Watch The Willow Tree

The Willow Tree is a 2005 Iranian film directed by Majid Majidi. The movie stars Parviz Parastui as Youssef, a blind professor who undergoes a cornea transplant and regains his eyesight after 38 years. The star cast includes Roya Taymourian as his wife, Haleh, and Soghra Obeisi as his mother, Mrs. Atef. The film takes the audience on a poignant journey alongside Youssef as he adjusts to seeing the world for the first time in his adult life. He is initially ecstatic to see everything around him, but the excitement is short-lived as he realizes that his journey to self-discovery is not as easy as he had imagined. The movie explores themes of love, regret, and the importance of appreciating life's simple things.

As the story progresses, Youssef begins to see his world through a new perspective and attempts to make up for the time he lost while being blind for almost four decades. But as he delves deeper into his new world, he realizes that regaining sight comes with a price. Youssef discovers that his life's work as a blind professor is over, and he is forced to leave his beloved profession to pursue other opportunities.

As he navigates through the unfamiliarity of his new world, Youssef finds solace in his wife, Haleh. She is his emotional anchor, providing him with guidance and emotional support. However, Youssef's newfound love for life leads him down a path that causes a rift between him and his wife, who feels neglected by his sudden change in priorities.

The Willow Tree is a poignant and emotional film that explores the transformational power of perspective, love, and the realization of what truly matters in life. It is a movie that will leave audiences with a sense of empathy, compassion, and appreciation for the simplest things in life.

The cinematography of the film is impressive, portraying the visual beauty of Iran while showcasing the calm and quiet nature of Youssef's world. The screenplay is well-written, and the dialogues are poignant, capturing the characters' emotions and thoughts. The movie's overall direction is well-executed, delivering a subtle and heartwarming narrative.

The movie's central character, Youssef, is portrayed with remarkable depth and warmth by Parviz Parastui. The actor delicately captures the complexities of a man who has seen the world for the first time in his adult life. Roya Taymourian and Soghra Obeisi also deliver excellent performances, playing the roles of Haleh and Mrs. Atef, respectively.

The Willow Tree premiered at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and was Iran's official submission for the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 78th Academy Awards. Although it did not win, the film was lauded for its emotional and heartwarming story, remarkable cinematography and direction, and excellent performances by the cast.

In conclusion, The Willow Tree is a widely acclaimed Iranian film that is worth watching for its emotional depth and heartwarming story. The movie teaches the audience to appreciate the simple things in life and see the world from a different perspective. It is a moving portrayal of love, regret and the power of empathy that will charm and captivate audiences.

The Willow Tree is a 2005 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 74.