Review of Blackboards (2000) by Prasad P — 12 Aug 2009
Samira Makhmalbaf's second feature as director has a fascinating subject matter that immediately arrests the attention: a group of functionally literate nomadic Kurdish teachers traverse the hills of Iran with blackboards on their backs, looking for opportunities to teach.
As the rich, sumptuous visual beauty of Cinematographer Ebrahim Ghafori sinks in and the actual story starts fleshing itself out, the inconsistencies and the intrinsic shallowness of the film's grasp is evident.
Makhmalbaf, a mere 22 when she made the film, clearly lacks a deep understanding of the humanity unfolding before her, preferring to spin a few episodic, slice-of-life stories into one film with no real resonance or power.
The film has its own rhythm and elegance, and is astonishing in presenting a reality so fantastically removes from ours. But its true grace should have lain in the plight of the characters on the screen.
This review of Blackboards (2000) was written by Prasad P on 12 Aug 2009.
Blackboards has generally received positive reviews.
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