Director Satyajit Ray was hampered by poor health and under constant medical supervision when he made Enemy of the People, and as a result, it lacks the visual power of his best work. Shot almost entirely in a studio, it never really frees itself from its stage play roots. Taking a cue from the sense of moral outrage that imbues the Henrik Ibsen drama upon which it is based, it is also one of Ray's most didactic efforts. His characteristic subtle moral shadings are almost completely absent, though the great Soumitra Chatterjee, in the lead role, does manage to lend depth to his character. Despite its problems, the film has its moments. A scene in which the doctor's opponents manipulate the village's rules to prevent him from speaking at a town meeting he organized is rich with irony and acidic humor. Enemy of the People, partly because of Ray's health problems, is one of his weaker efforts, but he would redeem himself with his majestic final feature, The Stranger.
by Tom Vick
review
