Color of Paradise

CornMonkey · 08-27-2002, 12:49 PM

anyone seen it? it's an iranian film from 1999 about a blind boy and his impact(good and bad) on his family. i enjoyed it immensely...except for the very last scene.

go rent it...rent it now!!

Quote:

From Reel.com:
The lead character in the Iranian film The Color of Paradise is a blind boy. Mohammad cannot see, yet he appreciates the beauty in the world that is closed off to others who can. While the irony in this is self-evident, director Majid Majidi refuses to descend into self-congratulatory winks and nudges in his contemplative, slow-moving, yet visually radiant fable, choosing instead to let the sumptuous images speak for themselves.
Mohammad (Mohsen Ramezani) is an 8-year-old student at an institute for the blind in Tehran. His father Hashem (Hossein Mahjoub), a widowed and bitter coal worker, wishes to leave him there permanently, but is forced by the school to take him back home to northern Iran for the summer. There, Mohammad receives a warm and loving welcome from his adoring Granny (Salime Feizi) and two sisters (Elham Sharifi and Farahnaz Safari), who provide joy and hope to the little boy. Hashem, however, feels that the child is a burden who will threaten his chances at marrying a woman from a strict Islamic family, so he removes him from their farm to apprentice with a blind carpenter (Morteza Fatemi). Mohammad, initially devastated, learns to accept his situation, but Hashem's actions cause a rift between the selfish father and Granny. After she falls ill, plans for the marriage are cancelled, and the patriarch must choose how to address his increased responsibilities to son and family.

Family, duty, God, and tradition are all running motifs throughout The Color of Paradise. Majidi recognizes the weight of these topics, but chooses to focus on the relationship between Mohammad and Granny. The scenes between the two provide the thematic anchor of the film, but ultimately do little to advance the plot, and as such create a disjointed type of pacing. One wishes to see more of their interactions, yet this is ultimately more of a plot-driven fable than a character study. Still, the characters — particularly Granny (performed convincingly by the marvelous Feizi) — are richly drawn, and the narrative is engaging enough to sustain the occasional lags. And as Mohammad, Moshen Ramezani does an admirable job in a role that could easily have devolved into a "helpless blind boy" caricature.

The primary strength of the film, however, is the stunning cinematography. From the claustrophobic grays of the institute to the verdant greens of the northern Iranian mountains and the vibrant yellows and oranges of the flowers, the visual imagery and meticulous placement of hues take full advantage of the cinematic medium, providing a delirium color in the film. Ultimately, the aptly titled Color of Paradise is a feast for the eyes that overcomes its intermittent pacing flaws in an engaging fable of familial relationships.

latingirl · 08-27-2002, 07:44 PM

This sounds like a good movie. Me will rent. My friend at work said that this is by the #1 Director in Iran..I can't even prounounce his name.

Thanks Corn!

Freelance Superhero · 08-27-2002, 08:06 PM

ohhhh COLOR of Paradise...

i thought you said CHILDREN of Paradise... very different film altogether...

ArkiStan · 09-11-2002, 12:37 AM

Color of Paradise...Children of Paradise... One's about a boy who has lost his eye-sight and the other's about a boy who's lost his shoe. I've seen both of them and are quite good movies. Rent them to take a break from the crap that is Hollywood. The performance by the blind boy are stunning. Where do they get these kids that can act so well?

08-27-2002, 07:44 PM	#2
latingirl Lieutenant Commander Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: C-arson, California Posts: 937	This sounds like a good movie. Me will rent. My friend at work said that this is by the #1 Director in Iran..I can't even prounounce his name. Thanks Corn! __________________ Don’t be discouraged. Joy comes in the morning. Know that God is nigh. Stand still and look up. God is going to show up. He is standing by. There’s healing for your sorrow, healing for your pain, healing for your spirit, there’s shelter from the rain. Lord, send the healing. For we know that there is a Balm in Gilead to heal your soul. There’s healing for your soul. Richard Smallwood “Healing – Live in Detroit” Last edited by latingirl : 08-27-2002 at 07:47 PM.

08-27-2002, 08:06 PM	#3
Freelance Superhero Optimus Prime Join Date: May 2002 Location: in bed Posts: 4,116	ohhhh COLOR of Paradise... i thought you said CHILDREN of Paradise... very different film altogether... __________________ "I can't believe you can eat that; it looks like abortion." - Augusta, of the Tard-Blog

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09-11-2002, 12:37 AM	#4
ArkiStan Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Location: Recession Central Posts: 5,898	Color of Paradise...Children of Paradise... One's about a boy who has lost his eye-sight and the other's about a boy who's lost his shoe. I've seen both of them and are quite good movies. Rent them to take a break from the crap that is Hollywood. The performance by the blind boy are stunning. Where do they get these kids that can act so well?

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