THE MUSIC ROOM

Satyajit Ray made "The Music Room" in 1958, a few years after "Pather Panchali" and before completing the rest of the Apu Trilogy and like them, it too is a masterpiece. It's about the sin of pride and how it destroys the supercilious old landlord Biswambhar Roy, (a magnificent performance from Chhabi Biswas), whose idea of 'keeping up with the Jones'' is to squander all he has on musical evenings that will outdo those of his nearest neighbour. It's also about the transformative affect of music, of which there is much and all of it wonderful. Although you might say it destroys him Biswambhar is also redeemed by opening up his music room for one last great concert.  This is also one of the cinema's greatest studies of obsession and of loneliness. If "Pather Panchali" were not enough this confirmed Ray's stature as one of world cinema's greatest directors and it is a film that remains as powerful today as it did when it first appeared. Treasure it.