Bid-o Bad

KIA ROSTAMI was Lord of the Screenplay I'm not talking anymore. This one sentence is enough to make sure you watch this movie.

I found this movie strangely compelling for such a simple plot. It reminded me of the Bhutanese film "The Cup", as well as the Iranian film "A Time for Drunken Horses". All of these films contain singular seemingly straight forward quests within a framework of largely tedious everyday life. I believe that my interest was held because they are studies on different cultures and ways of living. They allowed me to feel grateful to reside in North America, and to have myriad options in life. There is little extraneous content in these films, the life situation is set up, the quest is introduced, and some kind of conclusion is reached. Most of the characters seemed very genuine, as if they were being filmed by a hidden camera. I felt that the lead child actor did a passable job, however the constant sour expression on his face, that was probably meant to convey utter hopelessness, seemed quite out of place in a number of scenes, and I found this increasingly annoying as the film progressed.

A young school boy was ordered to walk a long way to purchase a piece of window glass larger than he could carry back to his school. The weather was bitter and the wind so strong that he almost failed on the road. He tried hard and finally moved the load back to the classroom where he was supposed to fix up a broken window. He was all alone and no one to turn for help. The glass blew crushed in pieces by the wind...

This is the best film I've seen in recent years. It gives helplessness and uncertainty a wider view, in isolated mountainy landscape. This one is a seamlessly made masterpiece by Iran director Mohammad-Ali Talebi. The child actor is very creditable.

There are so may of them ! And almost every title ends with really valuable life lesson.

It also happens in Beed-o baad.

In first few minutes of the movie you get to know a little boy who comes from another part of the country. You'd think "oh yeah, this will be the main character of the movie", but no. He actually becomes a valuable friend of another boy - the child who has a detention because he broke the window in the class. His sad eyes and worry written on the face say more than countless words. For the rest of the movie we accompany him in an attempt to solve mentioned problem. Will he prevail or not ?

Film is shot really well. Scenario is plausible, you can imagine most of it happening in your own childhood (even more if you live in a small community or country).

Also Iranian cinema is known for filming nature. If you're aficionado of that theme, you won't regret watching Mohammad-Ali Talebis movie.

What's important is that it keeps viewer tense (in a good way). You're cheering for boy and good outcome of situation.

Willow and Wind, directed by Mohammad-Ali Talebi and penned by the legendary Abbas Kiarostami, is one of those rare films that speaks fluently in the universal language of cinema. Set against the muted tones of a windswept Iranian landscape, the story is simple on the surface, but layered with meaning that transcends words. In fact, even if you're unable to find a version with subtitles, you'll find never needed them. The film communicates everything through visual storytelling and atmosphere. Its power lies in what's seen and not said.

The story follows a boy on a mission, a mission so critical, his future is fully dependent on it. While the dialogue is sparse as I mentioned, the emotional clarity is sharp. The metaphor of the glass pane he carries is nothing short of masterful. It's delicate. Fragile. A burden that must be transported across rough terrain and in the face of forces beyond his control. So compelling is the dangers with which "The Boy" faces are completely unrecognized by him, but glaringly apparent to the viewer. The metaphor transcends words. Words fail.

The wind, almost a character in its own right, doesn't just push against the glass, it pushes against his very will. And the willow, another powerful metaphor, bending but not breaking; mirroring the resilience of childhood and of endurance through quiet interaction of the wind.

Why not 10 stars, then? One scene, elongated but almost forgettable, pulls focus from the film's delicate momentum. It adds nothing to the emotional tone, nothing to the structure, and in hindsight, feels like a misplaced moment in an otherwise meticulously constructed work of poetry. It doesn't ruin the film by any means, but it slightly mars the purity of its rhythm. When a movie is this carefully woven, even a minor distraction feels more significant, in my purview.

Still, Willow and Wind remains one of the most visually eloquent, metaphorically rich, and emotionally resonant films you're ever likely to stumble across. Its minimalism is its power, and its silence is louder than most films that scream. Seek it out. And if the subtitles are missing, watch it anyway. The story will find you.