ShangLuda Admirable film.

Allison Davies The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Logan By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

JR This the only movie I have ever watched and given a 10 out of 10 score. I consider myself to be pretty hardened, having been a street cop for over 22 years and a firefighter for 10 years before that. I have seen a lot of human suffering and I have become very hardened to it but this movie had me in tears more than once. It's about a innocent little boy who lives in the mountains of Iran and has been blind since birth. His mother has recently died and his father considers him a burden not only on his life in general but also toward his attempt to find another bride. The boy has been sent to live and study at a school for the blind and here you will see blindness from a myriad causes we are lucky to no longer have in the USA. The boy has an innate intelligence and a strong curiosity about the world around him, which he experiences as a world of sound and tactile senses. His father wants him to stay in the school but he is forced to take him home and now he is concerned that his brides family will find out he has bad genes or something. Once home the boy reconnects with a loving grandmother and 2 loving sisters and even the people of his village are tolerant of him and show him affection. Yet his father schemes to be rid of him and at times you can see in his eyes he couldn't be blamed if the boy wandered off or befell some other "natural" death. However the father finds a blind carpenter a long way away who takes the boy as an apprentice. But from the start guilt seems to be chasing the father and we see him reacting to a raucous type of bird call from the deep forest that appears at these moment as if it is a demon calling him out in accusation. Several aspects begin to drag at the father, weighing him down with guilt until the end when he must decide to let the boy die in a natural accident or will his love for the boy finally over come his past transgressions, guilt and self pity. Will the father step back and let nature take its course or will his love for the boy finally wake him up to the fact that his son has always been a blessing on him, not a weight around his neck. And will his decision come in time to save his soul and the boy's life? The makers of this movie prove that excellence knows no border and cannot be stifled.

james-mag85 an enchanting mixture of emotions, beauty, nature and vulnerability of a blind boy with beautiful soul. to make such master piece a director has to imagine every single scene prior to film it and that's what make a movie director a great one, majid majidi surely did that and every single scene was perfect. i am becoming a big fan of iranian movies and TV series specially based on historical figures like Marry or prophet Joseph. i wonder if anyone can hold their tears after watching that scene where boy is talking to that guy in wood workshop. that scene really melts your heart and you literally pray that pain of this blind boy goes away. loved the ending scene where father finally realize that he has to keep his son with him because he loved him.

AncaH This is my second Iranian movie I've seen, by the same director and I must say I am really impressed. It's once again proved that not only big budget movies can make impression, but also the small budget ones when it comes to metaphors, the essence of life and simplicity. Feelings, concerns, wisdom, drama and joy, all of these you'll find in this great picture that will mark your "view" forever. The center of attention in here is not only the poor blind boy without a mother, but also the attention he pays attention to the world, to all is living or not. He learns fast and he loves strong, he lives trying to accumulate everything, to find a message in every plant, sound, shape, bird chatters. A great movie that every one of us should see.

Chrysanthepop Majidi's films are truly one of a kind. When world media is too preoccupied with portraying Iran as a country where revolutions, reform movements and extreme corruption takes place, his films remind the world that there's another side to the beautiful country. 'Rang-e Khoda' displays the beauty through the simplicity of everyday life in Iran.The story revolves around a blind little boy named Mohammed who's been admitted to a boarding school for the blind and now that the summer holidays are about to begin, he eagerly awaits his father to take him home for the holidays. His father reluctantly arrives later than everyone else. He sees his son as a burden, a obstacle that prevents him from moving further in life. However, his grandmother and two sisters are thrilled to see Mohammed.The characters are beautifully written. Each and every one of them are recognizable as humans we have met at some point in life. Hashem, for example isn't an evil person. After losing his wife and his faith and being affected by poverty and aging, he has his own struggles to overcome and he sees his own son's handicap as another struggle while fearing that there will be no one to take care of him at old age. But all of this prevents him from seeing what a gifted, spirited, kind and lovable child Mohammed is.The cinematography is first rate. None of the shots look staged. Every setting looks raw and authentic. The Persian landscape is breathtaking. Music is used to a minimum. Actually, it's the sounds of nature that 'function' as background score by affecting the mood. Majidi also leaves some elements open to the viewer's interpretation such as the frightening sound of the 'djin' and the very ending itself.The performances are spellbinding. I wonder how the director got child actors to deliver such sincere performances. Mohsen Ramezani, Farahnaz Safari and Elham Sharifi act so naturally. Hossein Mahjoub is excellent as the tormented Hashem and Salameh Feyzi wins the audience's heart right from her first scene.Needless to say, Majidi's films are gems. As a lover of cinema,I find the experience of a Majidi film to be quite precious as they remind me of appreciating the beauty of daily life and nature.