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Color of Paradise
The Story:
“You must stop all your troublesome behaviour or else we will pack your bags and send you to a Boarding School. This line is often used by parents to get their naughty children back on track. The thought of being in a Boarding school often evokes fear out of the children. Well students say that living in a boarding school will make them understand the true meaning of isolation and self-dependency. Being away from your near and dear ones is not easy. You can see the boundless joy in the eyes of the children when their parents come to visit them once in 6 months. 8 year old Mohammad is no exception.
Its vacation time and all the children of the Boarding School are going home with their parents. Each child is happy to be with his/her parents once again and the parents are eager to make up for those months they lived without their little ones. One by One all the kids have left. Only one child is left now. It’s Mohammad. He is anxious to know when his father will arrive and take him home. His school teacher pacifies him by saying “your father will be here anytime soon”. He waits endlessly from dusk to dawn.
In the meantime, Mohammad contentedly passes the hours exploring the fertile spring earth at the perimeter of the school grounds. Underneath the damp leaves, he discovers a helpless baby bird. He then patiently climbs the tree to locate the mother bird's nest and returns the bird to the safety of its home.
Finally, Mohammad’s father arrives. Mohammad is sitting on a bench. His father looks at him from a distance. Instead of going forward and hugging his child, he just stands at a distance and contemplates something. His face gives a dejected and worried look. It seems that he is unable to decide whether to go forward or not. Then atlast, he calls his son standing from the same distance.
The boy on hearing this, stands up and slowly moves towards his father. Tears start flowing from Mohammad’s eyes. It comes as a surprise to the school teacher and the principal when Mohammad’s father asks them that can’t you keep Mohammad here till the school re-opens. He explains that there is no one at home to look after Mohammad. The principal denies the request. Thankfully, Mohammad is not listening to all this. So why cant his father take him back home. The reason is, oh well, Mohammad is Blind. Yes, he cannot the colourful world and yes he also cannot the burdensome and regret filled look on his father’s face. Yes, Mohammad has been put away to an institute for blind children in Tehran where he learns the language ‘Braille’. His father Hashem, is a widowed coal worker. His father then reluctantly decides to take Mohammad on the journey to their home through the heights of northern Iran.
The landscapes they pass through are harsh, but verdant and spectacular, overwhelming the boy's senses, who is naturally attuned to his surroundings. But this splendor and Mohammad's joy in it, makes no impression on his gloomy father. If anything, it increases his melancholy. The bitter Hashem sees Mohammad as nothing but a burden. For all the adoration Mohammad feels for the world, his father feels equal contempt for the "bad hand" he's been dealt in life.
Arriving at the family farm, Mohammad is lovingly greeted by his two happy-go-lucky sisters and beloved Granny. He is delighted to be in the embrace of his family in this beautiful setting. The days are spent almost in slow-motion, at one with nature, where Mohammad and Granny seem most at home. They are happy to simply collect eggs from the chicken coop, pick wildflowers in the lush fields and listen to the songs of the many species of birds that make the farm their home. It seems Mohammad and Granny have a spiritual connection. Mohammad, who believes what he feels rather than what he sees, tells his weathered Granny "Your hands are soft and beautiful."
But little Mohammad's peace is threatened when his spiritually blind father fears that the boy will be an obstacle to his hopes to marry a beautiful young woman from a strict Islamic family. He thinks that getting rid of Mohammed will improve his chances of getting married. Hashem follows through on his selfish plan to ship the boy off to live in another area of the country where he is to become an apprentice to a blind carpenter.
At first Mohammad is devastated to be away from his family and fearful that no one will ever love him because of his blindness. But gradually Mohammad adapts to his new environment. In addition to learning woodworking, he also learns spiritual lessons from his mentor, professing "God is not visible. He is everywhere, you can feel him. You can see with your hands."
But back at the farm, tensions between Granny and Mohammad's father are rising and eventually Granny falls ill. Mohammad's father's plans for remarriage are disrupted and he is forced to face his responsibility to his son. But is it too late? Will Hashem act in time to realize the lost love for his son?
Honest Opinion:
Majid Majidi’s “Color of Paradise” is without any doubt, a touching movie. Today, where most Indian and American movies bombard our senses with mindless violence, sex and crude humour, Color of Paradise needs a small investment in patience and thought to reap the maximum satisfaction. The beauty of the movie lies in its simple storytelling and heart-wrenching performances.
