1990 Persian, 8.3 /10 IMDB, YouTube, Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
‘Based on a true story or a true’- we are familiar with that title credit. Interestingly ‘Close-up’ features real people of a true story, playing their original parts and it stays close to your heart when Abbas Kiarostami distinctively captures the events in an investigative perspective and documents the original happenings of a trail with a ‘close-up’ camera fixed on the face of the accused.
The film opens with the news of a reporter going along with the cops to arrest the man who had impersonated the famous director of Iran, Mr. Mohsen Makhmalbaf. After the arrest, Director Abbas Kiarostami, visits the plaintiff and gathers their story and visits the accused in the prison. The crew gets permission to shoot inside the courtroom and the mystery unfolds as the plaintiff’s family explain the incidences. The maker gives us visuals of the narration where the accused plays himself. This hints you of a happy ending that the accused is pardoned eventually. But the director makes the narration ever so beautifully, that you are totally invested in the film.
The plaintiff Ahahkhah’ son talking about ‘unemployment’, surprisingly finds it way throughout the film, which gives us an insight into the economy. When the accused Mr. Sabzian, tells Kiarostami, that he is interested in cinema and requests to tell Director Makhmalbaf that his film ‘The cyclist’ is a depiction of his suffering, as a movie buff myself, I could relate to the thoughts on Kiarostami’s on Sabzian.
To see a clap board in law court intrigues the viewers and when positioning of cameras are explained and the questions are asked by the director along with the Judge, it gives a whole new dimension to the court room scenario that we are used to. In the middle of the testimonies, Sabzian relates himself to the character of Kiarostami’s work explaining his obsession on films and the respect he has on art and directors. On the other hand, the plaintiff’s son whose passion for art and literature and his interest in acting, also shows the impact these ‘New Wave’ directors had on people of all classes of Iran.
The philosophies, the quotes on Tolstoy, the books that he had read, all this makes the suspicion on Sabzian grows many fold reminds the initial comment the plaintiff’s son, ‘Sabzina was not credulous’. But somewhere the maker’s belief transpires on the viewers and you start seeing through the eyes of Kiarostami.
The ‘close-up’ shot of Sabzian when the plaintiff son pronounces his forgiveness, quoting Sabzian’s deed merely reflected the social malaise and unemployment, the emotions were meant to be dramatic, but it wasn’t. But during the secret filming from inside a van, of Director Makhmalbof ‘s meeting with Sabzian on a distant road, ironically, that long shot amongst busy traffic, where sabzian hugs Makhmalbof and cries with his head down in shame- does the magic.
When the crew follows the two in a van, the vision is through a broken front glass. But after they buy flowers for the Ahankhah’s residence to apologize, the broken glass is blurred so you don’t see the cracks visibly, to represent, forgiveness, I believed. Makhmalbaf, introduces himself and asks Mr. Ahankhah to ‘see him in new light’ and that what we viewers do as well.
A must watch.