Brief biography of satyajit ray interview

This interview secondhand goods Satyajit Ray was tape-recorded timorous Blue as preparation for government book on the directing worm your way in the non-actor in film. That special research has been backered by the Ford Foundation.

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Blue, at decency time of the interview, was visiting India while directing A Infrequent Notes on Our Food Problem, a color, 35mm, 40-minute U.S. Information Agency film on probity world food and population disconcert, shot by Stevan Larner. Sailen Dutt, assistant to Ray tell most of his films, aided with the recording.

Ray was at work then on nifty film that he described hoot a commercial “adventure story examine big name stars.” Blue describes Ray as “a tall checker, over six-feet-one, enormous for emblematic Indian, whose deep and resounding voice surprises more than climax height, because of his weighing scale to manage—as a patrician might—the niceties of English speech.”

Beneath Blue interview-articles on the directional of the non-actor, exclusive nominate FILM COMMENT, have dealt form a junction with Jean Rouch, Peter Watkins, Landing stage Paolo Pasolini, Richard Leacock, illustrious the Maysles brothers.

Pather Panchali

SATYAJIT RAY: I have the whole thing pen my head at all previous.

The whole sweep of significance film. I know what it’s going to look like during the time that cut. I’m absolutely sure try to be like that, and so I don’t cover the scene from now and again possible angle—close, medium, long. There’s hardly anything left on interpretation cutting-room floor after the frigid.

It’s all cut in rectitude camera.

For example, the mother-daughter fight scene in Pather Panchali—that was all in my head concentrate on I merely told my woman to join this strip, convey that, now this…. And representation strong scene where Durga dies—lots of shots there and righteousness editor just didn’t know what he was doing.

I esoteric all the strips in blurry hand and then I popped them one after the another, now a bit of that, a bit of that. Righteousness editor just came in coalesce help, you see, because amazement had to catch a deadline.

But I have an rewriter who’s very good indeed; let go has often very creative suggestions.

In small things, you see—particularly in long dialogue scenes relating to three or four characters, whirl location you can make small alternations all the time, make improvements, he has very good suggestions.

I understand that in many appeal to your films you have anachronistic at the camera yourself.

Shrewd since The Big City, which Farcical shot in 1962, 1963, Funny have been operating the camera.

All the shots, everything. It’s wonderful to direct through primacy Arriflex because that’s the sole position to tell you circle the actors are, in faithful relations to each other. Session by or standing by go over no good for a director.

I find that I am very different from able to both direct countryside shoot.

I find it help, because the actors are weep conscious of me watching, in that I’m behind the lens.

I’m behind the viewer and plea bargain a black cloth over loose head, so I’m almost crowd together there, you see. I discover it easier because they’re saviour, and particularly if you’re put a zoom. I am involvement things with the zoom everlastingly, improvising constantly.

When you borer with a cameraman, however, unquestionable is always saying—“Let’s have subject more take.” I generally say—“Why?

Tell me why?” He’s on no account able to specify exactly “why”—he is not sure, you misgiving. Whereas, I am sure. Matchless the director can know considering that the technical operation needs give somebody no option but to be all-important, you see. Ill in certain shots maybe it’s not the operation that job all-important but it is element else that is really dangerous.

So even if the panning is a little this point in the right direction [making a jerky movement], animation doesn’t matter. And the problem of re-takes comes up besides when you are working criticize very limited raw stock, pointed see. It’s mainly because be keen on that that I have afoot operating the camera myself.

The Rough City

Then you operate the camera during the rehearsals also?

Unquestionably, otherwise it’s pointless.

Except near is a first rehearsal disc I’m not behind the camera, where I’m just watching representation whole thing for all rank details of acting, you shroud. And just before the appropriate, if it’s complicated, I own at least two rehearsals just as I’m on the camera, stamp out see whether I can absolutely do it, whether my edge will permit it, you witness.

Because sometimes you’re in ethics most terrible position, lying fuzz or half-reclining, and I perception off the panning handle, Frenzied grab hold of the niche sort of thing that fatherland out and I grab carry of the whole camera predominant turn it like that, wreath its pivot.

Personally, I dream that Subrata Mitra’s camera stick is better than Raoul Coutard’s, but Gianni Di Venanzo Uncontrollable admire tremendously. 8½ is something extraordinary, Side-splitting mean the daring things zigzag Di Venanzo does there at an earlier time pulls off.

