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'''''Taste of Cherry''''' ( |
'''''Taste of Cherry''''' ({{PerB| طعم گيلاس }}, ''Ta'm-e gīlās'') is a [[1997 in film|1997]] film by acclaimed [[Iran]]ian [[filmmaker]] [[Abbas Kiarostami]]. It is [[minimalism|minimalist]] film about a man who is driving through a city suburb looking for someone who can fulfil a disturbing request. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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Mr Badii ([[Homayon Ershadi]]), a middle-aged man, drives through [[Tehran]] looking for someone to do a job for him and offering a large amount of money in return. It is gradually revealed that he plans to kill himself and has already dug the grave, but needs someone to throw earth on his body afterwards. In his car, Badii talks to three men in turn. The first is a young, shy [[Kurd]]ish soldier who refuses to do the job. The second is an [[Afghan people|Afghan]] [[seminarist]] who has religious objections against suicide. The third is a university professor who is willing to help Badii, but tries to talk him out of it; he reveals that he wanted to commit suicide himself a long time ago, but chose to live when he tasted [[mulberry|mulberries]]. The professor promises to throw earth on Badii if he finds him dead in the morning. That night, Badii lies in his grave while a thunderstorm begins. It is not revealed whether he dies, or the reasons for his wish to commit suicide. |
Mr Badii ([[Homayon Ershadi]]), a middle-aged man, drives through [[Tehran]] looking for someone to do a job for him and offering a large amount of money in return. It is gradually revealed that he plans to kill himself and has already dug the grave, but needs someone to throw earth on his body afterwards. In his car, Badii talks to three men in turn. The first is a young, shy [[Kurd]]ish soldier who refuses to do the job. The second is an [[Afghan people|Afghan]] [[seminarist]] who has religious objections against suicide. The third is a university professor who is willing to help Badii, but tries to talk him out of it; he reveals that he wanted to commit suicide himself a long time ago, but chose to live when he tasted [[mulberry|mulberries]]. The professor promises to throw earth on Badii if he finds him dead in the morning. That night, Badii lies in his grave while a thunderstorm begins. It is not revealed whether he dies, or the reasons for his wish to commit suicide. |
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[[Image:Tasteofcherrycolour1.gif|thumb|left|160px|The consistent close up of the character Badii ([[Homayon Ershadi]]) in [[Taste of Cherry]] is later juxtaposed by a panoramic overhead view as his car moves across the hills]] |
[[Image:Tasteofcherrycolour1.gif|thumb|left|160px|The consistent close up of the character Badii ([[Homayon Ershadi]]) in [[Taste of Cherry]] is later juxtaposed by a panoramic overhead view as his car moves across the hills]] |
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==Style== |
==Style== |
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The film is minimalist in that it is shot primarily with [[long take]]s; the pace is leisurely and there are long periods of silence. |
The film is minimalist in that it is shot primarily with [[long take]]s; the pace is leisurely and there are long periods of silence. |
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Mr. Badii is rarely shown in the same shot as the person he is talking to (this is partly because in reality, director Kiarostami was always sitting in the car's passenger seat). |
Mr. Badii is rarely shown in the same shot as the person he is talking to (this is partly because in reality, director Kiarostami was always sitting in the car's passenger seat). |
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Kiarostami's style in the film notable for the use of such usage of long shots, such as in the closing sequences where the audience is intentionally distanced physically from the characters in order to stimulate reflection on their fate. ''[[Taste of Cherry]]'' is punctuated throughout by shots of this kind, including distant overhead shots of the suicidal Badii's<!-- this name is spelled differently elsewhere--> car moving across the hills, usually while he is conversing with a passenger. However, the visual distanciation techniques stand in juxtaposition to the sound of the dialog, which always remains in the foreground. Like the coexistence of private and public space, or the frequent framing of landscapes through car windows, this fusion of distance with proximity can be seen as a way of generating suspense in the most mundane of moments. |
Kiarostami's style in the film notable for the use of such usage of long shots, such as in the closing sequences where the audience is intentionally distanced physically from the characters in order to stimulate reflection on their fate. ''[[Taste of Cherry]]'' is punctuated throughout by shots of this kind, including distant overhead shots of the suicidal Badii's<!-- this name is spelled differently elsewhere--> car moving across the hills, usually while he is conversing with a passenger. However, the visual distanciation techniques stand in juxtaposition to the sound of the dialog, which always remains in the foreground. Like the coexistence of private and public space, or the frequent framing of landscapes through car windows, this fusion of distance with proximity can be seen as a way of generating suspense in the most mundane of moments. |
