The World of Apu (1959) is the last film of a Satyajit Ray’s masterful Apu trilogy. Apu evolves through many hardships, including the loss of all his family members finally to find the one thing that can help him live: love. The first movie of the trilogy Pather Panchali (1955) marks the innocence of the young Apu as he observes the world of his poor but lively family. Aparajito (1957) looks at the teenage years of self-absorption and perhaps his own corruption after the loss of his family, which Pather Panchali shows as the staple of his world. In Aparajito, Apu lives on his own, independent of his family. In this last film, The World of Apu, Apu experiences love, which knocks him out of self-absorption (for a time). This last film is a film of redemption, but not perfection.
Apu finds himself alone, struggling to make his house payments where is only consolation is to dream of love to inspire his novel. This novel becomes Apu’s life and escapism; it is semi-autobiographical and altered to fit his fantasies. However, Apu, either by chance or fate, is faced with a tough decision: should he marry in order to help a woman in a dilemma? The family of the woman already deems Apu sent by God, and as Apu contemplates the situation, he convinces himself that it is noble to marry. With this marriage, Apu accepts life’s unpredictability and the responsibility of husbandry.
Apu’s newfound openness to life has great rewards. As the married couple learns of the other’s idiosyncrasies, they fall fatally in love. By luck, chance, or fate Apu’s wife replaces the novel as Apu’s life force. She means more to him than his novel, which in comparison is false escapism. (SPOILER) Tragically, she is taken from him with the birth of their son.
Apu looses his mind with rage, even attacks the messenger of the bad news, and departs into the isolation of a forest for a time of reflection. Here in the forest, the film is laced with a most touching event of spirituality. In despair and at his lowest, Apu finds himself in the woods with only his novel. Apu realizes the meaninglessness and futility of the novel for it will never restore his happiness. All is taken from him. Yet in a moment of tragedy/ revelation, he throws the novel off the cliff, opening his arms with a cry to restore meaning. At this moment, he surrenders everything and opens himself up again to life’s unpredictability.
If the movie had ended at this moment it would leave the audience with hope, but also knowledge of Apu’s negligence to his son, his irresponsibility (which resembles his father’s negligence to a high degree), and Apu’s very human flaws. But the movie continues to a near disastrous reunion with his son, saved only through Apu's revelation at the cliff. That moment changes Apu and this is why contrary to his nature (he hates his son for being the cause of his wife’s death) he is able to open his arms to his son. Love again finds its way to Apu.
The triolgy's greatest strength lies in its thorough and honest examination of human life. Apu faces the tragedies that plague life: the loss of loved ones, growing up with economic hardships, artistic frustrations, and the inner demons that keep him from his son. Yet the overall tone is one of hope. The trilogy contains many moments of intense joy or piercing beauty, and most of all the idea that love has redeeming power. The story is touchingly universal. Above all, it is human.