I always go in to a film open minded. If we're talking contemporary Iranian cinema then it almost certainly means one thing - static , neorealist cinema where the characters speak Sorani or Farsi instead of Italian. If there's one ironic thing in life you should make a note of then that is always expect to be surprised and CRIMSON GOLD took me out of my complacency and surprised me
Directed by Jafar Panahi from a screenplay by Abbas Kiarostimi , this is the twin counter-offensive by the purveyors of Iranian New Wave cinema and both film makers exceed themselves in much the same way as CRIMSON GOLD exceeded my expectations. This is a film that mirrors the existentialist ethos of New Hollywood , a peak of 20th Century American film making and probably the best role model any aspiring film maker can learn from and I found myself constantly reminded of a criminally underrated Hollywood movie from 1978 called STRAIGHT TIME
CRIMSON GOLD is essentially a crime drama , but the subtext screams despite individuals committing crimes against other individuals in pursuit of material greed this is relatively small fry compared to the crimes inflicted against the individual by a self elected self serving theocratic elite on the grounds of metaphysical principal The plotting isn't all that important . What is important is a number of pivotal scenes featuring Hussein ( An unfortunate name for a Persian) and how he fits in to the spectatorship of life in general and present day life of a deeply unpopular theocracy in particular . Perhaps the two most important ones are Hussein's conversation with the Pasdaran footsoldier outside an illegal party and the scene inside the house where nail varnish is mistaken for menstrual blood
It goes without saying this was banned in Iran by The Ministry Of Culture And Islamic Justice for being "Too dark" and we're not talking about the cinematography here. I caught the film on youtube and unsurprisingly youtube internet access is impossible in Iran thanks to The Ministry Of Culture And Islamic Justice so if you've got the chance to see CRIMSON GOLD please watch it and count your secular democratic blessings which are presently denied to the oppressed people of Iran
Directed by Jafar Panahi from a screenplay by Abbas Kiarostimi , this is the twin counter-offensive by the purveyors of Iranian New Wave cinema and both film makers exceed themselves in much the same way as CRIMSON GOLD exceeded my expectations. This is a film that mirrors the existentialist ethos of New Hollywood , a peak of 20th Century American film making and probably the best role model any aspiring film maker can learn from and I found myself constantly reminded of a criminally underrated Hollywood movie from 1978 called STRAIGHT TIME
CRIMSON GOLD is essentially a crime drama , but the subtext screams despite individuals committing crimes against other individuals in pursuit of material greed this is relatively small fry compared to the crimes inflicted against the individual by a self elected self serving theocratic elite on the grounds of metaphysical principal The plotting isn't all that important . What is important is a number of pivotal scenes featuring Hussein ( An unfortunate name for a Persian) and how he fits in to the spectatorship of life in general and present day life of a deeply unpopular theocracy in particular . Perhaps the two most important ones are Hussein's conversation with the Pasdaran footsoldier outside an illegal party and the scene inside the house where nail varnish is mistaken for menstrual blood
It goes without saying this was banned in Iran by The Ministry Of Culture And Islamic Justice for being "Too dark" and we're not talking about the cinematography here. I caught the film on youtube and unsurprisingly youtube internet access is impossible in Iran thanks to The Ministry Of Culture And Islamic Justice so if you've got the chance to see CRIMSON GOLD please watch it and count your secular democratic blessings which are presently denied to the oppressed people of Iran