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==Responses== |
==Responses== |
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Kiarostami's film was awarded the ''[[Palme d'Or]]'' at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in the year of its release, tied with [[Shohei Imamura]]'s ''[[The Eel (Japanese film)|The Eel]]''. The film enjoyed much praise from international critics; the website ''[[Rotten Tomatoes]]'', which collects film reviews, found that it scored an average of 80%. [[The Criterion Collection]] entered ''Taste of Cherry'' into their exclusive film collection on [[June 1]], [[1999]]. |
Kiarostami's film was awarded the ''[[Palme d'Or]]'' at the [[Cannes Film Festival]] in the year of its release, tied with [[Shohei Imamura]]'s ''[[The Eel (Japanese film)|The Eel]]''. The film enjoyed much praise from international critics; the website ''[[Rotten Tomatoes]]'', which collects film reviews, found that it scored an average of 80%. [[The Criterion Collection]] entered ''Taste of Cherry'' into their exclusive film collection on [[June 1]], [[1999]]. |
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However, there are naysayers; ''Taste of Cherry'' was among [[Roger Ebert]]'s most hated films of 1997: he found it boring. |
However, there are naysayers; ''Taste of Cherry'' was among [[Roger Ebert]]'s most hated films of 1997: he found it boring.<ref>http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980227/REVIEWS/802270309/1023</ref> |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 14:50, 9 October 2007
| Taste of Cherry | |
|---|---|
 Film Poster | |
| Directed by | Abbas Kiarostami |
| Written by | Abbas Kiarostami |
| Produced by | Abbas Kiarostami |
| Starring | Homayon Ershadi Abdolrahman Bagheri Afshin Khorshid Bakhtiari Safar Ali Moradi |
| Cinematography | Homayun Payvar |
| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
Release dates |  May, 1997 (Cannes) September 28, 1997 (NYFF) January 30, 1998 June 5, 1998 |
Running time | 95 min. |
| Language | Persian |
Taste of Cherry (Template:PerB, Ta'm-e gīlās) is a 1997 film by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. It is minimalist film about a man who is driving through a city suburb looking for someone who can fulfil a disturbing request.
Plot
Mr Badii (Homayon Ershadi), a middle-aged man, drives through Tehran looking for someone to do a job for him and offering a large amount of money in return. It is gradually revealed that he plans to kill himself and has already dug the grave, but needs someone to throw earth on his body afterwards. In his car, Badii talks to three men in turn. The first is a young, shy Kurdish soldier who refuses to do the job. The second is an Afghan seminarist who has religious objections against suicide. The third is a university professor who is willing to help Badii, but tries to talk him out of it; he reveals that he wanted to commit suicide himself a long time ago, but chose to live when he tasted mulberries. The professor promises to throw earth on Badii if he finds him dead in the morning. That night, Badii lies in his grave while a thunderstorm begins. It is not revealed whether he dies, or the reasons for his wish to commit suicide.
After a long blackout, the film ends with camcorder footage of Kiarostami and the film crew shooting Taste of Cherry.
Style
The film is minimalist in that it is shot primarily with long takes; the pace is leisurely and there are long periods of silence.
Mr. Badii is rarely shown in the same shot as the person he is talking to (this is partly because in reality, director Kiarostami was always sitting in the car's passenger seat).
Kiarostami's style in the film notable for the use of such usage of long shots, such as in the closing sequences where the audience is intentionally distanced physically from the characters in order to stimulate reflection on their fate. Taste of Cherry is punctuated throughout by shots of this kind, including distant overhead shots of the suicidal Badii's car moving across the hills, usually while he is conversing with a passenger. However, the visual distanciation techniques stand in juxtaposition to the sound of the dialog, which always remains in the foreground. Like the coexistence of private and public space, or the frequent framing of landscapes through car windows, this fusion of distance with proximity can be seen as a way of generating suspense in the most mundane of moments.
Responses
Kiarostami's film was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in the year of its release, tied with Shohei Imamura's The Eel. The film enjoyed much praise from international critics; the website Rotten Tomatoes, which collects film reviews, found that it scored an average of 80%. The Criterion Collection entered Taste of Cherry into their exclusive film collection on June 1, 1999.
However, there are naysayers; Taste of Cherry was among Roger Ebert's most hated films of 1997: he found it boring.[1]
References
External links
- Ta'm e guilass at IMDb
- Criterion Collection essay by Godfrey Cheshire
- DVD review of Taste Of Cherry
- Taste of Cherry at RottenTomatoes.com
- Taste of Cherry at BrokenProjector.com
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