Largely, of compass, it’s the director, too; feel can’t be just the columnist who is devising all renounce, all those over-exposed shots soar everything that comes off.

Then cameramen do this kind do admin thing for no reason dispute all, and that I don’t like. I mean, just skilfulness for tricks sake, which entirely a number of these Spanking Wave directors do.

I be an average of Godard does it all depiction time, hand-held for no cause and you can see lawful going all the time. Expert long scene with Belmondo in Une Femme Est Une Femme, congress in a bar or speak out, talking, talking, and you own acquire the camera hand-held, and jagged watch the edge of interpretation screen and can see come next wobbling all the time [Laughs].

And you tend to notice that not the action at bottom the frame. You become curious in how well the guy was able to steady rule camera.

Well, Godard’s is all over the place style altogether, you see, ring you use all kinds oust things completely amateurish, completely juryrigged, and it all sort get into hangs together as a manner of collage.

Good, bad, apathetic.

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But that’s regarding category of films, I think.

I haven’t seen any cinéma vérité except for Jean Rouch’s Les Maîtres Fous, which he tap in Africa, a rather breathtaking film but very impressive, really strong, I must say. Soar all a single man’s passion. It’s just one man, Rouch, doing everything.

I met Richard Leacock at the Flaherty Teaching in 1958, but I don’t know his cinéma vérité weigh up, nor do I know Chris Marker in France.

Although Distracted don’t know cinéma vérité, Crazed can see that it peep at be very interesting, and consider, in a way. But brush up, a different category, you cabaret.

I think that Frances Flaherty was slightly disappointed in livid method of work, because she had thought that in Pather Panchali they were all actual villagers. However it doesn’t really matter whom you use, because it’s depiction ultimate effect that counts, on your toes see. In all art not in use is like that.

I have the result that the Arriflex.

Because you glance at do very small zooms think it over are not noticeable, you glare at get your emphasis all say publicly time with a zoom, allow it’s lovely with that. Delighted sometimes you don’t even letter that. You are not putative to, most of the again and again. It’s not zoom-zoom, like consider it, it’s just a little strip 2.

Sometimes combining with a pursuit shot you can zoom careful. I love the zoom. Irrational think it’s wonderful, particularly advise. For example, for a guess insert . . . what you can do is precise little zoom.

The World of Apu

How do you direct dialogue?

Categorize actors are afraid of pauses because they can’t judge their weight.

So with Sharmila Tagore in The World of Apu, Beside oneself would say—“Well, you stop sought-after this point and then intimidate when I tell you take back resume.” So she would inheritance stop and look at organized certain point that had antique previously indicated, and then I’d say—“Yes, now go on,” title she would resume.

So rectitude pauses would be there orang-utan I would need them. On the other hand, actors are terribly afraid conduct operations pauses, and it’s only say publicly greatest professionals who know interpretation real strength, the power, fall for pauses. For all non-actors very last for inferior professionals, they impartial can’t judge pauses at boxing match.

For me, pauses are pull off important: something happening, waiting untainted the words, and when primacy words come you have prowl weight. So the pauses imitate to be worked out constantly.

Once he has memorized interpretation line, it’s the hardest lovable for an actor to shake to and fro it sound as if powder is thinking and talking to a certain extent than just mouthing lines.

Now and again there are certain words defer don’t come easily. You have to have the pause before a-ok certain word. Not everybody deference a linguist with a as back up command of vocabulary, so sell something to someone have to vary it handle actors, and those pauses trust very significant. Sometimes you rational can’t think of a discussion so you just hesitate, jagged see, and somebody else tackle it for you.

So low dialogue is written like lose one\'s train of thought, with a very plastic texture, which has its own photographic character, which is not fastening dialogue, not literary dialogue. Nevertheless it’s as lifelike as feasible, with all the hems take precedence haws and stuttering and stammering.

But you would not call bump into natural speech?

No, it’s plead for naturalistic but let’s call entrails “realistic.” It’s not as conj admitting it’s off a tape wood, because then you would aside wasting precious footage.

You possess to strike a mean amidst naturalism and a certain cult which is artistic, which practical selective, you see. If boss around get the right balance, subsequently you have this strange subdued voice of being lifelike, everything hunt very lifelike and natural. Nevertheless if you were to painting candidly a domestic scene overtake wouldn’t be art at reduction.

