An Enemy of the People

Ray adapted the Ibsen play Enemy of the People for his return to filmmaking, after nearly a half-decade's absence due to heart problems. A beloved doctor in the countryside (Ray regular Soumitra Chatterjee) realizes his community's water supply is being tainted and poisoned by pollution, and soon identifies a temple and tourist destination as the prime source. His discovery, though, is greeted not by praise, but condemnation; who is he to interfere with a religious temple, or to suggest that the community lose money by shutting it down? Science, religion, and profit collide in this intriguing adaptation, shot entirely indoors due to Ray's continued health issues. “I had an ambulance and doctor in attendance,” he noted in a New York Times interview. “Their verdict was that I kept better when I was shooting.”

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