The Hero (1966)

When it comes to cinematic storytelling, Satyajit Ray is a consummate craftsman. Though I have only seen a few of his movies, I have yet to be disappointed by one. He made filmmaking seem so effortless. The Hero is about a superstar actor traveling by train to Delhi to receive an award, but despite his apparent success, he is not satisfied with his life, and when a young journalist begins to probe him he soon spills all to her. The best moments here are the ones that make use of the cinematic space of the train cars. Ray's frames are packed tightly, and one begins to feel the sweaty and tense nature of these cramped spaces. What I found to be quite interesting is how influenced by some of the Hollywood masters Ray was. His focus here on a panorama of characters, their interactions and dialogue, setting the action over a small space of time, the chaotic ending, the naturalistic acting, and the controlled use of expressionistic sequences all called to mind Hawks, but Ray had a quieter, lighter touch. He was content just to observe as opposed to getting in the middle of the action, and when he did switch to a subjective viewpoint it was for effect. And there was a strong attention to detail here, the camera lingers on characters after the action has finished, watches them during their more mundane moments, relishes in the little things. And the ending is surely one of the most perfect I have seen in a while. The image of the hero wreathed with flowers, looking off to the world almost aloof, but at the same time very much aware, we wonder if he will seize the second chance he has been given, but like everything else in the film it is a quiet ambiguity, content to be what it is.