"In all the fifteen years that I knew (Ghatak) every crisis brought to him a sense of euphoria."-Kumar ShahaniOne of the most hauntingly personal works the cinema has ever produced, Reason, Debate and a Tale stars Ghatak himself as an alcoholic and frustrated intellectual who, after being abandoned by his wife, sets off on an extraordinary journey across war-torn East Bengal. He is joined on his trip by a young refugee from Bangladesh, an unemployed engineer, and a penniless teacher of Sanskrit. Their trip brings them into contact with other members of the educated class, striking workers, exponents of classical Chhau culture, and a band of Naxalite guerrilla fighters. At the center of this maelstrom, however, is always the image of Ghatak himself, a lonely, deeply despondent figure who celebrates his demise through the ravages of alcohol in a series of thinly disguised autobiographical monologues. A fascinating, boldly experimental work whose effect on many young Indian filmmakers has been profound.-Richard Peña, The Film Center, Chicago