The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
Sayat Nova (original title)Reference View | Change View
- Not Rated
- 1h 19min
- Biography, Drama
- 27 Jan 1982 (France)
- Movie
The life of the Armenian poet Sayat-Nova, from childhood to death: his spiritual journey, artistic endeavors, and inner conflicts within the cultural and historical context of Armenia. Hailed as revolutionary by Mikhail Vartanov.
Director:
Writers:
Awards:
- 1 win & 1 nomination.
- See more »
Photos and Videos
Cast
| Sofiko Chiaureli | ... |
Poet as a Youth / Poet's Love / Poet's Muse / Mime / Angel of Resurrection
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Melkon Alekyan | ... |
Poet as a Child
(as M. Alekyan)
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Vilen Galstyan | ... |
Poet in the Cloister
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| Gogi Gegechkori | ... |
Poet as an Old Man
(as Giorgi Gegechkori)
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| Spartak Bagashvili | ... |
Poet's Father
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| Medea Japaridze | ... |
Poet's Mother
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Hovhannes Minasyan | ... |
Prince
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Onik Minasyan | ... |
Prince
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Yuri Amiryan |
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I. Babayan |
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Medea Bibileishvili |
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T. Dvali |
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Aleksandr Dzhanshiyev | ... |
Monk
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Guranda Gabunia |
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Zh. Gharibyan |
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L. Karamyan |
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G. Margaryan |
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G. Matsukatov |
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Yuri Merdenov |
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Bela Mirianashvili |
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E. Panakhchyan |
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B. Tatishvili |
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Directed by
| Sergei Parajanov | ||
Written by
| Sayat Nova | ... | (poems) |
| Sergei Parajanov | ... | (writer) |
Music by
| Tigran Mansuryan | ||
Cinematography by
| Suren Shakhbazyan | ||
Editing by
| Sergei Parajanov | ||
| Marfa Ponomarenko | ... | (as M. Ponomarenko) |
| Sergei Yutkevich | ||
Production Design by
| Stepan Andranikyan | ||
Art Direction by
| Sergei Parajanov | ||
Set Decoration by
| Mikael Arakelyan | ||
Costume Design by
| Elene Akhvlediani | ||
| Iosif Karalyan | ... | (as I. Karalyan) |
| Zh. Sarabyan | ||
Makeup Department
| V. Asatryan | ... | makeup artist |
| P. Aschyan | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| A. Melik-Sargsyan | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Aram Samvelyan | ... | first assistant director (as A. Samvelyan) |
| Rom. Zhamharyan | ... | second assistant director |
Sound Department
| Yuri Sayadyan | ... | sound |
Visual Effects by
| H. Hovhannisyan | ... | visual effects |
| L. Karamyan | ... | visual effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Martyn Shakhbazyan | ... | camera operator (as Martuni Shahbazyan) |
Music Department
| Yuri Arutyunyan | ... | musical setting |
| M. Berko | ... | music editor |
Script and Continuity Department
| Bagrat Oganesyan | ... | script editor (as Bagrat Hovhannisyan) |
| Perj Zeytuntsyan | ... | script editor |
Additional Crew
| Sergei Parajanov | ... | choreographer |
| Mikhail Vartanov | ... | behind-the-scenes documentarian (uncredited) |
Thanks
| Martiros Vartanov | ... | thanks: Parajanov-Vartanov Institute |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Cosmos Film (1982) (France) (theatrical)
- International Film Exchange (IFEX) (1987) (United States) (theatrical) (subtitled)
- Kino Video (2002) (United States) (DVD)
- Artkino Pictures (United States) (theatrical)
- Capricci Cine (2016) (Spain) (theatrical)
- Capricci Films (2015) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Janus Films (2018) (United States) (theatrical)
- New Star (2024) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Polfilm (1984) (Sweden) (theatrical)
- Kino Video (2008) (United States) (DVD)
- Kino Video (United States) (VHS)
- The Criterion Collection (2018) (United States) (Blu-ray)
- The Criterion Collection (2018) (United States) (DVD)
Special Effects
Other Companies
- Mozart Entertainment (photographs)
- Mozart Entertainment (publicity)
- Parajanov-Vartanov Institute (Publicity)
- Parajanov-Vartanov Institute (photographs)
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
One of cinema's greatest masterpieces, Sergei Parajanov's "The Color of Pomegranates," a biography of Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova (King of Song) reveals the poet's life more through his poetry than a conventional narration of important events in Sayat Nova's life. The poet is presented as he grows up, falls in love, enters a monastery, and dies, but these incidents are depicted in the context of images from Sergei Parajanov's imagination and Sayat Nova's poems--works that are seen and rarely heard. Sofiko Chiaureli plays five roles, both male and female, and Sergei Parajanov writes, directs, edits, choreographs, and works on costumes, design, decor, and virtually every aspect of this one-of-a-kind work hailed as revolutionary by Mikhail Vartanov. Written by PARAJANOV.com |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Besides the film language of Griffith & Eisenstein cinema hasn't discovered anything revolutionary new until The Color of Pomegranates - Mikhail Vartanov See more » |
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| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| Trivia | Sergei Parajanov's 1969 masterpiece "Sayat Nova" was censored, re-cut, renamed (The Color of Pomegranates) and banned; its 1969 behind-the-scenes documentary Paradjanov: The Color of Armenian Land (1969) by Mikhail Vartanov was suppressed and the footage reappeared 20 years later in Mikhail Vartanov's influential documentary Parajanov: The Last Spring (1992), which demystified the unique film language of "Sayat Nova." Parajanov's "Sayat Nova" (The Color of Pomegranates) appeared on many lists of The Greatest Films of All Time (Sight and Sound, Cahiers du Cinema, Movieline, Time Out, etc). Mikhail Vartanov famously wrote: "Probably, besides the film language suggested by Griffith and Eisenstein, the world cinema has not discovered anything revolutionary new until (Sergei Parajanov's) Sayat Nova - The Color of Pomegranates." Michelangelo Antonioni later added that the film "astonishes with its perfection of beauty." See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Gli ultimi giorni dell'umanità (2022). See more » |
| Quotes |
Poet as a Youth:
In this healthy and beautiful life my share has been nothing but suffering. Why has it been given to me? See more » |