Ray's sublety
Sir: As the author of a forthcoming biogra- phy of Satyajit Ray, may I make two factual comments on Peter Ackroyd's sensitive appreciation (Films, 22 Septem- ber) of Ray's magnificent new film based on a novel by Tagore, The Home and the World?
Ackroyd mentions Ray's long period of illness and adds that the film was edited by someone other than Ray. This is inaccurate and it matters, since Ray has always been unquestioned as a consummate editor, ruthlessly conscious of the true expressive power of a scene or particular shot. The facts are that Ray's son, himself a film- maker, directed several scenes under the strictest possible supervision from his father. The editing was entirely supervised by Ray as always.
Secondly, Ackroyd notes that he felt 'disconcerted' by the fact of the revolution- ary character in the film breaking into song, in Bengali of course, on several occasions, a feeling shared by several critics. Whatever the impact of this ex- pression of emotion on the West, audi- ences here should be aware that these songs, at least one of which is by Tagore himself, are well-known patriotic songs in Bengal, and Tagore is generally felt to be quite the equal of Schubert. An indication of Ray's sub lety is that the last verse of the Tagore song contains a direct clue to a crucial event later in the film.
Andrew Robinson
13 Lonsdale Square, London Ni
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