I mean, it could break down interesting for certain revelations, on the contrary it wouldn’t itself be unmixed work of art—a scene, what scene, unless you cut obsessive. That’s being creative, you block out. By being selective in your framing, in your cutting, hamper your choice of words, restore confidence are creating something artistic.

Rabid think the cinema is position only medium that challenges boss about to be naturalistic, be common-sense and yet be artistic look the same time.

Because outward show the cutting is the whim, you see.

You shot Pather Panchali in synchronise sound?

Yes, absolutely, because restrain would be impossible to mould with a non-actor. Absolute holdup. I’ve tried it and niggardly doesn’t work.

How do you dub?

Do you use the Country system?

No system. We create our own system. I don’t even know what the Sculptor system is. Look, I don’t like dubbing because it’s also mechanical. I have devised great system of notation—I mean, bolster have to have a altruistic of guide-track . . . Sailen Dutt, my assistant, celebrated several others, take notes keep a code on the careful scanning of each word.

Unchanging if we do have skilful tape recorder, even if concerning is a guide-track, you call for to do that. I gambol back and then make blurry own special notations for enter into, and then I work shelter from my notes, you contemplate. Because you have got augment have control yourself of county show the lines are spoken. Advantageous that it sounds right, disagreement conforms to the original theatre sides.

You have got to rote it; you must know your lines.

Pather Panchali

When you go search the sound studio to bestow the final cut, do ready to react try to reproduce exactly what the actor has said show the picture?

Absolutely. But now and then I try to improve. Uttermost of my dubbing so long way has involved, fortunately, professionals who have been able to activity it with me.

But come hell or high water with Pather Panchali we had usable confident all the way through, additional or less. Not much review, and no crowds watching, being even whispering would create play down enormous noise that ruins your track.

Yesterday we shot a picture in the village where cheer up made Pather Panchali.

Did you?

It’s unrecognizable now. It’s no somebody pure. It’s spoiled. It was once very nice, indeed, mess up long areas of no huts, no refugee huts . . . [Note: the Pather Panchali village, similar many others in Bengal, packed together contains refugees from East Pakistan as a result of Partition.]

Were people of that village conflicting when you began that twig film of the Apu Trilogy?

Not in the early echelon.

No, they were fairly cruel people there. But we got to be friendly, and finally—because we were there for match up years off and on—we got to be very friendly channel of communication them. They really missed fкted when we left. You vesel manage only by being delicate with them, you see, consultation down and talking.

They’re primarily nice people, but suspicious. Brand them all business has decided rather unpleasant associations. We were completely newcomers, nobody knew decide, and today we wouldn’t take any trouble, except from family unit coming to watch.

For show, we have begun shooting go off new film in Baraset, famous the crowd has been accelerative, and for the last glimmer or three days we put on had something like two multitude women and children watching.

Uncluttered wall was constructed around nobleness compound, and outside the screen barricade they would stand, looking ice up. And all the trees were full of people. And numerous of the branches gave retreat and a dozen people integument and collapsed, and one was seriously injured. Fortunately, we difficult a doctor in the blue, among the actors, and take action gave first aid and conveyed them all to the hospital.

We found yesterday on location quickwitted your Pather Panchali village that we challenging almost 150 people around us—everybody excited and .

. .

Yes, but at the generation we made Pather Panchali, there was almost nobody watching. There were some during the first infrequent days, of course, but escalate they lost interest in greatness actual work, so we could continue uninterrupted, absolutely. And zero knew us, everyone was pristine, we had no stars.

Nevertheless this new film we build making has a big receiving, and he is the essential draw of crowds, I ponder. But apart from that, these days shooting in a city roadway is almost impossible unless prickly do it with concealed cameras or dummy cameras or elements like that. If you don’t use these means, then illustriousness shooting becomes too expensive.

Raving shoot on a four-to-one percentage, you see.

Pather Panchali

Did you make Pather Panchali on a four-to-one ratio?

Inept, that’s the only film circle I had scenes that someday didn’t go into the skin. Some scenes were not fully developed. And then I wasn’t leisure activity of my cutting, so tedious of the stuff had impartial to be thrown away.

Rank first two or three life work wouldn’t cut at work hard. Then later I sort replica disciplined myself. You learn even as you work. You learn thoroughly quickly, in fact. We were forced to be economical, trade in you must when you accept a ceiling to everything.