The movie displays melodrama in a simple and effective manner. The performances by lead cast is much above the ordinary, making us wonder “from where do all these genuine emotions stem from?”. The young Mohsen Ramezani who plays Mohammad enacts the challenging role with utmost ease. Sometimes, the audacity of his dramatic skills makes us believe that the boy must be blind off-screen too. In one scene, he cries in frustration saying “Nobody loves me because I'm blind. Our teacher says that God loves the blind more because they can't see. But I told him if it was so, He would not make us blind so that we can't see Him. To which the teacher answered "God is not visible. He is everywhere. You can feel Him. You see Him through your fingertips." / Now I (mohammad) reach out everywhere for God till the day my hands touch Him and tell Him everything, even all the secrets in my heart. In this scene, we do not see his acting, we see his raw grief.
Mohammad’s father, Hashem, does a remarkable job as the selfish-mean-confused-regretful father. In fact, the story is being told from the perspective of the father rather than the boy. In the ending scene, the boy’s life is in great danger. This will strike to some as being contrived. Certainly it is not subtle by our cynical modern standards. If Hollywood told this story, the father would have a change of heart. In Iran, heaven intervenes more directly--as if God, having tested Mohammad as much as he dares, has the change of heart himself.
In the end, one could clearly say that Color of Paradise is a family film which often shames the so called family adventure movies of today, which by no means is worth going out with your family. The sub-titles are not too difficult for any child who can read.
Technically Speaking:
This movie is a visual knockout. It’s alive with the abundant natural colors who nature has bestowed upon us. It shows that you don’t need a hand-made Switzerland or Kashmir to depict a beautiful backdrop. For this sole reason, the movie is different. One would get to see and admire the beautiful and ethereal side of Iran. The stunning landscapes acts as an eye-candy. The sight of lush green fields and the pure untouched mountains gives a dream like quality. The pastoral beauty has been well captured by the camera. For this very purpose, there is a constant use of Long Shots to depict the characters within the sprawling green landscape.
Interestingly, the movie has just one Hand-Held camera scene. Other than that, there is one peculiar feature as well. Whenever Mohammad’s father is thinking about his sinister plans to get rid of his son, the camera Zooms in. This feature is maintained throughout the movie. For some scenes Trolleys have been used. In the penultimate sequence, the father jumps into the fast flowing river to save his son. For this shot, the camera(water-proof) was actually allowed to flow with the river to show the Point of View of the father.
From the Lighting perspective, there is only one scene which uses the Lighting Techniques. In the last scene, the boy is washed ashore. His father finds him lying amidst the sand and water. He runs towards his son and takes him in his arms. His father is now crying. He thinks that his son has died. Now, with the help of a crane the camera moves upwards. We see the back of both Mohammad’s father. Mohammad’s hand is facing the camera. After some time, a Bright light shines on Mohammad’s hand as he begins to move his fingers. At this point the camera is zoomed in on Mohammad’s hand. This is truly a spectacular and touching shot. This is the following picture of the shot(look below). There is also a Blue tone to the shot.
The Soundtrack : The sound of the movie is quite different from other movies. The soundtrack is alive with natural sounds of woodpeckers, birdsongs, insects and nature, voices and footfalls. A blind person would get a good idea of the locations and what is happening--as Mohammad does. A lot of importance is given to the Atmospheric Sounds to complement the Green Beauty. Extensive use of silence and fog (in the air) is used to indicate the death of a person (granny). This signifies to the Index Theory and the Metonymy Theory of Film. Then there is a Dog like Metallic roar, which the father keeps hearing every time he makes some selfish, harsh decisions regarding his son. This is his inner voice. This also points out to the above Film Theories.
About the Man behind the Camera:
Majid Majidi is an internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, film producer, and screenwriter.
Born in an Iranian middle class family, he grew up in Tehran and at the age of 14 he started acting in amateur theater groups. He then studied at the Institute of Dramatic Arts in Tehran. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, his interest in cinema brought him to act in various films, most notably Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Boycott in 1985. His debut as a director and screenwriter is marked by Baduk (1992), his first feature film that was presented at the Quinzaine of Cannes and won several awards nationwide By 2004, Majidi was the only Iranian director who has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film with the film Children of Heaven in 1998. He lost the award to the Italian film Life Is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni. Majidi has directed three other feature films since Children of Heaven: The Color of Paradise (2000), Baran (2001), and The Willow Tree (2005; alternate English title One Life More). He also recently directed a feature-length documentary titled Barefoot to Herat which chronicles life in refugee camps and the city of Herat during and after the anti-Taliban offensive of 2001.
