Good start, but then it gets ruined

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

This is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Gabbeh, an Iranian film which chronicles the complex life of a young girl and her family who live in the mountains of Iran herding goats, is told with such conviction and simplicity, that it is hard not to fall in love with this film.The narrative displays non-Western conventions, while remaining simple and easy to follow for a Western audience. It is actually quite refreshing to see a film that is told in the way Gabbeh is told.The content of the film is brilliant, with themes of nature, life's beauty and misfortune and complex family relationships. The use of color, which is arguably one of the most unique and interesting features of this film, warrant at least one viewing, if not multiple. Also, using the rug, or, gabbeh, as the film's centerpiece is a wonderful visual anchor, and reads well for a Western audience.If the story is not enough to sell this film, the cinematography more than makes up for any mistakes this film has. The film is short enough that the pastoral imagery remains beautiful and not boring or simplistic, but is interjected in the film enough that it remains a focal point which pushes the film forward in many aspects.Overall, a must-see. Absolutely one of the best films I've ever watched.

Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Iranian sensation known as Gabbeh is a fantastic film that features a mythical young woman who is longing to be married to a certain horseback stranger from another clan. Gabbeh is spoken in their native language of Arabic, with English subtitles to make sure we understand. This is the story of the young woman named Gabbeh, who is played by Shaghayeh Djodat, wants nothing more than to get married to this horseback stranger, but there is one problem with her plan. Her uncle, played by Abbas Sayah, doesn't permit her to do so until he gets married first before her. But out of nowhere this mythical young woman appears when an elderly couple goes through their routine of cleaning their rug, while squabbling gently with each other. The Gabbeh's story is almost like a fairytale other than the actuality encompasses the old woman's real-life struggle with daily life and accomplishing her aspiration of matrimony. The director hides his analysis by the usage of colors, which is dominant throughout the entire movie. The vibrant colors that the women wear in the movie are a foundation of unity for women and give them an opening to express themselves in the patriarchal culture. This love story has a hint into a society that has Westerners, whom we have misconceptions or have stereotypes about. This is the first film I've seen from their region and it is a quite odd, but yet entertaining film. I'm expecting to see more films from this region or from this director. This director did a great job with this film with the use of vibrant colors as well as a great love story as well as what happens in the life of Gabbeh or others that are just like her. Overall this film got my attention.

The movie Gabbeh is an Iranian film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf features a mythical young woman longing to be married to the horseback stranger from another clan. Gabbeh is a magical, colorful love story filmed in Iran with the dialect spoken in their native tongue. There are subtitle in the film but the dialog is kept to minimum. The young woman, Gabbeh, is played by Shaghayeh Djodat. However she is not permitted to marry him until her uncle played by Abbas Sayah marries before she does. This mythical young woman appears when an elderly couple goes through their routine of cleaning their gabbeh, while squabbling gently with each other. Magically the young woman appears and helps them to clean the rug. This young woman belongs to the clan whose history is depicted in the design of the gabbeh, and the rug recounts the story of the courtship of the young woman by a stranger from the clan. The girl's story is almost like a fairytale but in actuality encompasses the old woman's real-life struggle with daily life and accomplishing her aspiration of matrimony. Makhmalbaf's uses this film to show his impassioned analysis of poverty, the oppressiveness of tradition or the loneliness of women in a patriarchal society in Iran. He hides his analysis by the usage of color which is prevalent throughout the whole movie. The vibrant colors that the women wear in the movie are a source of solidarity for women and give them an outlet to express themselves in the patriarchal society. This passionate love story offers a glimpse into a society that as Westerners we know little about and have many misconceptions about. This Iranian film is the 1st I have seen from the region and has definitely spurred my interest in seeing more films from this director.

Chaste and chased, the young woman protagonist in Gabbeh shows just how hard it is to live life as a nomad and how hard it is to be with the one you love. When you’re a nomad, and especially a nomad in Iran, you must follow the lead and orders of the patriarchal leader. This fact of life becomes tough stuff for the young female protagonist and the man seeking to marry her. Indeed, the protagonist’s father did not want to let her go. Why this is the case I don’t know. Perhaps women are like assets for nomadic clans. When the father allows his daughters to marry, does the family of the potential husband give plenty of gifts, goods, and animals in exchange? Perhaps this is the case in Iran. I don't know. One thing I do know is that Gabbeh illustrates how the best kind of love is the love you fight for and take risks on.I don’t know the courtship rituals amongst nomadic tribes but I do know that the protagonist’s husband showed immense fortitude and persistence. In western society, if you follow a woman that length of time for such small gestures of affection and recognition you better be sure you have a chance with her because if you don’t you’ll have a 500ft restraining order placed on you within a matter of days. However, for the protagonist’s husband, the juice was indeed worth the squeeze. The rich, illustrious, and sensual colors associated with the protagonist indeed reflect her beauty and appearance. The wolf call in the film was also illustrative of the protagonist’s beauty. In western society, male wolf howls, cat calls, and whistles may seem demeaning to women adorned in short skirts, high-heels, and glittered bosoms. This is not the case for Gabbeh’s protagonist, however. Adorned in the traditional nomadic garb, the wolf call was a symbol of her pursuing lover’s “lone wolf” solitude and his reverence for her bold but distant beauty. Go watch this movie if you want to know what it sounds like when doves cry.