Taste of Cherry / 10 on Ten DVD, 1997-2004

Abbas Kiarostami has come to represent the measured, rhythmic style typical of much Iranian cinema, and the Palme d'Or-winning A Taste Of Cherry assuredly takes its time before revealing its main theme. After a lengthy shot of a man driving around Tehran, he attempts to pick up a young man; not, as it gradually becomes apparent, for sex, but because he is planning his own suicide and wishes someone to bury him after death. The moral and human dilemmas blend with Kiarostami’s remarkable directorial choices, with his decisions regarding the use of long shots and close-ups crucial to the emotional impact the films exerts. The ending has really divided critics; it is either jarring or the reason the film is a masterpiece, and depending on your take on the denouement, A Taste Of Cherry is either 90 minutes or 95 minutes of pure, innovative and breathtaking cinema. 10 On Ten is a fascinating masterclass by the director on his methods and the influence digital photography has had on his work.

Alex Davidson on 7th May 2005
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