Pather Panchali

Pather Panchali (1955) is the first film in the Apu triology (Aparajito and The World Of Apu are the others) directed by Satyajit Ray and is widely considered among the greatest films of all time. It is a considerable achievement knowing that Ray had never directed a film prior to this, his cinematographer had never filmed one, his child actors had not even been tested for their roles, and it is the first soundtrack effort by now famous Ravi Shanker.  It is a simple tale of a family's struggle to survive in a rural village in India. The artistry lies in the way Ray frames the shots, edits the scenes, the performances from the cast, the time and place that is captured in film--sometimes in almost a documentary-like style, and the impressive soundtrack provided by Shanker. I can easily understand the film's reputation now.