THE RIVER [1951 / 2021] [Blu-ray] [2-disc Limited Edition] [UK Release]
One of The Most Beautiful Technicolor Films Ever Made!
Jean Renoir's entrancing and intoxicating first colour feature film shot entirely on location in India is a lyrical adaptation of Rumer Godden's autobiographical coming-of-age tale of eloquently contrasts the growing pains of three young women with the immutability of the Bengal river around which their daily lives unfold during the waning years of British colonial life.
Exquisitely shot in luminous Technicolor by Jean Renoir’s nephew Claude Renoir, ‘THE RIVER’ is a visual tour de force and a glorious, meditative tribute to the sights and sounds of Indian culture. ‘THE RIVER’ also gracefully explores the fragile connections between transitory emotions and everlasting creation.
Perhaps, Jean Renoir’s most symbolic and spiritual film, displaying great humanity and refreshing simplicity. ‘THE RIVER’ received tremendous international acclaim and remains one of his most popular films. A Presentation of THE THEATRE GUILD.
Reviews:
‘THE RIVER’ is one of the most beautiful colour films ever made – Martin Scorsese
‘THE RIVER’ is a masterpiece; a wholly Jean Renoir film – Cahiers du Cinéma magazine
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1951 Cahiers du Cinéma: Win: Top 10 Film Award for Best Film for Jean Renoir. 1951 National Board of Review, USA: Win: NBR Award for Top Foreign Films. 1951 New York Film Critics Circle Awards: Win: ‘THE RIVER’ Best Film. 1951 Venice Film Festival: Win: International Award for Jean Renoir. Nominated: Golden Lion for Jean Renoir. 1953 BAFTA Awards: Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for Best British Film. Nominated: BAFTA Film Award for ‘THE RIVER’ Best Film from any Source.
FILM FACT No.2: ‘THE RIVER’ was shot in Technicolor, with a five-month turnaround at the lab meant things had to be done right the first time. While filming, Jean Renoir made use of nonprofessional actors in key roles, including Captain John and Harriet. The future Indian film maker Satyajit Ray, then working in advertising, met Jean Renoir while The River was in production, and the two men became friends. Satyajit Ray met Subrata Mitra, a production assistant on this film and Satyajit Ray's eventual cinematographer, during filming. Assistant director was Harisadhan Dasgupta and Assistant Art director was Bangshi Chandra Gupta. Thomas E. Breen, playing Captain John, was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who was injured during fighting on Guam in 1944, resulting in amputation of his right leg. Jean Renoir selected him for the role without knowing that he was the son of Joseph Breen, head of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America, who was the chief censor of films in the U.S.A. ‘THE RIVER’ was preserved and restored by the Academy Film Archive, in conjunction with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and The Film Foundation in 2004. At the New York Film Festival, director Wes Anderson, a great fan of Jean Renoir, discussed Martin Scorsese's having shown him a print of ‘THE RIVER’ and it is one of Martin Scorsese's favourite films. ‘THE RIVER’ was hugely influential upon Wes Anderson's film, ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ [2007], as it inspired Wes Anderson to make a film about India.
Cast: Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight, Arthur Shields, Suprova Mukerjee, Thomas E. Breen, Patricia Walters, Radha Burnier, Adrienne Corri, June Hillman [Narrator], Nimai Barik (uncredited), Richard R. Foster (uncredited), Jane Harris (uncredited), Jennifer Harris (uncredited), Trilak Jetley (uncredited), Bhogwan Singh (uncredited), Penelope Wilkinson (uncredited) and Cecilia Wood (uncredited)
Director: Jean Renoir
Producers: Jean Renoir and Kenneth McEldowney
Screenplay: Jean Renoir (screenplay) and Rumer Godden (novel/ screenplay)
Composer: M.A. Partha Sarathy
Cinematography: Claude Renoir (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1
Audio: English: 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English
Running Time: 99 minutes
Region: Region B/2
Number of discs: 2
Studio: United Artists / British Film Institute
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: ‘THE RIVER’ [1951] is a story based on the immemorial themes of childhood, love and death, and is how the French director Jean Renoir described the Bengal-set ‘THE RIVER,’ of his lyrical account of a British teenage girl's romantic awakening during the last years of the Raj. Shot in exquisite Technicolour on the banks of the Ganges, it's a wonderfully serene film which is filled with vivid images of nature and which displays a warm curiosity towards Hindu customs.
