Baran Review
by Shannon Patrick Sullivan (shannon AT morgan DOT ucs DOT mun DOT ca)December 2nd, 2002
BARAN (2001) / ** 1/2
[Farsi; English subtitles]
Directed by Majid Majidi, from his screenplay. Starring Hossein Abedini, Zahra Bahrami, Mohammad Amir Naji. Running time: 94 minutes. Rated PG by the MFCB. Reviewed on November 29th, 2002.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: Lateef (Abedini) is a tea-boy on a building site where the majority of the labourers are Afghan refugees, now working illegally in Iran. When one of the Afghans is injured, he is replaced by his son, Rahmat. But Rahmat proves too frail for construction work, and so he and Lateef are made to switch jobs. The indolent Lateef is angry at first, until he discovers that 'Rahmat' is actually Baran -- a girl.
Review: Those who have read my appraisal of Majidi's "The Color Of Paradise" will probably find this review rather familiar. Many of the plaudits and criticisms I attached to that work apply equally well to "Baran". This, too, is a simple, character-driven story which does much to lend a human face to our frequently hostile impression of other cultures. It's a film in which the cinematography is of utmost import, and again Mohammad Davudi does a spectacular job, capturing northern Iran in all its stark, dangerous beauty. But, at the same time, "Baran" is so meditative and repetitive in places that it loses its sense of impetus. Do we really need the amount of reinforcement Majidi provides to convince us that Lateef is unhappy with losing his job as tea boy, for example? Perhaps part of the problem is that Abedini's performance lacks subtlety, so the change in his character when he falls in love with Baran hardly requires any signposting. On the other hand, Naji is very good as Lateef's brusque but kind-hearted boss, Memar, and Bahrami summons up great presence in a virtually dialogue-free performance as the title character. It's just a shame that 'Rahmat' is so obviously female that one wonders just how gullible Lateef and his coworkers really are. Still, although "Baran" is not flawless filmmaking, the patient viewer will find much to appreciate.
Copyright © 2002 Shannon Patrick Sullivan.
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