Watch The Color of Pomegranates

The Color of Pomegranates is a 1969 avant-garde biographical film directed by Sergei Parajanov, centering on the life of the prominent 18th-century Armenian poet, Sayat-Nova. The movie is famous for its unusual structure, symbolism, and surrealistic approach to storytelling. The film's plot is divided into eight chapters, each of them representing different periods of Sayat-Nova's life. The chapters are named after colors that symbolize the poet's inner life, spiritual quest, and artistic vision. Instead of following traditional narrative conventions, the movie relies on an allegorical language that emphasizes the visual, the musical, and the poetic, creating a unique cinematic experience.

The movie opens with a dreamlike sequence, in which a young boy, Sayat-Nova, is shown walking through a forest, collecting pomegranates. This scene establishes the movie's visual style, which is characterized by surrealistic imagery, vibrant color schemes, and imaginative sound design. From this point on, the viewer follows the poet's life, starting with his childhood and ending with his death.

Sayat-Nova is portrayed by a series of actors at different stages of his life. The central portrayal is by Sofiko Chiaureli, who embodies the poet's feminine side and represents the emotional core of the movie. Chiaureli gives an outstanding performance, using her facial expressions and body language to convey the poet's innermost feelings.

The film explores the poet's relationships with his family, his masters, his lovers, and his patrons, highlighting his struggles to reconcile his artistic and spiritual ambitions with societal norms and expectations. The movie's main themes include love, loss, beauty, and transcendence, which are expressed through poetry, music, dance, and visual metaphors.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is its attention to detail, both in terms of set design and cinematography. Every frame of the movie is meticulously composed, with each color, texture, and movement serving a symbolic purpose. The camera movements are often slow and contemplative, inviting the viewer to immerse themselves in the poet's world.

The soundtrack is another standout feature of the movie, combining Armenian folk music, religious chants, and classical compositions. The sound design enhances the dreamlike quality of the movie, using natural sounds and abstract noises to create a suggestive and hypnotic atmosphere.

Despite its experimental style, The Color of Pomegranates is a deeply personal and emotional movie, reflecting the director's own experiences with repression and censorship. Parajanov was arrested and imprisoned several times by the Soviet authorities for his nonconformist views and his controversial artistic style. The Color of Pomegranates can be interpreted as a celebration of artistic freedom and a rejection of ideological pressures.

Overall, The Color of Pomegranates is a highly visual and poetic movie that rewards repeated viewings and careful study. Its surrealistic approach to biographical storytelling has influenced numerous filmmakers and artists since its release, earning it a place in the canon of world cinema. The movie is a testament to the power of art to transcend boundaries and to express the most intimate aspects of the human experience.

The Color of Pomegranates is a 1969 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 19 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.6.