Two unbelievable men, true humanists and visionaries have brought their minds together to create Crimson Gold and they have made universal story about social deprivation and humiliation that could be applied in any part of the world. Truly, this is an Iranian film that looks less Iranian than any other I have seen so far. The plot could be placed anywhere in the world where people live their cheerless lives, work for miserable salaries and get humiliated every day. Moreover, Kiarostami's scenario is based upon a true event.
Hussein's job is poorly paid pizza delivery and it cannot provide him with enough money to buy simple jewels for his future wife, but can clearly show him that some other people do not have such problems. His customers often have fun with prostitutes, buy modern, expensive jewels from abroad, have parties in luxury apartments and obviously do not have money-related problems while Hussein and his best friend and future brother-in-law are not even allowed to enter the fancy jewels store. Simple man, excellently interpreted by Hossain Emadeddin, suffers quietly and does not share his frustrations with anyone, but in the act of pure despair decides to rob the store and steal the most expensive necklace. Like everything else in his sad life, this action turns the wrong way and does not bring any release but on the contrary, ends with suicide. The robbery is actual beginning of the film and it takes some time to realize that, in the real time, it is the end of the gloomy story as everything that happens later in the film progressively leads to the only possible ending.
Hussein's job is poorly paid pizza delivery and it cannot provide him with enough money to buy simple jewels for his future wife, but can clearly show him that some other people do not have such problems. His customers often have fun with prostitutes, buy modern, expensive jewels from abroad, have parties in luxury apartments and obviously do not have money-related problems while Hussein and his best friend and future brother-in-law are not even allowed to enter the fancy jewels store. Simple man, excellently interpreted by Hossain Emadeddin, suffers quietly and does not share his frustrations with anyone, but in the act of pure despair decides to rob the store and steal the most expensive necklace. Like everything else in his sad life, this action turns the wrong way and does not bring any release but on the contrary, ends with suicide. The robbery is actual beginning of the film and it takes some time to realize that, in the real time, it is the end of the gloomy story as everything that happens later in the film progressively leads to the only possible ending.