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The Clay Bird

Play trailer Poster for The Clay Bird Released Jan 11, 2003 1h 38m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 27 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
When Bangladeshi father Kazi (Jayanto Chattopadhyay) becomes a conservative Muslim, he opts to send his son, Anu (Nurul Islam Bablu), to an Islamic school in order to shelter him from the worldly influences of the 1960s. Meanwhile, Anu's thoughtful mother, Ayesha (Rokeya Prachy), who isn't inclined toward zealotry, handles the changes in stride. As the country heads into turmoil, the rigid beliefs that Kazi adheres to and his son tries to understand may have a lasting impact on the family.
The Clay Bird

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Critics Consensus

The Clay Bird takes a tenderly observed look at one family's experiences -- and offers subtly impactful observations about Bangladeshi history in the bargain.

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Critics Reviews

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Tom Keogh Seattle Times Has a kind of twofold eloquence. Rated: 3/4 Aug 20, 2004 Full Review Ty Burr Boston Globe It's a beautifully simple portrait of a country in ferment and a family struggling to define its soul. Rated: 4/4 Jul 30, 2004 Full Review Lisa Kennedy Denver Post With compassionate restraint, Masud challenges the intimate link of religious fundamentalism to national power. Rated: 3/4 Jul 16, 2004 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews ... done with conviction for the long-suffering people of Bangladesh. Rated: A- Sep 1, 2006 Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette ...it has about it the resonance of truth as well as a gentle equanimity Rated: A Dec 31, 2004 Full Review Chris Hewitt St. Paul Pioneer Press Clay Bird is beautifully photographed, and the central story is compelling but, too often, the characters feel like stick figures being manipulated to prove the movie's valid, but obvious, point. Rated: 2/4 Aug 26, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Xian C Not very accessible for a western viewer. It felt like a view of backward religiosity that ends badly for adherents. Same as it ever was. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/24/25 Full Review Audience Member One of the best Bangladeshi movies. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member Classic in Bengali film history. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Audience Member It's good to see indigenous Bangladeshi cinema that tells a largely straight story. This has some performance interwoven, but is mainly the tale of a small boy sent to a madrassa school, told against a highly charged political and historical backdrop. Masud, the director, is a Muslim in a Muslim society, and clearly has little time for extreme orthodox observance. His implicit critique of his own society, produced for a home audience is powerful and effective. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Does exceptionally well portraying the struggle of one boy in understand his father's religious devotion which ultimately brings sadness to his family. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member The Clay Bird, an examination of Islam as seen through a child's eyes in the midst of Bangladesh's violent formation, is too muddled to be truly effective. It's hard to follow the historical thrust of the story, and the various cultures, religions, and political movements aren't clearly delineated for outsiders. It's hard to imagine really appreciating the movie without being deeply invested in Bengali history. Still, the film features some touching moments, great performances from its young actors, and features some interesting insight that isn't fleshed-out or balanced enough to warrant much deliberation, but still provides a glimpse of a different, sometimes disturbing, way of life. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Clay Bird

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Cast & Crew

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Tareque Masud

Director

Nurul Islam Bablu

Anu

Russell Farazi

Rokon

Jayanto Chattopadhyay

Kazi

Rokeya Prachy

Ayesha

Tareque Masud

Writer

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The Clay Bird

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Movie Info

Synopsis When Bangladeshi father Kazi (Jayanto Chattopadhyay) becomes a conservative Muslim, he opts to send his son, Anu (Nurul Islam Bablu), to an Islamic school in order to shelter him from the worldly influences of the 1960s. Meanwhile, Anu's thoughtful mother, Ayesha (Rokeya Prachy), who isn't inclined toward zealotry, handles the changes in stride. As the country heads into turmoil, the rigid beliefs that Kazi adheres to and his son tries to understand may have a lasting impact on the family.
Director
Tareque Masud
Producer
Catherine Masud, Marin Karmitz
Screenwriter
Tareque Masud, Catherine Masud
Distributor
New Yorker Video
Production Co
New Line Cinema
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Bangla
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 11, 2003, Original
Runtime
1h 38m