Introduction –
“Two”, a 12 minute short movie by Satyajit Ray was released in 1964. It narrates the story of two boys; one rich and the other poor. Although the film is devoid of dialogues, the expressions of the two lads make up for that missing but essential element. The film sends out a profound message that happiness is simply a metaphor in human lives and therefore abundance is not a guarantee for such a reward.
Synopsis –
The film begins with the rich kid parading inside a large house, surrounded by luxurious toys, fruits and drinks. All alone and bored with his laid back lifestyle he shuffles between several epicurean chores. This momentum is broken when he hears someone playing flute right outside his house, built on a rising landscape, giving it an authoritative appeal.
He peeps out of the window and realizes that the flute player is none other than the poor kid living in a hut, along the fields. His social and class superiority kicks in. He peers at his large collection of toys, picks up a matching instrument, walks over to the window and plays noisily. Deflated by the size and the quality of rich kids’ toy, the poor lad walks back into the house and a little later returns with a drum ( Dholak ). Once again the rich kid matches him with his electronic version.
The rich kid is relentless, destroying the poor lad’s small joys, his freedom and his independence. His class superiority reaches the pinnacle when he shoots down the latter’s kite with an air gun and then offering a crooked grin. This particular scene is the highlight of the film. It offers a prism which allows viewers to interpret the film in several ways. The inherent nature of the rich to win against the poor, to crush their happiness in case they cannot match and inflict social and class disparity when everything else fails are some of the construes.
The film ends on a beautiful note. The poor kid is back with his flute and this time he plays it with disdain, unfettered and untouched by the rich lad’s presence, who seem to give up the challenge, unable to break the spirit of his poor counterpart, his competitor.
Trivia –
- The short film “Two” was funded by the American oil company Esso, as a part of cultural showcase. The company requested Satyajit Ray to make an English film, however he opted for a silent version instead.
- “Two,” is also know with a different title – “Parable of Two”
- “Two” is a part of the Academy’s exclusive Satyajit Ray Collection. It also includes several other works including 18 feature films.
Analysis –
Satyajit Ray experimented with a new form of transition, a nascent technique back them, splitting the sequence, a technique which offered a sense of hastiness, a quick jump to the next frame.
About the film – In a very short time Satyajit Ray shows us not just class disparity but also the inconsistency and inequality of thoughts, behavior and mindset. While the common man, in this case the poor kid has no qualms about his neighbor and his opulence, the same cannot be said for the rich folks.
The only peeve we have is that the film at times appeared like a game of one-upmanship between consumerism and a common man. With the backing of ESSO, the American petroleum giant, the flag bearer of capitalism, somehow contradicts the theme, to the point of irony. As mentioned earlier, the film can be interpreted in several ways, and therefore its take solely rests with individual viewers.
Cinematography ( Soumendu Roy ) is copybook, a conformist’s delight while Ravi Kiran shines as a rich kid. His actions and expressions convey much more than the missing narrative / dialogues.
1964 Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray 12 Minutes YouTube