Baran (2001)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Brilliant and touching

A different way of telling a story

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

I am still little bit sad after the final scene.I wanted them to be together but it was virtually impossible given their situation. When she drops the container and he comes out to help and he is picking up the vegetables, that is the moment when she realizes his love and looks at him with those eyes ( He does not know that she is looking at him),that moment alone satisfied me that at least she has recognized the love he had. Majidi has produced magic once again and I am getting more and more attracted to Iranian cinema

I use movies as an adjunct to my English class in Ladakh, a remote part of India. I like to show movies from different countries, and movies by this director always satisfy. It does mean that my students are reading subtitles rather than listening to English, but reading in chunks is a real-life reading skill, so I like to mix subtitled non-English movies in with English ones.Being Iranian, this movie is, of course, squeaky clean for showing to students in a conservative society.The character of Lateef is fun to do a character word-web about and my students came up with some great descriptive words, since his character is not all positive, and changes over time. Pre-teach that it's from Iran, and the language is Farsi (not Arabic). Because of many years of war, lots of Afghans are refugees in other countries, and in Iran they have trouble because without ID cards they aren't allowed to work, shop in shops, or stay in hotels. Make sure to catch the names of Najaf (the guy who has the accident at the beginning), his friend Sultan, the central character Lateef, and the boss Memar, because a lot of important plot points happen in discussions mentioning a character.

A young man, Lateef, may be 18 years old falls in love with a fellow construction site worker Baran. Circumstances are victimizing, conditions are odd. There's no way Lateef can win her hand but its a complete triumph of love.What a brilliant film. I am not into love stories but this film is definitely a love story par excellence. Plot is so brilliant and is executed with such finesse. The passion in the heart of the protagonist is just unbelievable and is a treat to watch. Majidi is such a fantastic director. All the obstacles and difficulties Lateef faces are social and political problems. Story looks like a love story but Majidi actually talks about women problems, refugees, illegal workers, immigration problems and of course conflict of right and wrong defined in a society. There are so many things Lateef does for Baran which I ended up thinking 'not possible' but the real question is 'isnt love selfless?'. 'Baran' is a film which haunts a thinking brain. A film which doesn't answer questions but ask questions. The construction site where Lateef works is in Northern Tehran. Mehar employs Afghanis to work with Turks and Iranians (thanks Howard Schumann ). There are actually so many things going on in this film.Hossein Abedini as Lateef is fantastic. He is Lateef and nobody else can be Lateef. Zahra Bahrami doesn't have dialogs but she is very good. Mohammad Amir Naji is a fantastic actor. If he is on the screen then you just look at him and rest is 'backdrop'. One of the few complete actors in my dictionary of actors. My favorite scene is when Lateef comes to know about the fact that Baran is a girl and so hear wears some trendy clothes and come to brick laying. Memar looks at him and say "why are you dressed like a pop star?". I laughed so much. I use this phrase very often. Two thumbs up. I think the whole Indian film industry with 200 films on love is a dwarf in front of this divine story about love and selflessness. A must watch. 10/10.

when you sit down to watch a movie from someone who created "children of heaven" and colors of paradise...u expect world class cinema.to me this was not in any such league.for a man who wrote and directed children of heaven with sheer excellence ,i am surprised he directed a movie which fails to evoke me much. the cinematography without question,is excellent.the scenes from Iran are as beautiful as a poem.the imagery and symbolism of rain and the smile that symbolizes the awakening of his soul, despite his misery is beautiful.at several points i was struck by the beauty of the emotion that he has tried to capture.but is there a point? perhaps i am not a lover.i am romantic,but not romantic enough to understand the love that kept growing without any interaction or rationale.why was he so in love with her? we see that though this movie is slow it is not static,the characters are well portrayed and the plight of the workers is brought out as a background theme.what is central to the theme is how love makes a person outgrow the limitations of his heart and teaches him to open himself up.selflessness is an endearing note,but sometimes i feel that why you do something matters as much as what you do.there is no rationale here.eternal lovers will tell me that love knows no reason ,but i somehow refuse to believe that. what puts this movie apart from most others is that there is no stress on building stereotypes.memar is not how "memar's" are usually portrayed as .the workers though overworked show a sense of camaraderie that is endearing.and even their love is not as clichéd as it seems. i reiterate that i simply loved the camera work.the scene where the letter flows down the brook...where he looks at the curtain ,where he sits among the pigeons whom she had fed once are all well painted.. i would say that this film is certainly worth a watch but do not expect a Marji majidi level movie...because for those who fell in love with "children of heaven:" this is surely a let down.