Satyajit Ray - Pratidwandi aka The Adversary (1970)

After the death of his father, Siddhartha Chowhury (Dhritiman Chatterjee) is forced to drop out of medical school to support his family. He goes on a series of meaningless job interviews, growing increasingly alienated and angry. A comrade of his communist younger brother offers to help, but he rebuffs him. His beautiful sister Sutapa (Krishna Bose) easily finds work, but her relationship with the boss brings scandal to the family. His poorer friends have turned to petty theft, while richer ones indulge in prostitutes. The only ray of hope in his life is the innocent Keya (Joysree Roy) who has troubles of her own.







This movie is the first in what is called Ray's 'Calcutta Trilogy', which consists of 'Pratidwandi', 'Seemabaddha', and 'Jana Aranya'. These three movies, though not as remarkable perhaps as his previous, and more famous trilogy, the 'Apu trilogy', are nonetheless some of his finest and most subtle movies.

Pratidwandi is set in a Calcutta rocked by political unrest, and examines the varied reactions of the youth of the city to this unrest. Based on Sunil Gangopadhyay's novel, the story revolves around Siddhartha, his family, the girl he loves and his struggle for survival in the big city, while at all times staying true to his principles. From its beginning interview scene, its use of real events as backdrop, its sublime acting, particularly that of Dhritiman, right till its remarkable ending, arguably Ray's greatest ever, the film sustains a continued high which makes watching it an unforgettable experience. (IMDB user comment)









El adversario/ Siddhartha y la ciudad
Luego de la muerte de su padre, Siddhartha Chowhury (Dhritiman Chatterjee) se ve obligado a abandonar sus estudios de medicina para mantener a su familia. Tiene una serie de entrevistas de trabajo desafortunadas, y se torna cada vez más alienado y enojado. Un compañero de su hermano menor le ofrece a ayuda, pero él lo rechaza. Su hermosa hermana Sutapa (Krishna Bose) fácilmente encuentra trabajo, pero su relación con el jefe trae escándalo para la familia. Sus amigos más pobres comienzan a dedicarse a pequeños hurtos, mientras que los más ricos se dedican a las prostitutas. El único rayo de esperanza en su vida es la inocente Keya (Joysree Roy), que tiene sus propios problemas.







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