Review of It's Winter (2006) by Heather H — 31 Dec 2006

It's Winter, indeed it is this is the first Iranian film I have seen were snow features so heavily. Also the eschews a rural setting in the majority of scenes for an urban view of Iran. Strangely the rural settings with wide open landscape, pick up trucks and lonely roads inhabited by glowing sirens on atop police cars is akin to a film like Paris, Texas.

Like that film It's Winter is slow and brooding. The story of a husband leaving his wife and child to seek work. The have his wife become the focus of a drifter car mechanic have a low key menace.

But this is nothing like a Post Man Always Rings Twice. The pace and photography especially the snow bound seqeunces are very impressive. But the film stands at a distance and you never quite get involved in the story.

Punctuated throughout the film are Farsi songs sung in a tone that makes country and western feel thoroughly uplifting. The song with its lyrics pertaining to the title read from the subtitles like a poem.

Overall this film is gently affecting containing a fresh look at Iranian society were economic hardship is more than just gently hinted at. This makes this Iranian fillm quite refreshing in a quitely understated way.