The Color of Paradise - Majid Majidi

There are few moments in one’s passage on earth that decide the course of meandering river we call life. And then there are those even rarer ones that define the existence of one person – those that shape his/her passion, and ignite a fire in the form of an obsession that cannot be extinguished. For me, my passion for contemporary/artistic cinema was defined and shaped by this movie. I know many wouldn’t call it the best movie they ever watched, but it holds a special place in my heart solely because besides being a life defining movie, it gave me many insights that are central to my existence till date.

This is a brilliant piece of filmmaking – any film course would gladly have this film in the top shelf of its classics. Majidi captures not only the world as is known to us, but also the world within that of a blind child that is fraught with ostracism, isolation and confinement – he who constantly seeks God everywhere.

The first scene itself is a revelation. Mohammad, a child studying in Tehran’s institute for the blind is waiting for his father to pick him up at the end of the school term. While waiting for his father (everyone has left but him), he picks up a newborn chick that has fallen out of its nest, and puts it back in the nest lest a predator (a cat lurking around) should eat it. Despite his inability, he climbs up the tree and puts the chick back in the nest. This scene is hailed by many as one of the best in the history of Iranian cinema because it captures the essence of the movie – The chick is symbolic of blind Mohammad himself; the cat, of exploitative world around him, and the Mohammad, of the Almighty, the savior of the helpless chick embodied by Mohammad. It also explains Mohammad’s constant endeavors to reach out and touch God – in flowers, in water, and every object.

Upon arrival of the unpunctual father (who pleads the teacher unsuccessfully to keep Mohammad. He takes Mohammad begrudgingly as he is ashamed of having a blind son), Mohammad gathers his paraphernalia and leaves to meet with his loving sisters and grandmother in the village.

Back in the village, he is showered with love by his Grandmother and sisters, while his father is plotting to send him away so he can conveniently marry the woman he loves (who is unaware of Mohammad’s existence). Ignorant of his father’s intentions, Mohammad is happy to be back with his family, inseparable from his sisters and grandmother. He walks through lush green fields, his hands caressing God’s beautiful creations, trying to reach out and touch the intangible Almighty.

Hashem sends him for apprenticeship (to a blind carpenter), so he can make his own living in his adulthood. This is more of a camouflaged attempt on his part to get rid of Mohammad. Mohammad is devastated but accepts his fate after a downpour of emotions flowing out through the river of his tears. During an emotional scene he voices his emotions to his mentor, “Our teacher says that God loves the blind more because they can't see. But I told him if it was so, He would not make us blind so that we can't see Him.” He is told eloquently told by the carpenter - "God is not visible. He is everywhere. You can feel Him. You see Him through your fingertips." To which he replies “Now I reach out everywhere for God till the day my hands touch Him and tell Him everything, even all the secrets in my heart.” This pretty much sums up the turmoil inside Mohammad. Although Mohammad is initially engulfed in darkness of loneliness, he adapts to his new surroundings and accepts his fate.

A series of unfortunate events brings Hashem to his senses. Mohammad’s grandmother expires, but not before she makes her views clear on what she thinks of Hashem’s attempt to distance himself from Mohammad (It seems that she dies of the heartache of losing Mohammad). Hashem’s engagement is also cancelled on account of the inauspicious events that follow Mohammad’s departure.

Finally realizing that he made a grave mistake, he goes to get Mohammad back. On the trip back home, Mohammad falls off a bridge into a turbulent river and Hashem makes a valiant attempt to save him. In the final scene, Hashem manages to drag Mohammad out of the river, and an apparently lifeless Mohammad’s fingers stir a little, indicating that he has been truly blessed by the hands of God.

This movie is an exemplary instance of the quintessentially insightful, philosophical and profound movie that manages to touch the hearts of the audience with its adept handling of a very widely discussed subject – the alienation felt by the visually challenged, especially from their own parents. Not only is it full of insights about the life of a blind child (portrayed exceptionally by Mohsen Ramezani) and his quest for God in the grains of sand, the softness of flowers, and the music of birds, it also dexterously captures the magnitude and range of conflicts within different characters, especially those plaguing Hashem. Shot in a breathtaking milieu of an agrestic Iranian village with its gorgeous verdant greenery, resplendent flowers and trees, Majidi captures and highlights the perception and heightened senses of a disabled child, who cannot see, but feel everything powerfully. Children are often the main protagonists in Majidi’s movies as he believes that children often deliver the most powerful performance with their innate innocence, curiosity and better perception, and he has not been proven wrong so far.

Watch this movie and you will understand what Herner Werzon meant when he said, “What I say tonight will be a banality in the future. The greatest movies in the world today are being made in Iran.” Perhaps you’ll concur like I do.