Described by Jean Renoir (the famous French director) as "an Occidental meditation on the Orient", this film adopts the languid rhythms of the East as it tells the story of three adolescent girls coming of age in West Bengal after WWII.
Harriet (Patricia Walters), a self-conscious aspiring writer, Melanie (Radha), a quiet Anglo-Indian girl, and Valerie (Adrienne Corri), an imperious beauty, are three friends united by their infatuation with Captain John (Thomas E Breen), a WWII veteran who has moved into their neighborhood.
Yet, his melancholy, caused by losing his leg in the war, renders him impervious to their attempts to attract his attention. Patricia's amused but understanding parents (Nora Swinburne, Esmond Knight) try to distract her with involvement in the small events of daily life. But even with her parents, tragedy can strike, as it does for Patricia, turning her world upside down. Only then can she begin to understand the Captain, and finally penetrate his isolation, achieving a kind of love far different than what she had imagined.
The breathtaking color photography by Claude Renoir is the highlight in a film that represents an undeniable mellowing of the director's vision. Satyajit Ray, one of India's greatest filmmakers, assisted director Renoir on this production. This was also Jean Renoir's first film in color, was the winner of the Grand Prize at the Venice Film Festival, and named one of the Top Ten Best Films by the New York Film Critics' Circle.
Please contact Prakash Reddy of the Hyderabad Film Club at 373-0841/373-0265 for further details.
USA-France-India/1951/color/97min
Director: Jean Renoir
Cinematography: Claude Renoir, Ramananda Sengupta
Cast: Patricia Walters, Nora Swinburne, Arthur Shields
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