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THE COLOUR OF POMEGRANATES DVD REVIEW
Sam Tipton
The Film Pilgrim
http://www.thefilmpilgrim.com/reviews/the-colour-of-pomegranates-dvd-review/5338
Aug 24, 2011
Release Date (UK) - 29th August 2011
Certificate (UK) - U
Country - Armenia
Runtime - 70 mins
Director - Sergei Paradjanov
Starring - Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Alekyan, Vilen Galstyan
As the opening caption of the film sets out, The Colour of Pomegranates
is designed to be a figurative treatment of the work of legendary
Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova ("Master of Songs" in Persian). Director
Sergei Paradjanov's 1968 work is already semi-legendary itself,
and now it comes to DVD in the UK for the first time.
Paradjanov attempts to emulate the lyrical qualities of Nova's work,
and in doing so manages to forge an incredibly stylised and peculiar
visual language for himself. The film begins by depicting Nova's
youth, continues through to his coming of age, his discovery of the
female form, his experiences of love, and his eventual death. This
is all achieved almost solely through figurative visual language,
there is very little dialogue to speak of, and the only captions we
see are excerpts from Nova's poems and songs. As such, and like a
lot of arthouse cinema, a successful viewing of the film requires
a degree of patience and understanding, but it is a more rewarding
experience for doing so.
The most striking thing about the film is the way in which Paradjanov
has constructed almost every single shot to resemble a painting. An
incredible amount of thought was clearly put into the framing and the
positioning of every item and subject we see on the screen. Much credit
must also go to Stepan Andranikyan (Art Director) and Suren Shakhbazyan
(Director of Photography), as the film's mise en scène essentially
becomes a series of tableaux, filled with far more symbolism and
iconography than could ever be fully perceived in one viewing alone.
Camera techniques are also manipulated successfully by Shakhbazyan,
the most notable of which is surely the use of deep focus. This adds
further layers and depth to the already immaculately conceived works
of art that constitute each shot. One particularly astounding image
portrays what must be one to two hundred sheep being herded through
a room, whilst in the very background we see the lonesome figure of
a priest and two followers deep in prayer. There is a palpable theme
of man's place within nature throughout the film, and this particular
scene can also be interpreted as quite a brilliant visual mockery
of religion. This is largely what Pomegranates is trying to do,
Paradjanov wants to bring the beauty and the meaning that he saw in
the imagery of Nova's poems and recreate it into a visual language
that many more people can experience and understand.
It should, however, be pointed out that this film will not be enjoyed
by everyone. It is cinema in its purest and most poetic form, every
shot is meticulously constructed as a work of art in itself. Viewing
requires the ability to appreciate and critically analyse what is being
presented. It can be an arduous procedure but it is one that yields
far more meaning and intellectual stimulation than any mainstream
cinematic experience in the end. It may not be as entertaining as the
latest summer blockbuster, but this is not what Pomegranates is about,
it is about a pure encapsulation of beauty and cinematic intelligence,
in this regard it is a resounding success.
DVD extras include a documentary that exceeds the length of the film
itself. Although this may seem excessive it is actually interesting
viewing and includes many useful insights from filmmaker and writer
Daniel Bird. There is also an extensive commentary from Anthropologist
Levon Abrahamyan, and a small featurette by Assistant Director Levon
Grigoryan entitled "Memories of Sayat Nova." For fans of the film and
those who wish a bit more comprehension of the themes and Nova's work,
the extras certainly won't disappoint.
The Colour of Pomegranates is due for release on 29th August 2011 in
the UK
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Sam Tipton
The Film Pilgrim
http://www.thefilmpilgrim.com/reviews/the-colour-of-pomegranates-dvd-review/5338
Aug 24, 2011
Release Date (UK) - 29th August 2011
Certificate (UK) - U
Country - Armenia
Runtime - 70 mins
Director - Sergei Paradjanov
Starring - Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Alekyan, Vilen Galstyan
As the opening caption of the film sets out, The Colour of Pomegranates
is designed to be a figurative treatment of the work of legendary
Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova ("Master of Songs" in Persian). Director
Sergei Paradjanov's 1968 work is already semi-legendary itself,
and now it comes to DVD in the UK for the first time.
Paradjanov attempts to emulate the lyrical qualities of Nova's work,
and in doing so manages to forge an incredibly stylised and peculiar
visual language for himself. The film begins by depicting Nova's
youth, continues through to his coming of age, his discovery of the
female form, his experiences of love, and his eventual death. This
is all achieved almost solely through figurative visual language,
there is very little dialogue to speak of, and the only captions we
see are excerpts from Nova's poems and songs. As such, and like a
lot of arthouse cinema, a successful viewing of the film requires
a degree of patience and understanding, but it is a more rewarding
experience for doing so.
The most striking thing about the film is the way in which Paradjanov
has constructed almost every single shot to resemble a painting. An
incredible amount of thought was clearly put into the framing and the
positioning of every item and subject we see on the screen. Much credit
must also go to Stepan Andranikyan (Art Director) and Suren Shakhbazyan
(Director of Photography), as the film's mise en scène essentially
becomes a series of tableaux, filled with far more symbolism and
iconography than could ever be fully perceived in one viewing alone.
Camera techniques are also manipulated successfully by Shakhbazyan,
the most notable of which is surely the use of deep focus. This adds
further layers and depth to the already immaculately conceived works
of art that constitute each shot. One particularly astounding image
portrays what must be one to two hundred sheep being herded through
a room, whilst in the very background we see the lonesome figure of
a priest and two followers deep in prayer. There is a palpable theme
of man's place within nature throughout the film, and this particular
scene can also be interpreted as quite a brilliant visual mockery
of religion. This is largely what Pomegranates is trying to do,
Paradjanov wants to bring the beauty and the meaning that he saw in
the imagery of Nova's poems and recreate it into a visual language
that many more people can experience and understand.
It should, however, be pointed out that this film will not be enjoyed
by everyone. It is cinema in its purest and most poetic form, every
shot is meticulously constructed as a work of art in itself. Viewing
requires the ability to appreciate and critically analyse what is being
presented. It can be an arduous procedure but it is one that yields
far more meaning and intellectual stimulation than any mainstream
cinematic experience in the end. It may not be as entertaining as the
latest summer blockbuster, but this is not what Pomegranates is about,
it is about a pure encapsulation of beauty and cinematic intelligence,
in this regard it is a resounding success.
DVD extras include a documentary that exceeds the length of the film
itself. Although this may seem excessive it is actually interesting
viewing and includes many useful insights from filmmaker and writer
Daniel Bird. There is also an extensive commentary from Anthropologist
Levon Abrahamyan, and a small featurette by Assistant Director Levon
Grigoryan entitled "Memories of Sayat Nova." For fans of the film and
those who wish a bit more comprehension of the themes and Nova's work,
the extras certainly won't disappoint.
The Colour of Pomegranates is due for release on 29th August 2011 in
the UK
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress