Meghe Dhaka Tara, (Cloud-Capped Star) directed by Ritwik Ghatak, is a beautiful movie. Ghatak’s expert use of sound aids the expressiveness of the picture. I particularly enjoyed the characters. Anil Chatterjee (Shankar), Neeta’s brother, had a remarkable performance. He’s a dreamer with much passion for his singing. Neeta knows that someday he will make it and become famous, so she helps him as much as possible, giving up some of her own life dreams and goals.

In the end, Neeta realizes that she won’t have another chance in life during a haunting ending scene by Ghatak. Shankar holds her in his arms and she cries out to him, “Brother, I want to live”.

My only gripes are, up to that point, I wasn’t moved at all. I liked the story, but I found that most of it dragged on. It’s certainly a well made picture, and Ghatak is a very skilled filmmaker. But it just wasn’t for me.

3.5 stars