Year: 1969
This little movie is sort of the prototype for something that I would enjoy. It ticks all the boxes: foreign (from Iran--in Farsi it's titled "Gaav"), black and white and kind of weird. But it's a really interesting, though-provoking piece of work.
The plot is really simple. Hassan has the only cow is his village and he is completely devoted to the creature, playing with it, caressing its back and doting on it almost like you would a child. One day, Hassan leaves the village to work and while he's away, the cow dies. His fellow villagers decide to bury the cow rather than break the news to Hassan. Of course, Hassan eventually discovers the truth his well-being gradually begins to unravel, to the point where he believes that he is the cow.
Ezzatolah Entezami, the actor who plays Hassan gives the proverbial "performance of a lifetime." His descent into madness is really harrowing to see. There is a great shot where he is sitting on some rocks, gazing far out into the distance. His friends from the village approach from behind with the hopes that they can talk him back into normalcy. But Hassan is already gone by this point and the memory of him gazing far into the nothingness will remain with me.
I did like this movie, although I thought it somewhat ponderous. I think maybe it could have been a little shorter, although it's not "Santantango" by any means! I loved the starkness of it, the sense of desolation conveyed by the shots and the austerity of it all.
The movie is also important historically, in that it was one of the early "alternative" films to break through in the country. Iranian cinema has a rich, varied history, which hopefully I will be able to learn more and more about through working on this blog. Reportedly, the Ayatollah liked it a lot and if you are in the mood for something adventurous and thought provoking, give it a try.
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