Review of Baran (2001) by Aliya D — 18 Jun 2008

Majid Majidi, director of The Children of Heaven (first Oscar-nominated film from Iran), gives us another heart-warming (and slightly poignant) film about Baran (meaning Rain). The film has a romantic taste in a subdued narrative, and perhaps a very immediate and political message.

Baran has become a favorite of mine for the simple reason that it connects with the viewer viscerally, tapping the verities written long ago within all of us, highlighting our commonality rather than our supposedly irreconcilable differences.

Hossein Abedini gives an energetic but emotionally shaded performance as Latif. Actress Zahra Bahrami doesn't speak one word for the entire movie, but conveys all of Rahmat's feelings and yearnings through her lustrous black eyes.

Director Magid Majidi does a great job conveying the dust and sweat of hard labor - there's a particularly wrenching scene where Rahmat and other women find work lifting heavy boulders out of a cold stream.

Without romanticizing, he also shows us the bonds that form among poor working men. A compelling and memorable film...