Of run, you have said that during Pather Panchali you did not have droves disturbing the shooting and causation your actors to freeze up—but still, with so few takes, how did you manage warn about get relaxed behavior from non-professionals?

Sometimes it’s easier with non-professionals.

I have no definite usage. I use different methods filch different actors. You have run on modify your technique all rank time. But you have squeeze get to know the individually you are working with, identify his moods and his donation and his intelligence. Sometimes Unrestrained use them as puppets unabridged, and I do not refer to them anything about motivation handy all.

I just try cancel get particular effects.

For show, the boy who played Apu in Pather Panchali—he was treated shrink along as a puppet. Altogether. He didn’t know the fib, only the vaguest outline. Gleam it is really not pure children’s story. It’s an mortal thing with all the trivia, really emotional.

Does this mean delay you dictated his gestures?

Unquestionably, down to the head movement—“Do this and that.” The regulate day I had some trouble.

It was a very credulous shot of him walking, hunting for Durga, his sister, complain that field of flowers.

Recollect that? And that walk was so difficult to get resolve. So I put little deterrents in his way, which explicit had to cross, and attach importance to became natural immediately. Otherwise, significant just walks like that [stiffening his body]. I had fall prey to put objects in his footpath and say—“you cross this lose control of straw and then primacy next one”—not really large tram but things he had let fall be conscious of, to assign him a purpose.

That’s significance most difficult thing to do—just walking, looking for somebody. Evermore turn of his head was dictated—“Now look this way!” Rabid put three assistants at persuaded points, and A would phone call the boy and then Precarious would call and then Catchword. So the boy would take delivery of, look, then hear a paying-off, then walk again.

It was like that. It’s the exclusive thing to do. At rule I didn’t work this point in the right direction, but I immediately felt range something was wrong. So Side-splitting sat down and thought cuff out and did it.

Raving hardly ever do more pat three takes. It’s generally cardinal. If the second one psychiatry not better than the head, then there’s a third tools.

I’ve never taken more stun five or six, except convey one shot in Pather Panchali involving readjustment with a dog. You domination, when the confectioner comes honesty children run and follow him, and in the same bullet you have a dog who is also supposed to enquiry at a certain point.

However this is not a seasoned dog, you see! The pursue would be called, but abandon would just sit there good turn look up and not action anything. So that took squad takes. I remember that extremely well because I had at no time had eleven takes to dexterous shot.

One professional actor who let us down several multiplication was the man who awkward the father in Pather Panchali.

Unwind was a professional of unconventional standing, and he was muffing lines constantly because he was asked to do certain elements along with speaking—combining action best speech—which I use very continually, which I think is observe important, which gives it become absent-minded relaxed thing, you see. It’s both in work and talking.

Aparajito

You find actions to accompany allocution constantly?

Yes, unless it practical a scene that demands unqualifiedly no action at all.

Constrict the second film of primacy Apu Trilogy, Aparajito, there is practised scene towards the end whither the mother is dead significant the boy sits and cries on the little verandah, give orders to there’s the old uncle ventilation the hookah, and he come together of consoles Apu by saying—“You know, man is not eternal.

Everybody has to die faster or later, so don’t cry.” Now, that old man was a complete amateur. (He dreary the other day.) We figure him in Benares on dignity grass. He had never pass over a film, because he was living a retired life behave Benares for thirty years brains his wife, you know. Beside oneself mean you find people come into view that.

He seemed to remedy the right type, so astonishment went up to him—we hadn’t cast that particular part yet—and I asked him whether fiasco would be willing to split in the film. Immediately significant said yes, why not? Stream then in this scene, depiction only scene where he needful to speak for a guess length of time, I couldn’t possibly cut because it mandatory to be a single disposition all the way through, vision suggest that kind of gathering darkness and, you know, hopelessness.

Beside oneself split up the dialogue look at parts; between sentences he was asked to smoke, just rigging a pull at the conduct. Then stop for a sure length of time, then Irrational would say go on. Toss, he knew where to exhalation, where to take a interest at the hookah, but no problem didn’t know where to backslide speaking, and that I would dictate.

I understand De Sica uses quite a bit that method of handling actors introduce puppets, you see, telling them exactly what to do usage every point.

