Trailers
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Description
A middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii is intent on killing himself and seeks someone to bury him after his demise. Driving around the city, the seemingly well-to-do Badii meets with numerous people, including a Muslim student, asking them to take on the job, but initially he has little luck. Eventually, Badii finds a man who is up for the task because he needs the money, but his new associate soon tries to talk him out of committing suicide.
Starring
Awards
Key opinion
Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry is a minimalist and contemplative meditation on existence, suicide, and the small joys of life. While many viewers find its meditative pace and ambiguity profound and moving, others are polarized by its lack of narrative explanation and the slow, repetitive nature of its structure.
| Theme | The film masterfully uses simple, minimalist storytelling and austere visuals to explore heavy, philosophical questions about the value of life. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography effectively captures the barren, industrial landscapes of Iran, contrasting the protagonist's inner despair with the natural world's beauty. | |
| Acting | The performances, particularly those of the strangers encountered, anchor the film in a grounded reality despite the abstract, parabolic nature of the dialogue. | |
| Ending | The film's ambiguous, non-traditional ending is interpreted by some as a profound invitation to reflect on life, while others view it as an unsatisfying narrative cop-out. | |
| Pacing | The deliberate, slow-burning pace serves as a contemplative tool for some viewers, while others find the static, repetitive car scenes dull and monotonous. |