"...perhaps it just means that I have given up...that I'm a coward, a god-awful coward. I don't even dare hope my fate will change for the better. All I do is make excuses for my cowardice through nausea."
"How about thinking of something other than yourself for once?"
How to end a fatalistic monologue
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
The second half of the movie is terrific. The old man riding shotgun with Mr. Badii provides great company amid the circusmtances. He is endearing, wise, and helpful.
The taxi driving through the windy and mazy hills in Iran at night is gorgeous. Mr. Badii gets out and sits at the foot of the cherry tree, overlooking the city. I love Kiarostami's decision to hold a prolonged shot over the main character's shoulder, which is enforced by the mise en…
Judah wrestles his conscience while visiting his childhood family home. He stands by the doorway as his past comes to life in a family discussion of good, evil, and morality at the kitchen table. A great narrative thread imagined where the present and past is impressively sutured together by the use of time and the moral content of the scene.
