A blind Iranian professor is sent to France to get an operation for a small tumor under his eye. Fortunately, it turns out to be benign and the doctors are surprised to see that in addition to removing the tumor, they think they might be able to restore his sight---which he lost when he was 8 years-old! When he returns home, he can see and is met by a huge group of people who welcome him and celebrate his new sight. Despite being a relatively small scene, it is one of the more touching I have ever seen. You can't help but feel wonderful for the man and seeing his crying at the reception is a terrific scene. I was impressed by the actor, Parviz Parastui, in how he handled this scene...with only uttering a single word. It's a fabulous scene--and worth seeing the movie just for this--however, there is still an hour left in the film at this point. Interestingly, however, what happens next was totally unexpected. It seems that making the transition to his old life is NOT as easy as it initially seemed. See the film yourself to see what I mean.
Like other Majidi films, this one has a lovely directorial touch to it. Great cinematography, fitting and evocative music and a focus on simple folks--all what I've come to expect from his films. While this film is not one of my favorites Majidi films like COLOR OF PARADISE and CHILDREN OF HEAVEN, it is so completely original and heart-felt that I strongly suggest you see it--even though it is not one of his "feel good" films when all is said and done.
This is an interesting topic for director Majid Majidi. That's because although he's only made a few full-length films, this is the second one he made where the leading character is blind (the other being the amazing must-see film, THE COLOR OF PARADISE). Because this is a familiar theme, I'd love to know if this is a topic that is near to him--perhaps he has a blind family member or friend--though neither his web site nor IMDb could shed any light on this for me. If you have any idea why he came back to this topic, I'd love to know.
UPDATE: Since I first reviewed the film, I have found myself recommending it so many times and thinking about it so much that my original score of 8 seems low, and have recently changed the rating to 9. Well worth seeing.
Like other Majidi films, this one has a lovely directorial touch to it. Great cinematography, fitting and evocative music and a focus on simple folks--all what I've come to expect from his films. While this film is not one of my favorites Majidi films like COLOR OF PARADISE and CHILDREN OF HEAVEN, it is so completely original and heart-felt that I strongly suggest you see it--even though it is not one of his "feel good" films when all is said and done.
This is an interesting topic for director Majid Majidi. That's because although he's only made a few full-length films, this is the second one he made where the leading character is blind (the other being the amazing must-see film, THE COLOR OF PARADISE). Because this is a familiar theme, I'd love to know if this is a topic that is near to him--perhaps he has a blind family member or friend--though neither his web site nor IMDb could shed any light on this for me. If you have any idea why he came back to this topic, I'd love to know.
UPDATE: Since I first reviewed the film, I have found myself recommending it so many times and thinking about it so much that my original score of 8 seems low, and have recently changed the rating to 9. Well worth seeing.