An Enemy of the People

Plot

Legendary Indian film director Satyajit Ray developed this project based on a classic play by Henryk Ibsen because his doctor wanted him to only shoot films in a studio. The story has been transferred to Bengal, and Bengali is the language used in the film. In the story, Dr. Ashoke Gupta (Soumitra Chatterji) is an idealistic doctor working in a town near Calcutta. He discovers that the water at a popular temple is the source of an outbreak of typhoid and hepatitis. In order to save lives, he risks his career to try and call attention to this polluted water source. His efforts are thwarted by a local group of building contractors, who attempt to discredit him in various ways. Despite that, Dr. Gupta has supporters, and a reporter from Calcutta offers to tell his story in the papers there. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Review

Director Satyajit Ray was hampered by poor health and under constant medical supervision when he made Enemy of the People, and as a result, it lacks the visual power of his best work. Shot almost entirely in a studio, it never really frees itself from its stage play roots. Taking a cue from the sense of moral outrage that imbues the Henrik Ibsen drama upon which it is based, it is also one of Ray's most didactic efforts. His characteristic subtle moral shadings are almost completely absent, though the great Soumitra Chatterjee, in the lead role, does manage to lend depth to his character. Despite its problems, the film has its moments. A scene in which the doctor's opponents manipulate the village's rules to prevent him from speaking at a town meeting he organized is rich with irony and acidic humor. Enemy of the People, partly because of Ray's health problems, is one of his weaker efforts, but he would redeem himself with his majestic final feature, The Stranger. ~ Tom Vick, Rovi

Cast

• Soumitra Chatterjee - Dr. Ashoke Gupta
• Dhritiman Chatterjee - Nishith Gupta

Subhendu Chatterjee - Biresh Guha; Manoj Mitra - Adhir

Credit

Satyajit Ray - Director, Dulal Dutta - Editor, Satyajit Ray - Composer (Music Score), Ashoke Bose - Production Designer, Barun Raha - Cinematographer, Henrik Ibsen - Play Author

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