Dana and Tom with 5x Club Member, Peterson W. Hill (Co-Host of the War Starts at Midnight podcast), discuss the Indian cinema classic, Pather Panchali (1955) celebrating its 70th anniversary: written and directed by Satyajit Ray, cinematography by Subrata Mitra, music by Ravi Shankar, starring Kanu Banerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Subir Banerjee, Runki Banerjee, Uma Dasgupta, and Chunibala Devi.

Plot Summary: Pather Panchali (meaning Song of the Little Road) is a 1955 film by Satyajit Ray. It tells the story of Apu, a young boy in a poor village in Bengal. His father, Harihar, is a priest who dreams of a better life, while his mother, Sarbajaya, struggles to care for the family. Apu is very close to his older sister, Durga, who finds happiness in small things even though they are very poor.

The film shows daily village life—both its beauty and hardships—through the children’s eyes. As the family faces loss and change, Apu begins a journey that reflects the joys and sorrows of growing up.

Guest:

Peterson W. Hill - Co-Host of the War Starts at Midnight podcast

• @petersonwhill on IG, Letterboxd, and Twitter
• Previous Guest on Gone Girl (2014), Parasite (2019), Fight Club (1999), Ben-Hur (1959), Up in the Air (2009), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), La Dolce Vita (1960), The Social Network (2010) Revisit

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome Back Peterson

05:04 First Impressions for Dana and Tom

11:30 Peterson's Relationship to Pather Panchali

14:21 Background for Pather Panchali

16:33 What is Pather Panchali About?

20:32 Does Pather Panchali Deserve to Be Mentioned Among the Greatest Films?

32:11 Plot Summary for Pather Panchali

33:55 Did You Know?

36:18 First Break

36:59 What's Happening with Peterson W. Hill?

37:43 Best Performance(s)

52:15 Best Scene(s)

01:02:36 Second Break

01:03:17 In Memoriam

01:11:16 Best/Funniest Lines

01:12:52 The Stanley Rubric - Legacy

01:18:35 The Stanley Rubric - Impact/Significance

01:24:14 The Stanley Rubric - Novelty

01:30:45 The Stanley Rubric - Classicness

01:35:58 The Stanley Rubric - Rewatchability

01:39:52 The Stanley Rubric - Audience Score and Final Total

01:41:08 Remaining Questions

01:46:45 Thank You to Peterson

01:48:41 BIG Announcement Tease

01:49:53 Credits

This episode is also available in full video on YouTube.

You can now follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or TikTok (@gmoatpodcast).

For more on the episode, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/pather-panchali-1955-ft-peterson-w-hill

For the entire rankings list so far, go to: https://www.ronnyduncanstudios.com/post/greatest-movie-of-all-time-list

Keywords:

Pather Panchali, film analysis, cinema, character study, legacy, impact, Indian cinema, Apu trilogy, Satyajit Ray, cinematography, film analysis, human emotion, storytelling, cultural reflections, family dynamics, cinema history, childhood innocence, cinematic techniques, timeless films, emotional depth, Subrata Mitra, Ravi Shankar

Ronny Duncan Studios