I finally got around and watched the restored Criterion version of this famous Iranian movie, after reading about it almost in every movie magazine or reference to it in film articles during my entire life and it was extremely disappointing at best!
The jump-cuts, extreme close-ups and editing may looked avangard at the time, but upon recent viewing, they serve no purpose at all, as if you are watching a set of scenes awkwardly pieced together. The attempted humor and love story is as flat as a pancake on a Monday morning. Only the opening scene has some gravity to it and soon after the downfall begins.
The scene in which the teacher goes to the principal house to meet his daughter is the most ridiculous and idiotic on all levels with horrible acting, cheesiest dialogues (noise) and the most ambiguous directing I have ever seen. The side haracters like that fiancé of the girl and the drinking scene at the bar are just awful and cartoonish.
I have watched maybe 7000 movies in my life from almost all countries, and I really wanted to like this ''masterpiece'', but it turned out just worthless. Seriously, I feel embarrassed that this garbage has got all the recognition in Iranian Cinema in a time that movies like Straw Digs were on screens worldwide. But I'm sure some beardy artsy looking dude with glasses might come attacking my review screaming that I didn't ''Understand'' it. OK Boomer. You win.
The jump-cuts, extreme close-ups and editing may looked avangard at the time, but upon recent viewing, they serve no purpose at all, as if you are watching a set of scenes awkwardly pieced together. The attempted humor and love story is as flat as a pancake on a Monday morning. Only the opening scene has some gravity to it and soon after the downfall begins.
The scene in which the teacher goes to the principal house to meet his daughter is the most ridiculous and idiotic on all levels with horrible acting, cheesiest dialogues (noise) and the most ambiguous directing I have ever seen. The side haracters like that fiancé of the girl and the drinking scene at the bar are just awful and cartoonish.
I have watched maybe 7000 movies in my life from almost all countries, and I really wanted to like this ''masterpiece'', but it turned out just worthless. Seriously, I feel embarrassed that this garbage has got all the recognition in Iranian Cinema in a time that movies like Straw Digs were on screens worldwide. But I'm sure some beardy artsy looking dude with glasses might come attacking my review screaming that I didn't ''Understand'' it. OK Boomer. You win.