The repeated shots of the Ganges, both during the bustling day and the peaceful night, establish the river as a metaphor for the ebb and flow of our existences. And most poignantly, there's the stoic acceptance by the Westerners that the tragic death of a young child is part of life's eternal cycles of loss and rebirth.
On top of all that, ‘THE RIVER’ was adapted from a novel by English author Rumer Godden, who also co-scripted, and director Jean Renoir decided to eschew the visions of India that had previously made it to the screen. Instead, he stayed close to the India Godden knew as a girl growing up in the country, and tried to find the universal truths in that particular experience.
This was Jean Renoir’s first film in Technicolor, and his first after that Hollywood phase, and ‘THE RIVER’ is simultaneously beautiful and odd at the same time. Director Martin Scorsese ranks it next to ‘The Red Shoes’ film as the most beautiful colour film ever made, and it’s easy to see why. It emphasizes Technicolor’s vibrancy, but it’s also notable for the way it accentuates muted tones, like the clay bricks and the sand by the riverbanks. It’s also awkward at times: Though Jean Renoir doesn’t overplay the exoticism; it’s very much an outsider’s film about the experience of Europeans in India.
Satyajit Ray, though yet to pick up a camera, sought out Jean Renoir and met him during filming. The cast is a curious mix of professional actors, non-professionals, and children who don’t seem to be acting at all. Yet it all blends together remarkably well, and the film’s ability to incorporate so many seemingly disparate elements into its story matches its broad vision.
Patricia Walters plays Harriet, whose adult voice is provided by June Hillman and supplies the narration. Harriet lives on an estate near the family’s jute mill with her father [Esmond Knight], mother [Nora Swinburne], five sisters, and a brother named Bogey [Richard R. Foster] (uncredited). Another family, the Johns, lives nearby, and when their handsome American cousin Captain John [Thomas E. Breen] a veteran of World War II, which took his leg — arrives for a visit, Harriet, her older friend Valerie [Adrienne Corri], and Melanie [Radha Burnier] the family’s marriage-aged, mixed-race daughter, all start to vie for Captain John’s attention. Nothing much comes of this in terms of dramatic incident, at least not of the sort on which traditional plots usually get built upon. But it lets director Jean Renoir portray romance and heartbreak as part of life’s natural progression against a backdrop that includes a celebration of Diwali, the changing seasons, and in one heart-breaking passage, an unexpected death.
The heart of the film is when the Indian traditions are shown. Here Jean Renoir slows down the pacing and backs away from the narrative. It shows the real India, while also fragmenting the film. The foolish meanderings of the young girls and their silly and pointless rivalling affections for Captain John seem to be insignificant compared to the beauty of the culture around them, which has been around for thousands of years compared to the teenage years of Harriet and Valerie. The previously mentioned Krishna story and the Hindu Festival with 100,000 lamps are when the film is the most pleasant, relaxing, and the most beautiful. Even though the coming of age stories are interesting, they pale compared to the story of the real India that Renoir puts so much care and love into showing us.
There’s scarcely a non-stunning frame in the film, yet Jean Renoir never pushes too hard for effect. One sequence dissolves from one figure napping in the afternoon to the next without offering further commentary. In another, two boys explore a wooded area filled with danger, yet director Jean Renoir never makes it look especially foreboding. The beauty is there alongside the danger. That’s just the way of things, and Jean Renoir keeps finding simple, unadorned ways to present the profound. There’s a story here, with a beginning, middle and end. But it takes the form of discrete vignettes that have their moment, then pass. Jean Renoir fades in and out between scenes as the voiceover offers a lyrical take on what we’ve just seen, and what it means. This happens, the film suggests, and then this happens, just as it’s always done along the Ganges, and all over the world. As the voice-over calmly concludes, “The river runs, the world spins ... the day ends, the end begins.”
Director Jean Renoir was fascinated by India’s natural visually, which he exploited in the two Hindu religious ceremonies shown, as well as in Harriet’s dream story about a village wedding, in the children’s colourful bombardment of the postman that marks the coming of spring, and finally in the flower-decked funeral procession for Bogey that marks the family’s and the films acceptance of death as an intrinsic part of life’s cycle.
