The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
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The Color of Pomegranates Movie Review
The Color of Pomegranates is a 1969 Armenian avant-garde film directed by Sergei Parajanov and starring Sofiko Chiaurelli. This is your standard art movie across the board.
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“In this healthy and beautiful life
my share has been nothing but suffering.
Why has it been given to me?“
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It depicts the life of revered the 18th-century Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova. Portraying events in the life of the artist from childhood up to his death, it addresses in particular his relationships with women, including his muse. This is the premise behind the movie, but the film itself has no plot to be honest.
As is the case with any plotless movie, I am not a fan of the lack of character motivations, storytelling and emotional drive. None of it is present here as the film is just an excuse to revel in the artistry of its technical aspects, which are definitely terrific, but more on that later.
Sergei Parajanov isn’t really my taste as the films I’ve seen from him so far bored me personally. This one has a very interesting presence of Sofiko Chiaurelli. The director was bisexual, so he included some strange and intriguing imagery in his movies, this one having Sofiko play both female and male characters. That androgynous angle was definitely interesting.
But the characterization is non-existent and the movie isn’t really about anything when you think about it. Using tableaux and miniatures, the movie’s imagery is certainly striking. I loved that first act that was full of intriguing Armenian mysticism, folk and religious elements, but unfortunately the rest of the movie failed to live up to the promise of that excellent beginning.
The Color of Pomegranates is slowly paced and it is a true test of patience to sit through despite its very short runtime of just seventy eight minutes. I blame most of the film’s lack of substance and themes on Parajanov himself as he was so obsessed with the artistry of it all that he failed to deliver on the storytelling ground.
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But the movie is artistic, there is no denying that. While the score is great and the atmosphere is quite otherworldly, it is the cinematography and the production design that shine through the most. The use of miniatures, colorful folk costumes of the country and many stupendous sets and locations, the movie is a true work of art when it comes to the visuals. It’s a shame that it only has that to offer to its audiences.
