SPOILERS, but I think you should read it anyway. A very painful movie. It is quite good for about two-thirds of its run, then falls into a pit of cliches, then cops out, THEN ends as vilely as imaginable. A man wants to commit suicide for reasons unexplained (a total gimmick, but I can except it). He picks up three strangers, asking them to bury his corpse for a large sum of money. For a director who is supposed to be so far out of mainstream, his view of morality is offensively common. It's a lot like It's a Wonderful Life, except less honest with the audience. The first man is afraid of the duty, so he simply runs away when the chance arises. The second man is a man of religion, and attempts to explain why suicide is wrong. The third man is the Arabic version of Forrest Gump. He agrees to do it because he needs the money, but when the main character gives him a ride home the third man does his utmost to convince him that life is worth living. He tells how he went to hang himself on a mulberry tree but decided life is worth living because he tastes how sweet the mulberries are. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT. How cloying can you get? I guess in Iran life is less like a box of chocolates and more like a bowl of fruit. At least the main character doesn't succumb instantly to this man's annoying ploys, but we can see his determination shrinking. Does he do it? We don't know. I guess it's up to us. I don't complain about this, really, but it's a gimmick, as well. After the film fades to black, it comes up again on scenes of the film being made. This does nothing unless you're determined to make it do something. I'm sure one can masturbate some meaning out of this, but that would just be playing into the hands of Kiarostami's chic fans. Look, if you want a film about suicide that really pulls no punches and actually has a modicum of thought to it, see Louis Malle's excellent The Fire Within.
As much bad stuff as I can say about it, I do have to admit that the film is stunningly directed and made, if not at all well written. Well, actually, it is fine until that third passenger. The landscapes are beautiful and the setting is used to perfection. The script is so offensive that that can only help so much. I give it a 6/10.
As much bad stuff as I can say about it, I do have to admit that the film is stunningly directed and made, if not at all well written. Well, actually, it is fine until that third passenger. The landscapes are beautiful and the setting is used to perfection. The script is so offensive that that can only help so much. I give it a 6/10.