Rent The Music Room (1958)
4.0 of 5 from 85 ratings
1h 35min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- With 'The Music Room' (Jalsaghar), Satyajit Ray (Pather Panchali) brilliantly evokes the crumbling opulence of the world of a fallen aristocrat (the beloved actor Chhabi Biswas) desperately clinging to his way of life. His greatest joy is the music room in which he has hosted lavish concerts over the years - now a shadow of its former vivid self. An incandescent depiction of the clash between tradition and modernity, and a showcase for some of India's most popular musicians of the day, 'The Music Room' is a defining work by the great Bengali filmmaker.
- Actors:
- Chhabi Biswas, Sardar Akhtar, Gangapada Basu, Bismillah Khan, Salamat Ali Khan, Waheed Khan, Roshan Kumari, Tulsi Lahiri, Tarapada Nandy, Padmadevi, Kali Sarkar, Pinaki Sengupta, Pratap Mukherjee
- Directors:
- Satyajit Ray
- Producers:
- Satyajit Ray
- Writers:
- Tarashankar Banerjee, Satyajit Ray, Santi P. Choudhury
- Aka:
- Jalsaghar
- Genres:
- Classics, Drama, Music & Musicals
- Collections:
- The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to Satyajit Ray
- Countries:
- India
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/08/2017
- Run Time:
- 99 minutes
- Languages:
- Bengali Dolby Digital 1.0
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- B & W
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Satyajit Ray (1984), a feature documentary by Shyam Benegal that chronicles Ray's career through interviews with the filmmaker, family photographs, and extensive clips from his films
- Interviews from 2011 with Ray biographer Andrew Robinson and filmmaker Mira Nair
- Excerpt from a 1981 French roundtable discussion featuring Ray, film critic Michel Ciment, and director Claude Sautet
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Reviews (2) of The Music Room
Hypnotically enticing - The Music Room review by JK
It's difficult to believe this film was produced 60 years ago. It's timeless - and long, but it draws you in bit by bit, compelling you to sympathise with the sadness of a character who knows the end of an era has come but still cannot accept it until the very end.
4 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
An acute observation of human nature - wonderful acting and beautiful direction. - The Music Room review by RM
A precisely captured portrayal of the declining fortunes of a Bengali landed-family (zamindar) - as the good fortune slips away inexorably (through poor management of the estate and airs and graces and the lavish spending of better times long gone), with a contrasting vignette of the rise of a self-made businessman. The zamindars flourished until the late 19th century, and the film appears to portray Bengal society in the early 20th century.
The human frailties presented are all too universal and ageless - change the location and the story could be set in any region, in any age, in any society.
All the roles exquisitely performed. Film direction and filming (in black and white) are superb by any standards, although the film was released in 1958. The atmosphere, costumes, music, and dance all match perfectly - as far as I can tell from reading novels of the period and photographs/paintings of the time.
We enjoyed it, and thoroughly recommend it.
2 out of 2 members found this review helpful.