It is worth mentioning that Satyajit Ray and Subatra Mitra worked as Assistant Directors on the film. They were undoubtedly influenced by the work, and even though their later work would be unquestionably Indian, you can see some of the pacing and the mixture of documentary footage with the narrative of the film ‘THE RIVER.’ The Jean Renoir film is worth praise in its own right, but it also deserves credit for influencing the career of the man who would be called “The Father of Indian Cinema.”
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Blu-ray Image Quality – United Artists and British Film Institute presents us the film ‘THE RIVER’ with a sumptuous and glorious 1080p Technicolor image, but shown in the usual 1.37:1 aspect ratio of films released in the 1950’s. The film was restored from the original 35mm three-strip Technicolor camera negatives and with the equally stunning cinematography by Claude Renoir makes a really beautiful presentation. The print is in great shape with only very marginal specks, vertical lines, and pulsing present from time to time. Likewise, a natural layer of light grain is visible throughout. With that said, there are a few wide shots that look just a tad noisy around skies and trees. Overall clarity is pleasing, offering a solid sense of fine texture and detail, especially in the beautiful Indian costumes and locations. Dimensionality, however, is a bit underwhelming, and the picture boasts a predominantly flat quality. Though perhaps a tad faded, the Technicolor palette looks quite lovely, mixing in bold splashes of reds, blues, purples, and greens among the otherwise brown and yellow settings. Contrast is well balanced, but black levels looks a little elevated in night-time scenes. Overall, the film image is free pf any major signs of damage or unnecessary manipulation; this is a very respectful restoration and it is still a brilliant stunning transfer, so well done the British Film Institute. Please Note: Playback Region B/2: This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – United Artists and British Film Institute brings us the film ‘THE RIVER’ with one standard 2.0 LPCM Stereo Audio experience. Speech is very clear and relatively full throughout the film. With that said, there is some occasional background hissing present in the audio mix, but thankfully this does not prove to be a major concern. The audio track offers a decent sense of atmosphere, with some effective Indian nature sounds. Likewise, the film's use of authentic Indian music comes through with solid audio range and what one would expect from and audio track of this age, the audio has been cleaned up very nicely and complements the film really well. So all in all, very well done the British Film Institute for their sterling work for the film ‘THE RIVER.’
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
‘THE RIVER’ was restored by THE ACADEMY FILM ARCHIVE in cooperation with THE BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE and JANUS FILMS. Restoration was funded by THE FILM FOUNDATION and the HOLLYWOOD FOREIGN PRESS ASSOCIATION.
Special Feature: Introduction by Kumar Shahani [2006] [1080p] [1.37:1] [16:17] Here we get a filmed Introduction on ‘THE RIVER’ by Indian filmmaker and scriptwriter Kumar Shahani who briefly sets the stage for the film, covering his path towards getting the rights to the book and what it was like to shoot in India. Kumar Shahani is very honest with his thoughts on the film, explaining how he and other Indian filmmakers who included Satyajit Ray were initially embarrassed by how the film represented India, but he explains how he appreciates it more now, at least on a technical level, from its documentary feel to its use of colour. Kumar Shahani also touches on some of the casting choices and brings up members of the crew, some of whom he has worked with himself. It’s an interesting overview of the film that praises its technical achievements while fairly addressing some of its more problematic aspects.
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Special Feature: Around ‘THE RIVER’ [2008] [1080p] [1.37:1 / 1.78:1] [59:41] Cauri Films, Beta Film GmbH, Maecenas Film, TV 5 and Image Plus presents French filmmaker Arnaud Mandagaran who travelled to India to make this 2008 documentary about the production of ‘THE RIVER.’ It features interviews with actor Radha Burnier, director Jean Renoir’s son Alain Renoir, and Indian director Satyajit Ray, as well as archival home movies shot by the filmmakers in India. The documentary starts off covering Jean Renoir’s move from France to America (unsuccessfully) and then how he came to begin making ‘THE RIVER,’ which was a long, tenuous task itself, appearing as though he may never be able to finish it until florist Kenneth McEldowney expressed interest in adapting the novel and financing it himself. From here the documentary goes through the surprisingly rough production through said interviews. It’s really an unorthodox story in itself and this documentary provides a fascinating retelling of how they came to make the film ‘THE RIVER.’
