DVD Mini Review - The Song of Sparrows
I am a fan of Iranian cinema and director Majid Majidi (Children of Heaven, The Color of Paradise, The Willow Tree), so I was certainly looking forward to seeing The Song of Sparrows. The film had a very limited release in the spring of 2009 so for me the best way to see it was on DVD (Netflix is a blessing and I highly recommend it to those of you who still don't have it).
Karim (Reza Naji) works at an ostrich farm. He is very devoted to his job and the birds. But one day one of the birds disappears. Karim is blamed for this and he is fired (he tells his family that he quit). It is hard enough to support his family (wife, two daughters and a son) but his older daughter is partially deaf and uses a hearing aid. When she loses the hearing aid while helping brother and his friends clear an unused well so that they may start a fish business. The hearing aid is found but it is broken. Karim is very upset but he is also determined to either have it fixed or buy her a new one. He takes off on his motorcycle to the big city of Tehran. He finds out that fixing the hearing aid is impossible and to buy a new one would be very expensive (he is uninsured - I guess that Iran does not give all of its citizens health care). While sitting on his bike he approached by someone who needs a ride. And then and there he starts his business as a taxi (bike) driver.
The Song of Sparrows is filled with wonderful, realistic moments is a real slice of life. We can see how the two halves live. Kamir and his rural family don't have much but many of the big city people are very well to do. We also see how this new way of life affects Kamir. For the most part I liked him but there were times that he was not that likable. I should say that Naji is marvelous as Kamir. You can read all of his emotions on his weathered face. And the cinematography by Turaj Mansuri is fantastic. And by the end of the film you will understand what the title means. Highly recommended to all of those who love wonderful world cinema.
Karim (Reza Naji) works at an ostrich farm. He is very devoted to his job and the birds. But one day one of the birds disappears. Karim is blamed for this and he is fired (he tells his family that he quit). It is hard enough to support his family (wife, two daughters and a son) but his older daughter is partially deaf and uses a hearing aid. When she loses the hearing aid while helping brother and his friends clear an unused well so that they may start a fish business. The hearing aid is found but it is broken. Karim is very upset but he is also determined to either have it fixed or buy her a new one. He takes off on his motorcycle to the big city of Tehran. He finds out that fixing the hearing aid is impossible and to buy a new one would be very expensive (he is uninsured - I guess that Iran does not give all of its citizens health care). While sitting on his bike he approached by someone who needs a ride. And then and there he starts his business as a taxi (bike) driver.
The Song of Sparrows is filled with wonderful, realistic moments is a real slice of life. We can see how the two halves live. Kamir and his rural family don't have much but many of the big city people are very well to do. We also see how this new way of life affects Kamir. For the most part I liked him but there were times that he was not that likable. I should say that Naji is marvelous as Kamir. You can read all of his emotions on his weathered face. And the cinematography by Turaj Mansuri is fantastic. And by the end of the film you will understand what the title means. Highly recommended to all of those who love wonderful world cinema.
posted by Film Fanatic | 11:40 AM
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