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Pather Panchali, The Train Scene.

The film Pather Panchali was created by Satyajit Ray, breaking the normalcy of Indian

cinema. The train scene, especially, is one of Ray's famous scenes that use aspects of

photography such as face zooms of the characters, close-up shots, and lighting. The movie

includes various stylistic systems in this scene, including cinematography, composition,

direction, location, sound, and music, creating the right environment for thematic

expression in the train scene, thus displaying the elements of childhood curiosity and

desperation.

While shooting Pather Panchali, several people worked in the cinema for the first

time, including ray. The shot of the train scene is, however, extraordinary despite the

skeptics experienced during production. The train scene is a daytime scene, which means

using natural light for the camera work. While Apu approaches the whistling sound, the

camera tilts down from a high angle to focus on him as he starts on the tower, a camera

technique to show the passage of time from his movement from his herd of cattle to the

building (Cardullo, 2019). Dissolving from one shot to another throughout this scene, Ray

uses up-close images to show a change of action. For a film of this time, the shots are

genius, and the clarity of the features, including the characters and environment, is world-

class (Cardullo, 2019). The montage of the scene ends as the back view of Apu is shot as

he stares at the train's tail. The shots were taken in Boral, which was the primary location

of the scene. Boral is in line with the film's rural setting that was meant to be achieved to

complement the film's various themes, such as poverty and progress after that.

The sound and music in this particular scene are slow, quiet, and suspenseful

music. The music complements the curiosity between Apu and Durga as they listen closely

to the tower while the train approaches (Dwivedi, 2017). The sound of the train from a

distance is a whistle at first. As Apu moves, there are sounds of disturbed water and grass
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due to the wind blowing in the field. These sounds are essential for authenticity and

complimenting the scene's setting, putting everything into perspective for the audience.

The whistle signals Apu to move closer, and he runs from his cattle herd toward Durga.

The sound of the train becomes louder as it approaches, making Apu run even faster to

catch just the train's tail by the time he arrives (Dwivedi, 2017). The sound effects in the

scene come with a certain sophistication that creates the attitude and tunes it to the

environment, creating pure cinematic moments.

In terms of composition, Ray has used props related to a rural scene in this scene.

The props synchronize with the scene, the story, and the overall setting of the film

(Panchali et al., 2010). Apu is dressed in herding clothes and carries a stick as he moves

towards the train. On the other hand, Durga struggles to walk with her dress since the field

is unsuitable for her movement (Gopal, 2015). She falls as she runs towards the train and

does not catch sight. The movement of the characters in the scene is in line with how

curious they are expected to be since they want to discover what causes the whistling in

the tower. Apu moves swiftly and, at some point, runs toward Durga. When the sound of

the train is close enough, Apu leaves Durga behind and runs to feed his curiosity (Gopal,

2015). The composition and the objects in this scene are under keen observation and are

placed perfectly.

The train scene is magical and extraordinary for an Indian film. Ray took the

chance to be different from the usual Indian musicals to a classical melodrama. Rays'

technique in creating the film set a new pace for Indian movie producers challenging them

to be different. The train scene is expressed perfectly by putting the basics of Mise-en-

scene into perfect consideration, therefore, being remarkable in character choices,

composition, cinematography, sound, and music to convey the culturally significant

themes of this Indian film.

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References

Cardullo, R. J. (2019). Pather Panchali and the cinema of Satyajit Ray, reviewed. South

Asian Popular Culture, 17(1), 81-94.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14746689.2019.1585618

Dwivedi, R. P. (2017). The portrayal of the environment in cinema: A comparative study

of 'Pather Panchali' & 'Dreams.' International Journal of Humanities and Social

Science Research, 3(5), 45-48.

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/54916425/Portrayal_Publication-with-cover-

page-v2.

Gopal, S. (2015). Some brief reflections on technology, cinema, and the postcolonial

uncanny. Pacific Coast Philology, 50(2), 198-208.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02759527.2015.11933010

Panchali, P., Bannerjee, K., Gupta, U. D., & Bannerjee, S. (2010). Satya

jit Ray. Sudden Genius?: The Gradual Path to Creative Breakthroughs, 236.

https://books.google.co.ke/books