D. G. Phalke, the First Indian Film Director. 1970. Produced by the National Film Archive of India.

(3/12/00)

This is a documentary/compilation film about an early Indian filmmaker. It is silent and has commentary which is presented via written titles which have a very amateurish look to them. We see footage of Phalke at work which gives it a home-movielike quality.

The best part of the film is a section of clips of highlights from Phalke's films. It is a rare glimpse into a body of work which I doubt I will ever get to see. Phalke's films are full of imaginative special effects. My favorite is an image of a man whose head comes off and is lifted by a column of smoke. It eventually returns. Phalke's films were based on Indian mythology and present a fantastic world full of gods and demons.

Far too much of this film is devoted to an excerpt from Phalke's first feature. I probably would have found it more interesting if I were familiar with the story, but I wasn't and I didn't.