dgvi Watching this film is an out of body experience. I've watched thousands of films from across the world from the likes of Akira Kurosawa to Andrei Tarkovsky and Stanley Kubrick. This film will stick with me forever. It will touch your soul and will life in a different perspective. The acting (particularly Mohsen Ramezani), the cinematography, the hypnotic sounds and scenery are incredible and breathtaking. The power of cinema and art on full display here. This is a must see for everyone. 10/10.

palmiro This film has a pretty heavy religious overtone (film begins with a dedication to "Allah") that seems to have been blurred and missed by the American audience who loved it--taken as they were with the sorrowful tale of a sensitive blind boy. It's really the story of Job told in an Islamic setting. The commandment that comes from on high is to acknowledge and submit to your lot in life--in the case of the father: to devote himself to his son and his well-being, despite the heavy burden that that imposes on him. There's also the message that, along life's way, we must always be attentive to the needs of others (as exemplified, in a positive way, by the blind boy's rescue of "animalitos" in distress; and, in a negative way, by the father's lack of attention to the turtle on its back and in distress). And the failure of the father to submit to the lot of Job means that he must suffer God's wrath and further punishment. "God's will be done", as they say. Not a bad message coming from Islam in one sense: One should shoulder one's responsibilities towards others who are needy; but, do we need the threat of divine punishment to recognize this duty we all have to "do the right thing?" After all, a humanist doesn't need to read the Koran to know that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us. For my taste, just too easy a play for and manipulation of our feelings with the use of a blind kid.

NaderaSuleiman The thing about Majid Majidi's works is that he is able to transform an image through a child's eyes into our world and devastate his audience through heartwarming scenes that I believe has brought tears into the eyes of many people who perceived his films. he delivers these images in such a profound way, my heart warms just for the thought of them. The color of Paradise is a masterpiece. the script is beautiful, the cinematography is OK and the acting is just sheer brilliance! The boy Mohsen Ramezani who played the role of Mohammed has put quite an amazing performance, I believe most of the audience have noticed that. finding these actors was quite difficult for the makers of the film and it is wonderful how they were able to find a boy so good at acting, yet resembling the character in the film that much. however, I dread the fact that the movie had no soundtracks whatsoever! many scenes could have been way better if they contained background music. maybe there was a certain philosophy to it, but if there was it surely didn't get to me.

lewis-51 I have just come from watching one of the finest movies I have ever seen, the Color of Paradise. This is a powerful, engrossing, symbolic, emotional movie. It is full of honesty. It will make you appreciate blindness more than you ever have. But it is more than that. It is an expression of a deep philosophical, existential, mystical tradition and world view. Yet it is not heavy handed or pedantic. There are plenty of human situations and characters that will appeal to everyone while the true meaning penetrates into the subconscious -- at least of those open and aware enough.Others have written a brief synopsis, so I will skip that. Read them. But this movie is not really about the blind boy. It's about his father. I'm not going to write a long essay, but I will point out what I think are the keys. Watch the movie (again if necessary) and note these parts, and ponder the significance. The disillusioned, disappointed, frustrated father, angry at God. He doesn't deserve his life. His only son, representing his "inner child," is blind. The son is not disillusioned. The son hears things better and feels things better than just about anyone else. There is a young male carpenter (carpenter? just a coincidence? Nothing in a great movie is a coincidence) who is a teacher. There is a strange eerie sound that the father hears on three occasions. Near the end, there is a symbol of an upside down turtle. There is a Choice the father must make near the end. This is great literature, folks, but like all great literature it's not boring. That's the second rate stuff.-- Henry