“You must stop all your troublesome behaviour or else we will pack your bags and send you to a Boarding School. This line is often used by parents to get their naughty children back on track. The thought of being in a Boarding school often evokes fear out of the children. Well students say that living in a boarding school will make them understand the true meaning of isolation and self-dependency. Being away from your near and dear ones is not easy. You can see the boundless joy in the eyes of the children when their parents come to visit them once in 6 months. 8 year old Mohammad is no exception.
Its vacation time and all the children of the Boarding School are going home with their parents. Each child is happy to be with his/her parents once again and the parents are eager to make up for those months they lived without their little ones. One by One all the kids have left. Only one child is left now. It’s Mohammad. He is anxious to know when his father will arrive and take him home. His school teacher pacifies him by saying “your father will be here anytime soon”. He waits endlessly from dusk to dawn.
In the meantime, Mohammad contentedly passes the hours exploring the fertile spring earth at the perimeter of the school grounds. Underneath the damp leaves, he discovers a helpless baby bird. He then patiently climbs the tree to locate the mother bird's nest and returns the bird to the safety of its home.
Finally, Mohammad’s father arrives. Mohammad is sitting on a bench. His father looks at him from a distance. Instead of going forward and hugging his child, he just stands at a distance and contemplates something. His face gives a dejected and worried look. It seems that he is unable to decide whether to go forward or not. Then atlast, he calls his son standing from the same distance.
The boy on hearing this, stands up and slowly moves towards his father. Tears start flowing from Mohammad’s eyes. It comes as a surprise to the school teacher and the principal when Mohammad’s father asks them that can’t you keep Mohammad here till the school re-opens. He explains that there is no one at home to look after Mohammad. The principal denies the request. Thankfully, Mohammad is not listening to all this. So why cant his father take him back home. The reason is, oh well, Mohammad is Blind. Yes, he cannot the colourful world and yes he also cannot the burdensome and regret filled look on his father’s face. Yes, Mohammad has been put away to an institute for blind children in Tehran where he learns the language ‘Braille’. His father Hashem, is a widowed coal worker. His father then reluctantly decides to take Mohammad on the journey to their home through the heights of northern Iran.
The landscapes they pass through are harsh, but verdant and spectacular, overwhelming the boy's senses, who is naturally attuned to his surroundings. But this splendor and Mohammad's joy in it, makes no impression on his gloomy father. If anything, it increases his melancholy. The bitter Hashem sees Mohammad as nothing but a burden. For all the adoration Mohammad feels for the world, his father feels equal contempt for the "bad hand" he's been dealt in life.
Arriving at the family farm, Mohammad is lovingly greeted by his two happy-go-lucky sisters and beloved Granny. He is delighted to be in the embrace of his family in this beautiful setting. The days are spent almost in slow-motion, at one with nature, where Mohammad and Granny seem most at home. They are happy to simply collect eggs from the chicken coop, pick wildflowers in the lush fields and listen to the songs of the many species of birds that make the farm their home. It seems Mohammad and Granny have a spiritual connection. Mohammad, who believes what he feels rather than what he sees, tells his weathered Granny "Your hands are soft and beautiful."
But little Mohammad's peace is threatened when his spiritually blind father fears that the boy will be an obstacle to his hopes to marry a beautiful young woman from a strict Islamic family. He thinks that getting rid of Mohammed will improve his chances of getting married. Hashem follows through on his selfish plan to ship the boy off to live in another area of the country where he is to become an apprentice to a blind carpenter.
At first Mohammad is devastated to be away from his family and fearful that no one will ever love him because of his blindness. But gradually Mohammad adapts to his new environment. In addition to learning woodworking, he also learns spiritual lessons from his mentor, professing "God is not visible. He is everywhere, you can feel him. You can see with your hands."
But back at the farm, tensions between Granny and Mohammad's father are rising and eventually Granny falls ill. Mohammad's father's plans for remarriage are disrupted and he is forced to face his responsibility to his son. But is it too late? Will Hashem act in time to realize the lost love for his son?
Honest Opinion:
Majid Majidi’s “Color of Paradise” is without any doubt, a touching movie. Today, where most Indian and American movies bombard our senses with mindless violence, sex and crude humour, Color of Paradise needs a small investment in patience and thought to reap the maximum satisfaction. The beauty of the movie lies in its simple storytelling and heart-wrenching performances.
