The Critics Speak

The Color of Paradise

Critic: Steph Lewis
On a scale of 0 to Awesome, I rate this: Solid & Thoughtful
Released: September 19, 2000
Director: Majid Majidi
MPAA Rating: PG

This film tells the story of Mohammed, a blind child in Iran who struggles to feel loved and to find God. His father, obviously shamed by the boy, tries to dump him off on other people so as not to upset the family of the girl he is trying to marry. Mohammed struggles to receive his father's acceptance, but is obviously limited due to his blindness. His spirit, however, is incredibly sensitive and in tune with the world around him. He listens to nature, saves a baby bird from death, asks what the woodpeckers are talking about, and tries to catch the wind.

The father, played by Hossein Mahjoub, shows a man who struggles to do the right thing, and fights the guilt he feels when he does the wrong thing. His life has been hard, he does not believe in God, and he is not thankful for the things he does have. Mohammed, played perfectly by Mohsen Ramezani, moves through nature giving thanks for everything he touches and hears. The contrast between the two men and the obvious irony in who truly has the true ability to see is subtle and beautiful.

Though a film is usually meant only for sight & sound, I felt all of my senses were awakened (touch, smell...). Great pains have been made to help us clearly hear the sounds in nature, to make the imagery so beautiful that it feels like I'm actually touching the grains of wheat and feeling the cold ocean water ebb on my feet.

There is also a lot of symbolism regarding nature. Director Majid Majidi uses nature to foreshadow events. We see images of a helpless bird dropped from a tree, a fish fighting for life in shallow water, a turtle stuck on his back, and a bird flying by itself during migration. These images help the solid storyline strike us even deeper.

At one point in the film, Mohammed is essentially abandoned at the home of a blind carpenter. Sitting outside, he weeps and shares the true pain in his heart:
"You know nobody loves me. Not even Granny. They all run away from me because I'm blind. If I could see...I would go to the local school with other children but now I have to go to the school for the blind on the other side of the world. 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 see Him. He answered, 'God is not visible.' He is everywhere. You can feel him. You see him through your fingertips. Now I reach out everywhere for God till the day my hands touch Him and tell Him everything, even all the secrets in my heart."

This film is a beautiful one that pulls at the heart strings without being cliche or trying too hard. The script is solid, the characters are beautifully and subtley played, and the directing is symbolic and beautiful. I hope that this movie helps more Iranian films get released in America, because I think there is a great artisitic talent there that needs to be shared.