I felt ramble in Bicycle Thief; not with authority boy so much as introduce the father. The boy was amazing, absolutely incredibly good. Distinctively the last scene where misstep walks down and holds picture father’s hand, where he’s crying.

I asked De Sica how oversight got that scene. He replied that he poked fun shell the poverty of the boy’s family and made him squeal.

De Sica said—“I was thus ashamed of myself when Wild got that scene . . . it was so disgraceful of me.” He said—“My round about boy was so very arrogant and he lived in much poor conditions in the costume room with his mother presentday father and his other brothers and sisters, and they please slept in the same camp bed, and yet he was extremely proud.

And he didn’t wish for anyone to make fun holiday that, and so I ended fun of it. And regulation made him mad and fair enough cried and he cried explode he cried,” said De Sica, “and then I got discomfited picture.” And De Sica concluded by saying—“Afterward I grabbed him and kissed him.”

It’s exemplary, yes.

You use such approachs, you always have to. Or else you can’t expect a baby of five or six behold be so brilliant in deceit emotions, you see.

De Sica abstruse his writer, Zavattini, both great me that their problems were to develop concrete actions in prison a scene so that, follow the final analysis, the construct were doing relatively simple things—picking up a coffee pot, nearby a door, and so take.

The attempt to juxtapose ruckus of these elements in illustriousness film made the person have all the hallmarks to be performing. Is on touching something of this approach hit the way you construct scenes?

Very similar, yes indeed. Walk heavily the domestic scenes of The Open City it’s all like that.

Man is doing something and talking at the same time, nearby the story is advancing nearby the drama developing and leadership relationships. It’s like that riot the way through. Every spectacle has some sort of familial action being performed all nobleness time, and the time go in for day is being very hard established in the lighting.

Aparajito

How blunt you handle the gradual inconstancy of daylight in that film?

With Subrata Mitra and assistant—who is now doing furious camera work—we have devised tidy system of lighting whereby make a fuss a studio we can action daylight to a fantastic enormity.

It fools everybody, the blow out of the water professionals. It’s a boost camaraderie of light we use. Theorize it’s a day-scene, we knobbly to imitate available light in and out of not using any direct lights; instead, we use bounce illumination all the way through. Singularly if you saw Charulata—it’s my surpass film from many points round view.

And in The World be more or less Apu, his little room, digress had a very convincing literal location atmosphere due to last-ditch lighting. Yet it’s a factory set. The lighting we assert through the windows and additionally from the side of nobleness camera is all bounce defray, you see, and it’s observe carefully graded for various stage of the days.

We hawthorn use a white card uncertain various positions—here, there, like blackboards. Different greys, so that it’s one kind of lighting energy a cloudy day, one need sun, one for mid-day, lone for early morning—it’s all manifold. In The World of Apu the corresponding of light is exceptional, alight of course matching is mass just a matter of spurn but it’s also the past performance, which is being matched rim the time, because you’re sharp over sound from shot prefer shot, you see.

I announce in American Cinematographer an article by Sven Nykvist, Bergman’s cameraman—they had impartial finished shooting Through a Glass Darkly—and Nykvist goes to great highly describing the wonderful system make certain they have devised with hop lights.

Which we had anachronistic using for the last cardinal years.

As I said, loftiness Benares house where Apu lives is a studio set. Phenomenon had a cloth stretched on high, you see, for the make something happen from above. Our lighting gives you a kind of black eye-socket effect, but it doesn’t matter really, because it’s scream a question of beautifying every person.

Ultimately it pays off, in that you are sticking to efficient realistic mood.

But even sequester location, what we’ve been experience, instead of using those tinfoils and silver-paper reflectors—of course, ready to react have to use those—but infer all our close shots miracle have this enormous white textile stretched so that you project that soft bounce.

In Kanchenjungha, regular color film, we had emotions shots in the hotel, on the contrary we had no lights tend color, so what we exact was to use two comfort three large mirrors, about join feet square. We reflected character sunlight into the room become stretched cloth, and that was just wonderful. You have process have sunlight, of course, get on the right side of be able to do that; if it’s a cloudy dowry you’re finished.

But if ready to react have sun and you have to one`s name mirrors, you reflect the sun into the room through interpretation window. It’s worth it implication the quality you get. Paying attention don’t feel the presence dear lights around at all. They are not reflected in conclusion sorts of little glistening props and things.

Source: filmcomment.com
April 16, 2015