Contributors include: Hester Wilcox [Voice over], Geoffrey Bateman [Voice over], James Ivory [Filmmaker], Alexander Sesonske [Academic and Jean Renoir’s friend], Kenneth McEldowney [Producer of ‘THE RIVER’], Ram Sen Gupta [Cameraman], Alain Renoir [Son of Jean Renoir], Radha Burnier [Melanie in ‘THE RIVER’], George Gale [Editor of ‘THE RIVER] and M.A. Partha Sarathy [Musical Advisor].
Director: Arnaud Mandagaran
Cinematography: Arnaud Mandagaran
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Theatrical Trailer [1951] [1080i] [1.37:1] [2:36] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for the film ‘THE RIVER.’
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Special Feature: Gallery [1951] [1080p] [1.78:1] [5:04] Here we get to view some amazing stunning colour and black-and-white images featuring photos, promotional materials, posters, and behind-the-scenes bits relating to the film ‘THE RIVER.’ Stills courtesy of Beta Films and BFI National Archive 2021.
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Special Feature: ‘India: Matri Bhumi’ [India: Mother Earth] [1959] [1080p] [1.37:1] [90:13] Here we get to view Roberto Rossellini’s 1959 part-documentary, part-fiction portrait of India. Here we get to hear several stories depicting the landscapes and fauna of India are mixed with documentary footage in acclaimed filmmaker Roberto Rossellini's rarely seen film. Roberto Rossellini was obviously enchanted by the country India as he captures stunning images of the land, the people, and much more, though from an admittedly romantic angle. That romanticized a foreigner’s view is largely due to a dramatic angle that is present. Using locals as his actors, Roberto Rossellini tells the story through what one could call a series of dramatized reconstructions, giving the film more of a narrative look when presenting certain aspects of Indian life. This of course leads one to question the accuracy and authenticity of the individual scenarios and moments, though there’s still a charm to the film and the footage looks great. The digital restoration of the Italian version was carried out utilising the best available elements preserved by the Cinecittà Studios and CSC – Cineteca Nazionale. An in-depth analysis of the material, along with the valuable contribution of film historian Andriano Aprà allowed for identification of the most useful restoration elements: the information for the opening title, and a positive copy struck from the aforementioned interpositive for sound and a positive copy from that era to obtain the correct synchronisation. The image was scanned at a resolution of 2K. After being scanned, the image was digitally stabilized and cleaned to eliminate the signs of age: specifically lines, scratches and visible splices. The colour correction process turned out to be an extremely accomplished restoration, because the colour had faded considerably. A copy from the time, was preserved at CSC – Cineteca Nazionale and a copy was printed by Cinecittà Studios in the 1990’s were valuable references during the phase of the restoration, allowing them to recover details of the work of cinematography Aldo Tonti and to determine the different types of film used: Gevaert, Ferrania, Kodak, 16mm and 35mm. With regard to the sound, a digital cleaning was performed in order to reduce background noises created by the passage of time and to restore the dynamics and the details of the original soundtrack. Throughout the length of the film, all components exhibited small scratched that were incapable to fill. Restoration was carried out by the Cineteca of Bologna at the L'Immagine Ritrovata which is a highly specialised film restoration laboratory in 2011. ‘India: Matri Bhumi’ [India: Mother Earth] was shown once at the Cannes Film Festival on the 9th May, 1959 with a French narration and jean-Luc Goddard acclaimed that ‘India: Matri Bhumi’ [India: Mother Earth] as, “c’est la création du monde.” After the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, the critics found the film very perplexed and was never shown again, and the one print was lost – until it was found in a closet and restored by Cinémathèque Française in 1994. The film is supplied with English Subtitles, but unfortunately some of the wording when long, only half of the words are able to be read because they are slightly obscured at the bottom of the screen.
