An Enemy of the People [Ganashatru] *** (1989, Soumitra Chatterjee, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Dipankar Dey) – Classic Movie Review 9287

Indian director Satyajit Ray’s return to film-making after illness was this 1989 adaptation of the text of Henrik Ibsen’s classic 1883 play An Enemy of the People [Ganashatru], which is concerned with health – that of the body and the body politic.

Set in India and made entirely in the studio (because of Ray’s illness), it tells the story of a local man’s discovery of a town’s temple waters spa’s contamination and the desire of officials to keep it quiet as the community relies on the holy attraction for income from tourism.

Ray gives it an Indian context, commenting on superstition, abuse of power and the strength of radical oratory.

This is a theatrical rather than a wholly filmic account, and though Ray’s talent is beyond question, this piece does not rank among his finest work.

The main cast are Soumitra Chatterjee, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Ruma Guhathakurta, Mamata Shankar, Dipankar Dey and Subhendu Chatterjee.

An Enemy of the People [Ganashatru] is directed by Satyajit Ray, runs 100 minutes, is made by National Film Development Corporation of India, is released by Contemporary and Electric, is written by Satyajit Ray, based on Henrik Ibsen’s play, is shot by Barun Raha, is produced by Anil Gupta, is scored by Satyajit Ray and is designed by Ashok Bose.

It follows George Schaefer’s 1978 drama An Enemy of the People, with Steve McQueen as Dr Thomas Stockmann.

Ray made two more films, Branches of the Tree and The Stranger, before his death on 23 April 1992 (age 70).

Akira Kurosawa said: ‘To have not seen the films of Ray is to have lived in the world without ever having seen the moon and the sun.’

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 9287

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