Genesis

In the past, Mrinal Sen's leftist films have eschewed mystical visions of an India outside history; here he focuses on the collapse of just such an escapist dream. Two men, the Farmer and the Weaver (Shah and Puri) have abandoned the poverty of contemporary India to start life anew in the sprawling ruins of a long lost village. Their only tie with the outside world is the Merchant (Raina), who provides the raw materials and markets for their product; their only connection with the 20th century is the roar of the odd plane jetting across the desert. Alone in their world, the pair build a new society, and their land begins to bloom...until harmony is shattered with the arrival of the Woman (Azmi), a refugee from recent floods. Though Sen's sexual politics may strike western eyes as dubious, the simplistic power of the film is unquestionable. The fifth character is the landscape which comes to bloom, beautifully complemented by a score from Ravi Shankar.