Director: Roberto Rossellini
Screenplay: Fereydoun Hoveyda (screenplay), Roberto Rossellini (screenplay) (story) (uncredited), Sonali Senroy DasGupta (screenplay) and Vincenzo Talarico (commentary writer)
Composer: Philippe Arthuys (music)
Composer: Alain Danielou (Traditional Indian Music)
Cinematography: Aldo Tonti (Director of Photography)
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Special Feature: ‘Around India With A Movie Camera’ [2018] [1080p] [1.37:1] [73:52] Sandhya Suri film is drawn exclusively from the BFI National Archive. ‘Around India With A Movie Camera’ and features some of the earliest surviving film from India as well as gorgeous travelogues, intimate home movies and newsreels from British, French and Indian filmmakers between 1899 and 1947 that ranges from silent film shot by amateur filmmakers to glorious Technicolor images shot by the famous cinematographer Jack Cardiff, O.B.E. in the 1940’s. We also take a look at the Maharajas and Viceroys, fakirs and farmhands and personalities such as Sabu and Gandhi, the film explores not only the people and places of over 70 years ago, but asks us to engage with broader themes of a shared history, shifting perspectives in the lead up to Indian independence and the ghosts of the past. ‘Around India With A Movie Camera’ also features a superb new score that fuses western and Indian music from composer and sarod player Soumik Datta. The footage is at times rather incredible, but through this footage the film examines how these films look at India from a colonialist point of view, and how these views changed as the footage approaches India gaining its independence. Despite the loaded nature of some of the material, whether it be from what is found in some obvious propaganda or through some cringe-worthy narration, it’s all endlessly fascinating, capturing some unique moments. Please note: all images were sourced from high-definition and standard-definition scans from the original sourced material.
Director: Sandhya Suri
Producer: Nicola Gallani
Composer: Soumik Datta (Original Composed Music)
Composer: Rosabella Gregory (Original Piano Music)
Clourist: Gerry Gedge (R3store Studios)
Here are some of the old historic documentaries you get to view:
BENARES [1899] We are informed that this is the oldest film they know of from India. Filmed by the Warwick Trading Company and it was entitled ‘Panorama of Calcutta, India, from the River Ganges.’
Our Greatest Ambassador [1920] Here we get to view Edward Prince of Wales' Tour of India, having last year won his spurs in Canada as our knightliest, or, to quote Mr. Lloyd George, our greatest Ambassador, sets out on his tour of India that lasted 4 months and visited Bombay, Poona, Baroda, Jodhpur and Bikaner, and covered 8,200 miles.
Through The Back-Door Into India [1928] The 'back door' is Iran, through which an intrepid Englishman travels by car, with dog, union flag and movie camera in tow. They arrive eventually in a part of British India that is now Pakistan. While this somewhat bonkers real-life road movie is undeniably laden with its share of unthinking imperialist assumptions, it also includes valuable, occasionally breath-taking, images of people and places.
Lion – Tiger Fight! [1929] From the travelogue series The Adventure Parade, this film follows hunters in the Gir forest, capturing the brutal fight between a Lion and a Tiger and the gruesome aftermath, which is totally barbaric and would not be tolerated in a modern civilised society, as to see two gracious animals made to fight in such a barbaric way is unforgiveable, and has thankfully been banned.
Temples of India [1938] The temples in question include those at Mysore, Varanasi and Belur and we also get to see a dancer performing Shiva's 'Dance of Destruction'. The film ends rather oddly with a moonlight trip to the Taj Mahal, the filmmaker appearing to forget that it was built by a Muslim emperor. But despite its limitations in objectivity and logic, Jack Cardiff's Technicolor cinematography lifts the film to a rather higher plane. ‘Temples of India’ was produced by E.S. & F.W. Keller and directed and edited by Hans Nieter. It was distributed by UNITED ARTISTS.
Calcutta Topical [1926] This edition of the Calcutta Topical newsreel, produced by Indian cinema chain Madan Theatres, covers the Governor of Bengal's annual inspection of the Bodyguard and the arrival of the Calcutta (Kolkata) `Season’ with the new Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin. The sort of extravagant military ceremonies seen in the film took on increasing significance as the British struggled to shore up their power in the face of growing discontent across India. Victor Bulwer-Lytton, 2nd Earl of Lytton, was the Governor of Bengal from 1922-1927, and briefly Acting Viceroy of India in 1926, until the appointment of Lord Irwin as the new Viceroy. Lord Irwin was Viceroy of India until 1931, during a period of great turmoil.
