The Expedition

Rex Dy

I saw this somewhat slow, B&W 1962 film at London's National Film Theatre a couple of years ago, during their excellent Satyajit Ray retrospective. It displays the qualities which most Ray fans like about his earlier films: the camera is thoughtful, and the time it takes to reflect on the characters is useful time for the viewer to do the same. The story is interesting as well, and much of the scenery and dialogue provides a fascinating insight into 1960s Bengali life, e.g. references to quinine (an antimalarial compound whose chemical derivatives, which are more potent, are used in modern prophylactic antimalarial preparations). Highly recommended as an introduction to Ray's best era. I personally haven't seen his Apu trilogy e.g. Pather Panchali, but I know that they have been criticised for being too sentimental. Abhijaan is nothing of the sort: it is a well-made exploration into an eventful period of a 1960s Indian taxi driver's life.