I've Never seen this kind of movie. <Teen Kanya> consists of three episode. We call it omnibus movie. But most of omnibus flims are made up of each director's short flim. Or some cases gathering one director's short flims which have been released are there (e.g. <Coffee and Cigarettes> by Jim Jarmusch). Hong Sang Soo's <Oki's Movie> is also composed of 4 episodes, but most of actors in it starred the whole epsodes, and even they switched their roles per episode. They are linked 4 each episode and it looks like "feature" flim. (Some Jim Jarmusch's flims are similar like this). But Satyajit Ray's <Teen Kanya> is totally different. This movie was produced and directed for a "feature" but each episode seems independent (like a short flim). These 3 episodes in common are "Tagore". <Teen Kanya>'s all 3 episodes are based upon short stories by Rabindranath Tagore. Satyajit Ray was made a documentary about Rabindranath Tagore in 1961, same year. In other words, <Teen Kanya> is dedicated to Rabindranath Tagore in his own way. And for we Koreans, how Rabindranath Tagore is familiar to us (We Koreans probably learned Tagore's 「The Song of Defeated」 if don't know about him at all)!
<Teen Kanya> is composed of <The Postmaster>, <Monihara (The Lost Jewels)>, and <Samapti (The Conclusion)>.
The first, <The Postmaster> is a simple story. One young man comes to work as a postmaster in a rural area. A young girl, Ratan is in the post office. She's a maid and working for the postmaster. The postmaster is from Calcutta, so he is bored in a small village. For fun, he teaches Ratan to read and write, but she accepts eagerly and truly. One day, he has malaria Ratan nurses him back to health. But he thinks that has had enough of the rural life and resigns. Ratan is heartbroken to hear that.
We can't see any special or unnatural event but the routine of everyday life. However, Satyajit Ray show us surprising and stunning moment from the routine of daily life in <The Postmaster>. In the last scene, the postmaster and Ratan met on the street. He is leaving and Ratan is working (carrying water pot). He tries to pay Ratan for the service he has been but Ratan is just passing by. And She speaks to the new postmaster loudly. "Master, I brought you water!" There're a lot of great things in it. We know what they are, but we can't talk about (or describe) them what they are. In this case, we call it "Cinematic Magic". Yes, great movies never tell profound philosophy or destiny of the world or whatever (Only Hollywood films do). They just show and make us "feel". <The Postmaster> took and shake my mind, so. How many times do I have to be surprised on earth? Per watching his films? Satyajit Ray is really GREAT!
<The Postmaster> reminds me of Hong Sang Soo's <Ha Ha Ha> because they both extracted somethings exquisite from our mind without any dramatic accidents. They're real pure cinema.
The second, <Monihara (The Lost Jewels)> is about "obsession". It's kind of a story within a story. On the street, a village schoolteacher tells a hooded man a tragedy he's written. This story is based on true story (or rumor). Rich man Fhanibhusan and his wife lives in a mansion like castle. They're been married for 10 years but they don't have any children. The husband doesn't matter but his wife seems to do. So she looks like being obsessed with ornaments instead of baby. In other words, the husband is obsessed with his wife's love. He keeps buying jewels for her in hope of gaining her love. One day, a fire destroys his business. She has a phobia that one day he may ask the jewels back. To confirm her fear, she offers to sell her jewels. But when he shows some interest in the idea she retreats in panic.
There're three obsessions in here: the wife's obsession with jewels, the husband's obsession with her love, and even the village schoolteacher's obssion with a story. Each obsession destroys themselves and their obsessions influences each other. In Satyajit Ray's films, we often can see that characters are always weak and they always find and rely on something to support themselves. In this situation, the obsessions are (sort of) hope. But, what if "that something" disappears? And then, they would turn to doubt, distrust and horror. Satyajit Ray shows the process of being turned to, and this is really terrifying.
In my opinion, I REALLY LOVE this kind of story: fall, betrayal, obsession and horror. So I'd rather love <Housemaid> by Im Sang Soo than Kim Ki Young's original one. Just my taste (or guilty pleasure).
And the last, <Samapti (The Conclusion)> has a story with a happy ending only in <Teen Kanya>. But, is it really happy ending?
Amulya is returning to his village after passing his exams in Calcutta to spend some time with his widowed mother. After getting down from the boat as he struggles in the muddy path and Mrinmoyee (like a tomboy and known as Paglee) bursts into giggles at his plight and runs away. His mother has arranged for him to marry the daughter of a respectable family. Much against his wishes he goes to visit the girl in a nearby village. But Amulya is amused and probably also in love. Against his mother's wishes, he marries Mrinmoyee. On their first night together, she escapes and spends the night on her favorite swing on the riverbank. It is scandal. Amulya returns to Calcutta and she is sent back to her mother's house.
There are two wild animals: Mrinmoyee and her pet "a little squirrel". They are free and don't be restrained by rule, custom, manners, traditions and so forth. Respectable and educated (or trained) people hate and despise doing like Mrinmoyee and her pet. Mrinmoyee puts her pet in the cage, and simultaneously she's being put in the cage called "a marriage". Marriage deprive Mrinmoyee of her free lifestyle. All custom and traditions people have made press human being themselves.
Once Mrinmoyee's husband Amulya is gone, she realize how much she really loves him. That means she's not only ready to love her husband, but also ready to adapt herself to the system. When she changes her mind, her pet in the cage dies. When she makes up her mind to confess her love to him, she's as good as a corpse.
The Conclusion (my gosh, it's a film title!) looks like happy ending. Yes, in Amulya's case, it is. But what about Mrinmoyee? Does it seems like happy ending because she finds a true love? OK, but, How about Amulya's mother? In the end, his mother comes to son's room but the door smashes in front of her. Their marriage makes the mother part from the son. This is irony we can see in the routine of the daily life. For this conclusion, some will feel happy, others sad, and still others weird. This is not happy ending. Ending is still open.
I'm really surprised to <Samapti> because it changes its mood and genre continuously. Satyajit Ray's familiar with cinematic rules and techniques. Again, how many times do I have to be surprised on earth?
In the point of view female character, <Samapti> reminds me of Byun Young-Joo's <Ardor>. Their stories looks very similar but different. <Samapti> is about "giving up and belonging to", <Ardor> is about "leaving and finding".
I just wonder the running time. The "satyajitray.org" says <Teen Kanya>'s running time: <The Postmaster> 56 min.; <Monihara> 61 min.; <Samapti> 56 min." But On the DVD, <The Postmaster> 42 min., <Monihara> 47 min., <Samapti> 72 min. Have I watched <Teen Kanya> right? The movie is impressive, but I'm really curious about.