The Truth Will Out [1930] This rare surviving piece of anti-Congress propaganda, sadly incomplete, is a dramatized account of an Indian villager who supports a Congress riot and the party was at the forefront of the fight for independence, and who is subsequently arrested, tried, sentenced and reprieved. His friend has no time for the party, stating: “Congress makes mischief. I will not come." The film was made by R.H.G. Johnston, a District Officer in the United Provinces, and features intertitles in Hindi, Urdu and English and was led by Ghandi which we see him at his massive rallies. Unfortunately the majority of the footage appears to have been lost, and this film ends early in the narrative.
A Road in India [1938] Here we have a short rare film by Hans Nieter and shows the rich Indian people heading for their summer retreat. It also shows the sights of India as seen from the perspective of a dusty road. This is a portrait of mainly rural India and is helped by the famous Jack Cardiff's Technicolor cinematography and on display there are Muslims and Hindus and paupers and princes: this road is meant to be reflective of all India. No major landmarks are featured and the location of the road is never given and makes for compelling viewing.
Tins For India [1941] This rare B/W film used minimal narration on the subject of making kerosene tins and asks the question, ever wondered about the number of uses an empty kerosene tin can be put to? The opening shot of palm trees and bullock cart carrying kerosene tins. Villages using empty tins for carrying water from the river, flattening the tins out and lining the roofs of village huts, cutting the metal up, bazaar where the empty tins are used as food containers. Newly-finished tins coming off a conveyor belt. Stages in manufacture shown tinplate’s stacked up, the plates are trimmed and hemmed. Lettering is marked and embossed on each plate. Each tin plate is then bent into a right angle to form two sides of a tin. The two bent pieces are joined to form the body of the tin. The bottom and the top of the tin are then made and joined to the body. The seams are tightened and soldered. A handle is made and attached to the tin by hand. Finished tins passing along a conveyor belt. Tins containing kerosene being sold in bazaars, lamps filled with oil and we see a Bullock cart carrying the tins. Directed and photographed by Indian cinema legend Bimal Roy, ‘Tins for India’ was made over a decade before the major success of films such as Devdas and Parineeta. Bimal Roy’s daughter Aparajita Roy Sinha comments: "The first time I saw the film ‘Tins for India,’ I was both surprised and intrigued. We did not know of the existence of this film. The beautifully shot close-ups of a man with straining muscles working for a British corporation seemed somehow to bear my father's stamp and presage his humanistic concerns that are evident in his later films. This short film was made early in his career and he died when he was 55 and this fact clearly demonstrates why he became the legend that he did, and why people still consider him a pioneer of Indian cinema." ‘Tins for India’ is credited as being a ‘Burmah-Shell Production.’
A Glimpse of India [1929] Here we get to view a rare B/W home movie of life for an English family in India, as well as filming different landscapes on India, which includes Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin) to the Khyber Pass, this travelogue of India features a tour around the Golden Temple at Amritsar, the Taj Mahal, the palace at Mysore and Varanasi (Benares). En route the film features agricultural life, potters, fishermen and lambadi (aka lambani/gypsy) and Oroan dancers.
An Indian Scrapbook [1941] This cheery, not to say cheesy, novelty B/W film is fronted by the celebrity Sabu, India’s first international movie star is supposedly talking to the off-screen narrator while taking a short studio tea break between takes of his latest feature film for the London Films. It’s quite possible the location footage was all bought in, given a spurious unity by the device of Sabu’s “scrapbook.” In 1944 Sabu became an American citizen, sadly Sabu died unexpectedly at the age of 39 in Los Angeles.
District Office [1941] Here is another rare B/W film that they concentrate on the area of Bengal in India and we find out the District Officer controls the welfare of 3,000,000 people in a radius of 50 miles, and is commonly known as the District magistrate.
19 Metre Band [1941] Go behind the scenes of Indian programmes on the BBC General Overseas Service (later known as the World Service) and is a film by William Macquitty and looks at “The most cosmopolitan building in Europe” that's the BBC's Broadcasting House, according to this fascinating documentary, which offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Indian programming for the General Overseas Service, forerunner of the World Service. Despite the date, there's no hint of the war here. Instead, broadcaster Z.A. Bukhari is shown at work alongside music director Dr Narayana Menon and Princess Indira of Kapurthala and broadcasts to the Indian continent on the British way of life. We also get to see another rare B/W of Ghandi on his tour of India, which was shot by Ghandi’s Nephew Kanu Ghandi and documents Ghandi’s peace mission to Noakhali District after the Hindi – Muslim riots of 1946. Noakhali District is historically known as Bhulua, is a district in south-eastern Bangladesh, located in the Chittagong Division. It was established as district in 1821, and officially named Noakhali in 1868. ‘19 Metre Band’ refers to the shortwave frequency of the service.
