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10 out of 13 people found the following review useful: The best Bengali Children Classic Ever Made!, 17 August 1999 Author: Debraj Bhattacharya from Mumbai (India)
A must see for all children . A fantastic adventure story with amazing effects of the time.(i think it deserved an Oscar for the effects). Satyajit Ray has made a master piece. Even today I watch the movie and am not bored.FANTASTIC.
6 out of 7 people found the following review useful: One Of Ray's Masterpieces, 11 April 2006 Author: David (davidals@msn.com) from Chapel Hill, NC, USA
The great Satyajit Ray has become one of my favorite filmmakers, and unfortunately it's become very difficult to see most of his films in the US. GOOPY GYNE BAGHA BYNE easily ranks as one of Ray's most intriguing creations - a wonderful family film, which also contains the complex philosophies that enliven Ray's many other masterpieces. In his own film writing, Ray expressed admiration for certain experimental filmmakers who came to prominence during the 50s and 60s, and this film gave him an opportunity to do a bit of stylistic experimentation of his own, while also creating something of a tribute to his father's and grandfather's writings. The results are one of Ray's finest films.I won't summarize the plot, which is well-described here. But I would point out several outstanding elements of GOOPY AND BAGHA - the first would be Ray's creative use of effects - apparently the film was made on a small budget, but the story is captivating enough that one doesn't really notice - such constraints force a filmmaker to rely upon his own expertise, imagination and ability to improvise and innovate, and in this regard, GOOPY AND BAGHA almost feels like a great, kids version of a 'new wave' film (in the best senses of the term) - willing to try the unexpected, and confident that the unexpected will work well. A second strength is Ray's creation of a sophisticated family film that has much to offer adult viewers - GOOPY AND BAGHA offers a great amount of hope and strength in the face of a changing world, as the film was made at a time in which momentous and troubling events were occurring throughout the globe. I'm certain that Ray was mindful of this, and sought to incorporate a sophisticated engagement with changes in the outside world into the underlying philosophy in this dreamlike and magical film. Many writers have commented in vague fashion on Ray's 'humanism,' but the worldview expressed is far more detailed and wide-ranging than that term would imply - a well-thought way of looking at life connects all of Ray's films, and that includes this one.A magnificent film, one very much deserving of wider appreciation around the globe.
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Way ahead of its times and means, 30 June 2002 Author: Manu
I was not merely pleased, rather I was shockingly impressed by the level of finesse in the art work of this movie. Some of the stuff is years ahead of its times.The dark shadows of ghosts, their dances and the part of the movie in which Goopy and Bagha meet the beings from the other side is plain superb. A must see.
2 out of 2 people found the following review useful: Evergreen Fairy tale, 21 April 2007 Author: Nirupam Biswas from India
I rate 10 to the movies I can watch hundred times, time and again. Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is one of them. I grew up watching this movie, watched several times and each time was none the less exciting...charming.One of Ray's great directorial acumen was to select perfect casts for the movie. If you just see the actors he chose to perform various characters in the movie, you will think that the story was actually written keeping them in mind. And the actors impeccably perform their parts.This is the story about two simpleton musicians who were respectively banished by their village for their cacophonous music and coincidentally teamed up in a forest lived by ghosts. Furtunately the king of ghosts liked their music and gave them three magical boons. There started the adventure of Goopy and Bagha.Another powerful aspect of Ray's movies is their music. Mostly he composed himself. He did for this movie too. One more fact keeps you wondering is how such a fairy tale movie can be made with so less special affects and low cost. The sets were adorned with crafts and symbols that accentuate the ambiance, like the Magician's room in the palace of Shundi.This is the first of the movies about adventures of Goopy Bagha. There are two more of them - Heerak Rajar Deshe (In the land of Diamond King) and Goopy Bagha Phire Elo (Goopy Bagha Return) - each worth watching, the third movie is directed by Ray's son, Sandip Ray.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: This movie depicts three basic needs of a human being : Food, Travel and amusement., 22 April 2008 Author: somakd from India
This movie depicts three basic needs of a human being : Food, Travel and amusement. Gupi and Bagha are two characters who meet in a jungle being banished by the King of their village. They by chance meet the King of Ghosts and he gives them three boons for their simplicity and innocence. The first boon : 'They will get food whenever they want' , ' the second : 'they can go anywhere they want' and the third : 'they will master art of music and everybody will be spell bound and motionless while they sing'. Only for the first two boons they have to clap each others hand. They travel (by clapping) to Shundi (a kingdom) to participate in a music competition and win. They become the King's court musicians. They found that all the people in Shundi except the family of the King were dumb because of an epidemic. Unfortunately in Halla (another kingdom governed by the King of Shundi's brother) the Minister drugs the innocent King and prepare to war against Shundi. He engages his chemist to prepare a cure for the dumbness of the people of Shundi. The reason is strange. According to him " If the people of Shundi don't say what they need then how can I bar them from having that?". Gupi and Bagha journeys to Halla and the things start to happen.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: excellent film - a new taste, 26 December 2007 Author: cdebarun-1 from India
