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Color of Paradise, The
Sony Pictures Classics

Color of Paradise, The reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 80 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
10.0 out of 10
based on 25 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 4 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG for thematic elements

Starring Mohsen Ramezani, Hossein Mahjoub, and Salime Feizi

The story of an active 8 year-old blind boy who shows how he senses the world without sight. The film also follows the progress of the father-son relationship after the death of the mother.


GENRE(S): Drama  
WRITTEN BY: Majid Majidi  
DIRECTED BY: Majid Majidi  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: September 19, 2000 
Video: March 13, 2001 
Theatrical: March 24, 2000 
RUNNING TIME: 90 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: Iran 
LANGUAGE(S): Farsi (with English subtitles) 

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
While never slow, the film feels quiet and spacious, like a prayer.
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100
Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey
The film's climax involves a father and son reunion that is tense, tragic and, finally, as transcendent as Mohammad himself.
100
Boston Globe Jay Carr
The story is spun forth ravishingly, tenderly, and urgently, with a captivating mix of beauty, spare sophistication, and profound humanity.
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100
San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham
This is a transcendent film, deeply committed and beautifully wrought. It will make anyone who sees it look at the world with new eyes.
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93
Mr. Showbiz F. X. Feeney
It's an exhilarating display of filmic artistry.
90
Time Richard Corliss
This miniature epic is a film that, like its young hero, will enrich those who peer into its poignant heart.
90
Newsweek Ann-Rebecca Laschever
A beautifully told story of a child's innocence and faith, filmed with exquisite detail and stunning cinematography
88
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
A family film that shames the facile commercialism of a product like "Pokemon" and its value system based on power and greed.It is made with delicacy and beauty.
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88
New York Daily News Jami Bernard
Another perfect little gem from Iran in which the simplest story unleashes a torrent of emotion.
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88
Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
The simplicity and idealism of The Color of Paradise are part of what makes it so attractive to near-jaded palates here. There are no evil characters in the film.
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80
Dallas Observer Jean Oppenheimer
A beautiful film from Iran explores beauty both physical and spiritual.
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80
Washington Post Desson Thomson
A heartbreaker, plain and simple.
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80
Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum
Reputed to be sentimental crowd pleaser, for better and for worse.
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80
Village Voice Michael Atkinson
Like a Hollywood dolt, Majidi strives to overwhelm us with emphasis, but it's the reality he was savvy to load his movie with that's touching.
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78
Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
Less a film than a lyrical, naturalistic tone poem.
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75
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
It's so beautiful and moving and simple that I'm willing to forgive Majidi his contrivances.
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75
Portland Oregonian Diana Abu-Jaber
Offers a charming reinterpretation of what it means to look for happiness and all the unexpected places that it may be found.
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75
New York Post Jonathan Foreman
Doesn't have the emotional heft of his "Children of Paradise," but it's still moving.
75
USA Today Staff [Not Credited]
Seductively pastoral but also a bit slight, the movie saves its best scene for the very end.
70
Film.com Henry Cabot Beck
Westerners may find the religious aspects wearying and a little fantastic. The Color of Paradise is both parable and fable, a retelling of Isaac and Abraham.
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70
Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
As worthy and moving as The Color of Paradise is, it is not entirely free of the manipulative, the arbitrary and the downright punitive.
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70
The New York Times Dana Stevens
Leans a bit too much toward the lachrymose and has a wrong-note final image.
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70
TV Guide Ken Fox
The surprisingly tragic climax may make it rough going for kids too young to grasp the film's comforting message.
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70
LA Weekly Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
The performances are revelatory.
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50
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Although it has a good heart and a warm spirit, this prettily filmed drama is more sentimental and manipulative than earlier Iranian films on youth-related subjects.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 10.0 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Naveen A. gave it a10:
This is a wonderful movie. It is sheer poetry on cellulide. The last scene brings tears in viewer's eyes.

Suzanne S. gave it a10:
Fascinating!

Clair G. gave it a 10:
Fabulous.

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