India. Released: 1960. Length: 99 min. Format: DCP, B&W. Language: Bengali with English subtitles.
Image courtesy of Janus Films