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The Music Room 1958

The Music Room

Jalsaghar

A declining aristocrat clings to the concerts that once confirmed his standing. Ray places the pleasures of listening inside a story about wealth, pride and resistance to change.

Catalogue reference: 99 min (Criterion Collection spine 573 catalogue presentation).

Listed catalogue duration, not a measured runtime. Exact cut and matching disc or stream have not been established.

1958 · Directed by Satyajit Ray

What to expect

The performances are part of the drama: admiration for the music need not mean agreement with its patron. That tension gives the film a reason to linger.

How to ease in

Listen to the concerts as events in the household’s struggle over status. Avoid treating them as pauses before the story resumes.

For viewers interested in music, class and the uses of beauty.

Less suitable when you need constant plot movement.

Heads-up

Contains family bereavement as well as musical performance. Choose it when you can give both the emotional drama and the music your attention.

Sources for the facts

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