Review of Ganga (1960) by Joe L — 03 Nov 2009
'the river' is a beautiful, poetic achievement by director jean renoir, that evokes many of the same feelings as 'to kill a mockingbird.' both films are told through the knowing perspective and narration of an adolescent girl as she comes to understand the larger scope of the world.
what makes 'the river' so wonderful beyond the incredible color photography and never-before-seen documentary style shooting in india, is the eschewing of traditional narrative in favor of evocative imagery and indian philosophy.
you can almost feel the 1959 audience's excitement at seeing a completely foreign culture celebrated in such an organic way. yes, it does smack of colonialism, but the girl's perspective is important (she's simply giving us her experience), and there isn't a hint of the british superiority that taints other stories tackling similar subject matter.
This review of Ganga (1960) was written by Joe L on 03 Nov 2009.
Ganga has generally received positive reviews.
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