La couleur du paradis

I urge you to try to see this movie. The acting is brilliant but totally natural. I don't recall ever seeing a child who is as fine an actor as the boy who played Mohammed, and not for a moment did his "acting" ever get in the way of the story. The cinematography is breath-taking. I'm sure no one who has not been to Iran has any idea at all that it is this beautiful. There is plenty of symbolism for any particular point of view, which makes it fun to talk about after you see it, and although it is probably intended to be religious from the Islam point of view, you could probably find in this movie your own brand of spirituality, or lack of it, if you cared to try. I, a typically cynical and jaded New Yorker, and my completely enthusiastic and non-jaded adolescent daughter, both loved it and hope to see it again. So go see it and make it a success so we can get more movies like it over here!!

The Color Of Paradise was one of the best movies I've ever seen. It was so emotional that we couldn't stop crying. Mohammad (Mohsen Ramezani) acted unbelievable and I can't forget his innocent face with those beautiful smiles. I believe that Color Of Paradise had to win the 2000 academy award because from every aspects it was a perfect movie. The picture was one of the best pictures and so natural. I want to thank Majid Majidi and all casts for producing the most beautiful movie. also I want to thank Mohsen Ramezani for playing so beautiful in this movie. Keep continue the good job.

Majid Majidi's COLOR OF PARADISE is the best kind of cinema. Simple in concept but executed with incredible skill and detail. We enter the world of a blind child in an incredibly intimate way, exploring his world of sound and touch and the isolation his blindness brings about. Almost ironically, we're also treated to some stunning images of lush scenery and locations. Absolutely mesmerising cinematography that even out-does the exceptional audiography.

Characters and their lives are simple but very believable, and the performances from every one of the actors is spot on. The movie exhorts us to appreciate life more, and makes a good case for doing so.

Highest recommendations!

Majid Majidi, director and writer of the much-acclaimed "The Children of Heaven" has again proven to the world that he is able to demonstrate weighty ideas through simple depictions of everyday life in Iran. He shows audiences that his country is not just a place where reform movements, revolutions, and embassy seizing take place; but also where beautiful films are made. His new motion picture; "The Color of Paradise" is a real treat. It is about faith and belief, unconditional love and compassion, hardship and hope; and is both powerful and effective.

The lead character is a blind 8-year-old boy named Mohammad (Mohsen Ramezani). He is filled with compassion and has unlimited abilities to reach out to the world around him. Mohammad attends a school for the blind in Tehran. The school is closing for the summer and students are being sent home to their parents; most of them eagerly await their kids at the front gate just outside their dormitories. Hashem (Hossein Mahjub), Mohammad's father, is not eager to see him. In fact, he shows up so much later than everyone else that Mohammad had almost lost hope of ever seeing him again.

While waiting for his dad, the 8-year-old boy, although filled with anguish, did not shut himself down from the outside world. He successfully rescues a baby bird, climbs a tree, and returns it to its nest. All despite his inability to see.

Mohammad's dad finally shows up and requests that the school keep his son. Being told that this is not possible, he reluctantly takes the boy home.

This is where writer director Majid Majidi's cinematic brilliancy comes into play. His ability to let the audience experience both the visually impaired and visually unimpaired worlds without ever abandoning one for the other is simply remarkable. We can see and feel both, the beauties of the boy's surroundings, and his own world where touching and hearing replace seeing.

The photography is breathtaking as father and son trek home from the busy streets of Tehran into traders' and jewelry shops, then to the green mountains and fertile plains in the heights of northern Iran. Mohammad's arrival spurs bursts of joy from his Granny (Salime Feizi), the matriarch and surrogate mother since his mom passed away; and his two sisters (Elham Sharifi and Farahnaz Safari) with genuine angelic smiles. They are happy to see him, as they are ready to share an active farm life with him.

Mohammad's admiration for nature is almost addictive; whether it's walking through fields of flowers, or running his hand over ripening grain, or having fresh water running through his fingers, or hearing birds' songs, a donkey braying or examining the sound of a gathering storm; he literally finds the patterns of Braille in everything around him. Sounds like a loveable kid? Not so, according to his dad's needs. For him, the blind son is a burden, which prevents him from moving on with his life, and marrying a younger woman. Hashem is not a malevolent man. He is an impoverished, fast-aging, widowed, spiritually blind, hard-working charcoal maker who sees very little hope with the status quo. So despite the staunch opposition of his mother, he is determined to send Mohammad off to a blind carpenter for woodworking apprenticeship. But is he ready to bear the consequences of acting against Granny and the universal laws that govern the relationship between a parent and his offspring?

"The Color of Paradise" takes viewers on an incredible journey of faith and love and creates a masterpiece of emotion that is so beautiful in its simplicity and elegance it touches one's heart. It is done without forcing anything on the audience until the very last frame. This film does not preach. And it does not need to; its richness lies in its ability to portray basic elements of nature in their ordinary state. In places where Hollywood counterparts would have inserted blasting soundtracks, this movie simply lets nature echo in the background. Its soundtracks mostly consist of nature's own. In times of great suspense, the sound of nature (not human-made music) helps its audience through the changing moods.

Couple these facts with almost flawless acting, it's hard to compare this film with anything else in its league. It is simply Iranian cinema at its best. Mohsen Ramezani, who plays Mohammad, is excellent. A scene, in which he breaks down in tears over his tribulations and questions God for making his dad not wanting him, is brutally heart wrenching. Mohammad eventually shows us that it is possible to feel God's hand even if one can't see the color of paradise.

I've personally viewed over three thousand films. For many years, "Les Miserables" (French) with Jean-Paul Belmondo was my highest recommendation. "The Bridge" (German) was equally haunting. But having discovered "Color of Paradise" (I watched it every night for five nights)I bought the DVD. I don't imagine that I will ever see a more emotionally invasive film. I've joined IMDb simply to enjoin others who loved this film. For some months, I've been trying to find the words to help organize my impressions. Where other senses may become more acute with the loss of one, perhaps the congenitally blind don't realize how emotionally transparent they are. For me, this film really struck a nerve. It is a story-journey into the world in which we live but don't often see. It left me wondering who, in this world, are actually blind? This child, his grandma and two little sisters, are consummate. I must remind myself they were only acting. I must picture set, sound, lighting, script, direction etc. to decern that this is "only a movie". For everything this little boy appeared to need, he found ways to give real treasures to everything around him. The sound and cinematography were excellent. The pointed themes of this film were were heart rending. Six months later, they remain so.