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December 31, 2004
Kiarostami's *Taste of Cherry*
Despite the fantastic and variegate discussion we had about the characters, themes, and artistry in Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry, we never came to a satisfactory approach to the ending, which I think all of us considered a mystery, and in addition, an unnecessary one at that. My first reaction was to think that Kiarostami was lifting the curtain, distancing or alienating the audience from emotional involvement in the movie. However, I recently read a review of the film by Jonathan Rosenbaum, film critic for the Chicago Reader, who sees the ending as achieving the exact opposite of my first impression:
'The most important thing about the joyful finale is that it's the precise opposite of a "distancing effect." It does invite us into the laboratory from which the film sprang and places us on an equal footing with the filmmaker, yet it does this in a spirit of collective euphoria, suddenly liberating us from the oppressive solitude and darkness of Badii alone in his grave. Shifting to the soldiers reminds us of the happiest part of Badii's life, and a tree in full bloom reminds us of the Turkish taxidermist's epiphany--though the soldiers also signify the wars that made both the Kurdish soldier and the Afghan seminarian refugees, and a tree is where the Turk almost hung himself. Kiarostami is representing life in all its rich complexity, reconfiguring elements from the preceding 80-odd minutes in video to clarify what's real and what's concocted. (The "army" is under Kiarostami's command, but it is Ershadi--an architect friend of the filmmaker in real life--who passes Kiarostami a cigarette.) Far from affirming that Taste of Cherry is "only" a movie, this wonderful ending is saying, among other things, that it's also a movie. And we don't have to remember all of the lyrics of "St. James Infirmary" to know that death is waiting for us around the corner.'
So in essence, Kiarostami with the ending plays the part of the compassionate taxidermist, telling us that that the point of the movie is less about this particular man’s affirmation of life, but more about our own shared affirmation. But that’s only one man’s opinion. Agree if you want, I’m still your friend. Disagree totally, I’ll be your friend, too.
-Robin Stewart
Posted by lyceum at December 31, 2004 08:30 PM