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Special Feature: Villenour [French India: Territory of Pondicherry] [1914] [1080p] [1.37:1] [4:20] This 1914 travelogue by Pathé Frères and features gorgeous stencil-coloured images of French India – present-day Puducherry – have a dreamlike quality. The arrival of a well-to-do European family, and dutifully attended to by the local natives pushing the carriage, which could have easily be converted to be either horse drawn or by an oxen and gives a semblance of narrative to what is largely a purely picturesque escapist experience and transporting Western viewers to an out-of-time “exotic” netherworld. This was a French production but like many of the travel films so popular in early cinema it travelled widely itself – hence this version is with English language titles.
Composer: Ruhan Kapoor and Sidhant Kapoor (Composed Meditation Music)
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Special Feature: Manufacturing Ropes and Marine Cables at Howrah, Near Calcutta [1909] [1080p] [1.37:1] [7:39] Here we get to view a rare B/W instructional film by Pathé Frères depicting the jute industry. For centuries, Bengal had been the heart of the jute industry, turning plant fibres into useful products. Here in Howrah, twin city to what is now Kolkata, hemp and coir, a fibre made from coconut husks, are transformed into a rope of formidable strength. Strands of plant matter are teased into larger and larger cordage, culminating in a mighty marine cable, 20 inches across and strong enough to stay an ocean-going ship. Men and women work at the ropewalk.
Composer: Pete Lockett (Esraj by The Ganges)
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PLUS: FIRST PRESSING ONLY: A beautiful collector’s 38 page illustrated booklet including new writing on the film ‘THE RIVER’ by David Thompson that reveals the plot of the film. It also has an in-depth 1993 item entitled RUMER GODDEN INTERVIEW BY DAVID THOMPSON. It also includes a wonderful archive piece from Satjiyat Ray entitled RENOIR IN CALCUTTA describing his experiences with Jean Renoir during location scouting for ‘THE RIVER.’ It also has another fascinating item by Dina Iordanova who is an educationalist and Professor of Film Studies at the University of St. Andrews entitled CAN THE INDIAN SPEAK? There is also an illuminating essay by Tag Gallagher entitled ROSSELLINI WENT TO INDIA about the presence of colonialism in ‘THE RIVER’ and India Matri Bhumi, discussing how and why India wasn’t given its own voice in these films. It also features wonderful rare promotional colour and black-and-white photos relating to the film ‘THE RIVER.’ Plus: Listing of all the special features on the second Blu-ray disc. Also ABOUT THE PRESENTATION and ACKNOLEDGMENTS.
BONUS: Reversible printed Blu-ray cover featuring original artwork and offering a choice of original posters for the film ‘THE RIVER.’
Finally, the release of ‘THE RIVER’ is a rare case of a set where the bonus features are even better than the film itself. It’s easily one of the best single-title releases of the year, if you can call it single-title. ‘THE RIVER’ has a poetic slant too, with some pondering and philosophical narration at times. This is backed up by a wonderful soundtrack of authentic-sounding Indian music as well as the sounds of nature. I particularly loved the story with the elephants. It’s amazing to see these creatures slowly and carefully work for their human masters, taking down and carrying around trees. They seem quite well looked after too – there’s a lovely bit where they’re bathed, for instance. They also share some human traits, shown in their relationships with one another. The final tale of the monkey who loses his master is touching and beautifully portrayed too. A particularly memorable sequence intercuts a stylishly shot dance routine with Gandhi leading the Salt March. This is all backed up by a beautiful soundtrack by Soumik Datta and, as with India Matri Bhumi, it’s a wonderful film that’s worthy of its own release. Overall, it’s a remarkable film that says, “It is the story of my first love; about growing up on the banks of a wide river. First love must be the same everywhere but the flavour of my story would have been different...” What I like about this BFI Blu-ray release takes a more hands off approach in its presentation compared to The Criterion Collection own Region A/1 Blu-ray release, which ends up leaving a lot of source damage intact, so making this Region B/2 BFI Blu-ray release the far more superior release. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