The movie displays melodrama in a simple and effective manner. The performances by lead cast is much above the ordinary, making us wonder “from where do all these genuine emotions stem from?”. The young Mohsen Ramezani who plays Mohammad enacts the challenging role with utmost ease. Sometimes, the audacity of his dramatic skills makes us believe that the boy must be blind off-screen too. In one scene, he cries in frustration saying “Nobody loves me because I'm blind. Our teacher says that God loves the blind more because they can't see. But I told him if it was so, He would not make us blind so that we can't see Him. To which the teacher answered "God is not visible. He is everywhere. You can feel Him. You see Him through your fingertips." / Now I (mohammad) reach out everywhere for God till the day my hands touch Him and tell Him everything, even all the secrets in my heart. In this scene, we do not see his acting, we see his raw grief.
Mohammad’s father, Hashem, does a remarkable job as the selfish-mean-confused-regretful father. In fact, the story is being told from the perspective of the father rather than the boy. In the ending scene, the boy’s life is in great danger. This will strike to some as being contrived. Certainly it is not subtle by our cynical modern standards. If Hollywood told this story, the father would have a change of heart. In Iran, heaven intervenes more directly--as if God, having tested Mohammad as much as he dares, has the change of heart himself.
In the end, one could clearly say that Color of Paradise is a family film which often shames the so called family adventure movies of today, which by no means is worth going out with your family. The sub-titles are not too difficult for any child who can read.
Technically Speaking:
This movie is a visual knockout. It’s alive with the abundant natural colors who nature has bestowed upon us. It shows that you don’t need a hand-made Switzerland or Kashmir to depict a beautiful backdrop. For this sole reason, the movie is different. One would get to see and admire the beautiful and ethereal side of Iran. The stunning landscapes acts as an eye-candy. The sight of lush green fields and the pure untouched mountains gives a dream like quality. The pastoral beauty has been well captured by the camera. For this very purpose, there is a constant use of Long Shots to depict the characters within the sprawling green landscape.
Interestingly, the movie has just one Hand-Held camera scene. Other than that, there is one peculiar feature as well. Whenever Mohammad’s father is thinking about his sinister plans to get rid of his son, the camera Zooms in. This feature is maintained throughout the movie. For some scenes Trolleys have been used. In the penultimate sequence, the father jumps into the fast flowing river to save his son. For this shot, the camera(water-proof) was actually allowed to flow with the river to show the Point of View of the father.
From the Lighting perspective, there is only one scene which uses the Lighting Techniques. In the last scene, the boy is washed ashore. His father finds him lying amidst the sand and water. He runs towards his son and takes him in his arms. His father is now crying. He thinks that his son has died. Now, with the help of a crane the camera moves upwards. We see the back of both Mohammad’s father. Mohammad’s hand is facing the camera. After some time, a Bright light shines on Mohammad’s hand as he begins to move his fingers. At this point the camera is zoomed in on Mohammad’s hand. This is truly a spectacular and touching shot. This is the following picture of the shot(look below). There is also a Blue tone to the shot.
The Soundtrack : The sound of the movie is quite different from other movies. The soundtrack is alive with natural sounds of woodpeckers, birdsongs, insects and nature, voices and footfalls. A blind person would get a good idea of the locations and what is happening--as Mohammad does. A lot of importance is given to the Atmospheric Sounds to complement the Green Beauty. Extensive use of silence and fog (in the air) is used to indicate the death of a person (granny). This signifies to the Index Theory and the Metonymy Theory of Film. Then there is a Dog like Metallic roar, which the father keeps hearing every time he makes some selfish, harsh decisions regarding his son. This is his inner voice. This also points out to the above Film Theories.
About the Man behind the Camera:
Majid Majidi is an internationally acclaimed Iranian film director, film producer, and screenwriter.
Born in an Iranian middle class family, he grew up in Tehran and at the age of 14 he started acting in amateur theater groups. He then studied at the Institute of Dramatic Arts in Tehran. After the Iranian Revolution in 1979, his interest in cinema brought him to act in various films, most notably Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Boycott in 1985. His debut as a director and screenwriter is marked by Baduk (1992), his first feature film that was presented at the Quinzaine of Cannes and won several awards nationwide By 2004, Majidi was the only Iranian director who has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film with the film Children of Heaven in 1998. He lost the award to the Italian film Life Is Beautiful by Roberto Benigni. Majidi has directed three other feature films since Children of Heaven: The Color of Paradise (2000), Baran (2001), and The Willow Tree (2005; alternate English title One Life More). He also recently directed a feature-length documentary titled Barefoot to Herat which chronicles life in refugee camps and the city of Herat during and after the anti-Taliban offensive of 2001.
1 comments:
Well done!...A very good narrative....and u did post the pics too!....
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