The film is simply superb .... a real masterpiece. The film is so rich in every respect - Nothing new to say. It had all sort of spices, ghost, a good king, an abnormal king, palaces, evil prime minister, evil magician, etc.It was a new landmark in the Indian film. This is an evergreen film for generations to come. The songs were beautiful. Only one small defect. In the last song when Goopy wanted lots and lots of sweets, they should have clapped.Because, they get food only both of them claps. Here foods came but there were no clapping! But this is very very negligible. And finally we have to admit a new quality of songs.The lyrics, the background music, the comedy within the songs - a completely new type.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: story of two village lads achieving new heights, 2 February 2007 Author: halder-sandeep from India
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne is a must watch for any one who loves good cinema.it is a movie for all those who enjoy the beauty of life in all it's simplicity.the story starts with Goopy who is eventually ousted by village king and how he meets Bagha and how they encounter the king of ghosts and thereby receiving three boons from him.it is from here that these two lads set on an adventure.This movie scores in all direction.the music,lyrics and the screenplay are by the master director himself and he shows his mastery in each and every field he explores.indeed a true legend!!!The performance of Rabi ghosh and Tapan chatterjee is brilliant.they have immortalised the character of Goopy and Bagha.Santosh dutta a regular in ray movie is outstanding along with Jahar Ray in the role of a cunning minister of Halla.the kind of message the movie conveys is what stays with you till the end of the day.the movie highlights the power and beauty of music in sharp contrast to the war loving minister of halla.ray shatters the romanticism associated with war through his mastery.one scene that deserves mention is the morbidly under fed spy's report on "Shundi's" military secrets where he dreamily describes the calm peaceful serenity of birds in lush green pastures and the happiness of the folk only to be ridiculed by the obese ,war mongering minister chomping on his mid day feastthis movie has remained in the hearts and mind of the people since the time it released in the year 1968.if any of u haven't watched this movie then u have definitely missed something.so all those who have missed this movie get hold of a DVD and for those who have watched it,do the same!!!
3 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Not just a children's film, 19 September 2005 Author: donelan-1 from United States
Still not available on DVD? This film (and it's sequel) are unique for Satyajit Ray, who (except for some tongue-in-cheek detective films)spent his cinematic career portraying the conflicts and contradictions of modern Indian society in films that are both realistic and poetic (like the films of his mentor, Jean Renoir). Many of them feature characters trying to make the transition from traditional, village-based life to modern urban life (e.g. the Apu trilogy, Mahanaghar), or trying to preserve traditions in a world that no longer has a place for them (e.g. Jalsaghar). This is one of the main themes of African literature and cinema as well.Many of Ray's films also show women trapped by tradition (Devi, Charulata) or using their education and ingenuity to escape from it (Mahanagar). But in the fairy tale world of Goopy and Bagha, both talent and opportunity are given them by divine intervention, because their desire to make music attracts the deity's attention. And when one of them is betrothed to a princess (leaving the other empty-handed) a local king obligingly asks if they need another princess. Contrast this with the plight of Apu in the real India, looking for a job after graduating from college. A prospective employer shows him a large room full of people who spend all day, every day, sorting old buttons into trays.As other reviewers have mentioned, Ray's fantasy is beautifully photographed, and full of realistic psychological detail (as well as sly humor) which draw us effortlessly into the story. How long will it be before this, and Ray's other films, are available on DVD?
4 out of 7 people found the following review useful: one of the best bengali/Indian films made ever, 5 February 2005 Author: rohonnag from Mumbai, India
This is the story of two village idiots and the fantastic gifts they get and their further adventures, the film has 2 more sequels, one of the rare films that actually has sequels ! for 1968 the special effects are amazing, remember this is no Hollywood stuff, Indian film of a low-medium budget one of the best written and directed films, definitely a must see !the sequels (name forgotten) are also instant classics, the comedy is hilarious, and i am 20 years old and just seen this film and it wasn't outdated at all !i am glad satyajit ray got an Oscar as life time achievement, he truly deserved that
A passionate re-tale of the film..., 6 January 2007 Author: nilanjan23 from India
It is a an amazing movie, not just in the terms of it being simple or the reason that it was primarily made for children but the direction, the interplay of lights and within them the characters spanning a magnificent adventure story that must be seen by all children and adults.I am in awe of this film... Although I would like to know something. If anyone knows about the raga being sung by the Hindustani vocalist in the movie? This scene is at the time when Goopi and Bagha have just found their powers and ate wholesome food using it and they here a singing sound coming from a distance. After sometime it appears that a vocalist is practicing his raga sitting in a palki while going to Shundi to participate in a music competition. I am quite fascinated by the vocals and would like to know which raga is being sung....
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