The Hero (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]

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Deeply perceptive story of a conceited, popular movie star taking a train to an award ceremony and is forced into self-retrospective reflection by a chance encounter with a magazine editor. His idol facade is slowly stripped away by the interactions with an array of symbolic passengers, the potential box-office failure of his latest film, and intense nightmares, leaving his anxieties, insecurities, regrets, and fears bare. Brilliant, thoughtful character-study and symbolic look into film making and acting. Artfully directed by the great Satyajit Ray. Very reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries, and Fellini's 8 1/2. It's a shame this hidden gem of a film isn't widely known. This Criterion Blu ray is really beautifully restored and has a couple of insightful interviews.

A marvelous midperiod film from Satyajit Ray given the Criterion treatment. Outstanding black-and-white presentation, 1.33:1 image with little distracting grain and a lovely silver patina. In much better shape than most of Ray's films, even as restored for the recent Criterion series of the master's works. This is one of the many great 20th century movies set on a train -- production began shortly after the debut of "A Hard Day's Night," whose influence can be felt, along with that of "8 1/2." In "Nayak" (The Hero), Uttam Kumar basically plays himself, a superstar of Indian cinema known for heroic roles. He's terrific, delivering a nuanced and naturalistic performance. A celebrity who has gotten over himself, but enjoys his entitlement and suffers no fools. The star finds himself stuck on a train with his public (no plane is available), and their interactions make for some rich comic moments. Sharmila Tagore plays the heroine, of sorts, a women's magazine journalist with little interest in the work or fame of our macho actor. The actors' chemistry makes for a fascinating film, even though not much happens. (Ray said there wasn't enough time on a train trip to develop a believable romance, probably for the best.) Ray wrote the screenplay and the stars' dialogue is delightful throughout. Tagore is interviewed in Criterion's extra features, talking about this role and her work as a teen in the final "Apu" film. Solid supporting cast makes the most of limited screen time in a confined space (the train). Lots of fun mixed in with some sketchy backstage drama delivered as flashbacks. In the end, Ray seems to be saying, the heroic part is getting through life with humanity intact. We do our best, with varying degrees of success. For those not familiar with Ray's films, it's not a bad place to start with that astounding catalog.