Very disappointing...

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Blistering performances.

I avoided watching this for a long time, leaving it to sit in my queue of DVR'd foreign films for at least six months, thinking its plot wouldn't be compelling. What kept the film in my lineup was its direction by Satyajit Ray; with Ray at the helm, I couldn't believe the film could be bad. And I am very glad I finally gave this movie a chance. Here in 1920s India we meet the decadent landlord Roy (Chhabi Biswas), an idle man who finds himself threatened by changing times that allow people who weren't born to privilege to better themselves through hard work. Roy is a classic example of the type of person who doesn't appreciate what he has. He has squandered the goodwill of his lovely wife (Padma Devi), who would rather sleep in their son's room, and though he enjoys his 13-ish son (Pinaki Sengupta), he isn't willing to accompany the family on a sick call and he cavalierly calls them back home when bad weather threatens. Roy encounters the worst kind of karma for putting his love of leisure and music above all else. However, along the way we are treated to three performances of classic Indian music and dance that are truly hypnotizing. I felt myself being skeptical of the strange sounds at first, only to lose myself in their intriguing melodies and rhythms. Bravo to director Ray for filming these stunning sequences in their entirety!As in every Ray film that I have viewed, there is a wealth of stunning imagery here...in the form of a ghostly white horse, the family elephant, which also serves as transportation, and shocking imagery from the insect world. The film absolutely grips one's heart as we observe the too-late-chastened patriarch clasping the body of his departed heir. This film takes some patience and focus but it is definitely worth the effort. Special praise should go to Kali Sarkar as Roy's intelligent and loyal servant and to the young Sengupta as a boy whose life is cut short in a cyclone. Both parts are small, but powerfully played.

Jalsaghar (aka "The Music Room") is a 1958 drama film directed by master Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray. Based on a short story of the same name by Bangla writer Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, Jalsaghar presents the tale of decline of a feudal lord in the pre-independence India. Jalsaghar stars veteran Bangla actor Chhabi Biswas in the lead role of Huzur Biswambhar Roy. Huzur is the last of Zamindars—a dying breed of landlords who once formed the very basis of the Indian Feudal System. Huzur's glory days are over but his sense of superiority remains intact. He lives in the past neither acknowledging the present nor anticipating the future. He continues to be a servant of his refined tastes even as his coffers are getting empty.Jalsaghar was Ray's fourth film which he made after the commercial failure of Aparijito—the finally film in Ray's much acclaimed "The Apu Trilogy". Ray had initially thought of making a commercial film, based on some popular work of literature, which would incorporate popular Indian music. But, what eventually transpired was something that was totally different. It was more of an art-house work than a commercial movie that Ray had initially intended to make. The movie failed to do well at the Indian box-office. But, it received both critical and financial success in Europe and the US and helped Ray earn international reputation. The music of Jalsaghar was written by the Indian composer and sitar maestro Ustad Vilayat Ali Khan who was encouraged by Ray to compose musical pieces that would gel well with the movie's dark and gloomy tone. The movie's melancholic musical composition and sombre art direction—the sublime use of mirrors, chandeliers, etc.—gives it a Gothic feel in the vein of American Film-Noir films of the '40s and '50s.In Jalsaghar, Ray highlights the perpetual conflict of tradition versus modernity while simultaneously examining the Indian caste system. Jalsaghar is a sublime work of cinema that, having stood the test of time for over five decades, continues to inspire the budding filmmakers as well as enthrall the audiences worldwide. Jalsaghar is widely regarded as Satyajit Ray's most evocative film. It serves to be a great means of getting acquainted with Ray's oeuvre. Jalsaghar with its universal motifs is also the most accessible of Ray's films, especially for foreign viewers. Jalsaghar is not a movie that would woo a casual viewer. Restless viewers should best stay away from it. But, a patient viewer would be thoroughly rewarded. The movie owing to its slow pace may pose impediments to the uninitiated viewer. Jalsaghar is a deeply thought-provoking work of cinema that demands multiple viewings. The movie is a must watch for every student of cinema. Jalsaghar.is an essential watch for all Satyajit Ray fans as well as those who understand and appreciate intelligent cinema. 10/10A more in-depth review of the film can be read at:http://www.apotpourriofvestiges.com/

No review could ever do this incredible film full justice. This is not Satyajit Ray's most famous work but it's probably his most satisfying. The cinematography, shadow & light play alongside the film's music combine to perfectly highlight the moments of elation and ultimate downfall of its lead character. Chhabi Biswas is perfectly cast as the ageing zamindar oblivious to his world crumbling down around him. Reportedly panned by some critics on its release in India, the film went on to find success in Western Europe. Now after years of having to contend with grainy transfers on DVD, New York's Criterion Collection have released a pristine remastered edition that highlights every single beautifully shot frame. The cleaned up audio does wonders for the incredible music & classical dance scenes, which feature a guest appearance from Ustad Waheed Khan. If you have any interest in real cinema and even if you're not a Ray fan, this is one of the greatest examples of what a totally flawless film looks like.

For me the most rewarding films (or any art for that matter) are those that are acutely mindful of life and death and themselves in the midst of it. In the words of Harold Bloom, "We all fear loneliness, madness, dying. Shakespeare and Walt Whitman, Leopardi and Hart Crane will not cure those fears. And yet these poets bring us fire and light." The same with all art, much of which this film epitomizes."The Music Room", as it is known in English, is as much about the power of cinema as it is about that of music. It is as much about life as it is about death, both elliptically consummate by reason of each other: art as a life of inspiration, inspiration as regained strength. Art as addiction, addiction as loneliness, loneliness as death.The ending is one of the most filmically mesmerizing moments I know of. Light and shadow, derangement and perspicuity, again life and death. And as for the Blu-ray (Region A) released by the Criterion Collection in 2011, it's phenomenal to the hilt, a cultural act in itself, in my books among their most enduring and best releases so far (perhaps only the complete Jean Vigo compares).