A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

I saw this movie before reading any reviews, and I thought it was very funny. I was very surprised to see the overwhelmingly negative reviews this film received from critics.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

This Iranian/Persian film used to feature in one of the versions of the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I have always said I will try any and all film that have been and will be in it, directed by Abbas Kiarostami (Close-Up, Taste of Cherry). Basically in the hills of Kurdistan, an unnamed city Engineer (Behzad Dorani) and his two two (unseen) assistants are searching for a small village in the mountains. They arrive and are greeted by a young boy who shows them a place for them to stay and guides the engineer to the home of an (unseen) elderly dying woman. It is unclear to the people why the engineer and his men are there, some locals think he he wants to the purchase the land when the old woman dies, others think he could be an archaeologist searching for rare artefacts. Meanwhile the engineer spends time exploring the village and encountering the people who live there, most are women, the men are at jobs that occupy them day and night for several months of the year. The engineer also stays in touch with the boy, who keeps an eye on the old woman's health, while also doing his schoolwork, working on his family's farm, and doing household chores for his mother. The engineer gets a few calls on his cellular phone, he is required to drive to a graveyard to receive the calls, most however are wrong numbers, while doing so he encounters an (unseen) gravedigger and a girl who milks cows kept in a basement. Over time the engineer has done everything he can to fit into the community, while sticking around for his supposed relative, and his attitudes to things change by the time he is ready to leave. There is only one character to truly focus on throughout the whole film, leaving the viewer to speculate about withheld information, it a static, emotionally detached and subtle celebration of the dignity of labour, I am honest in saying I could not follow any real story, I just liked the leading character and the vibrant backgrounds, overall an interesting enough drama. Good!

If you attempt, or have attempted, to watch this film, but think it "boring," "slow," "pointless," "meaningless," "a waste of time," or something similar, then challenge yourself to give it another shot. Part of the reason I love this film is actually because so many people think this way about it. A good film is largely what you make of it, and Kiarostami does set this film up to be very accessible to international viewers without specific knowledge of Iranian culture if they choose to give it a real shot. By that I mean you've got to work hard, to think actively, and to let go of your preconceptions and expectations of what a movie should be. Don't try to evaluate this film like you would your usual Hollywood flick. Instead, try to adjust yourself to the film and experience it. It's an exercise in perspective. This world is rich in diversity and beauty, but one needs to choose to see it. It's how you look at it. Stepping out of your comfort zone is a great way to do this.Kiarostami has been making acclaimed films for many years and is both writer and director here, unlike most Hollywood films. That means he has a great amount of control and doesn't have to alter his plan to please anyone. He could make the movie any way he wanted to. When something seems baffling, strange, or annoying, give him the benefit of the doubt. He made it that way on purpose. He's provoking you, but find patience. As you're watching, think about why he would do that. What's with all the idle chatter? Why doesn't Kiarostami give you all of the answers, leaving you hanging? Why do we never see many of the characters' faces? Why is the main character not a super-charismatic, witty, funny, and lovable kind of guy? Why devote so much screen time to a chicken in a doorway?There are several excellent reviews here in which people have noted the film's finer points. They are a wealth of information and inspiration.If upon further review, this film or others like it go from "boring" to "interesting"--Congratulations!

Maybe I just don't get it, but it seems as though I should. I usually like slow, sensitive, moody films with a deep human message. I'm usually the guy who sticks with a movie and finds it interesting when my more action minded friends have impatiently abandoned it. I love Eric Rohmer, and Ozu, for example. The setting of this film is exotic, the values and customs of the people are interesting. I thought this film would be something I'd love.It wasn't.Partly, I think it was the acting. The lead was good, but the acting of everyone else was - well, I don't like to criticize amateurs. It looks like the director used local non-actors for most of the roles, and while this did give the film a certain reality and authenticity, the non-professionals "acted" as if they were reading from a card. Scared and wooden, they seemed to be hoping they wouldn't goof up on the words. The only exception was that the child would occasionally seem natural, but in situations where he was still and before the camera, he usually acted as wooden as anyone else. This sort of thing tends to break the suspension of disbelief that is necessary for an audience to get involved in a film. Many people are too busy reading subtitles to notice this, but then many people do notice it even though they are reading subtitles. I am one of the latter. Then there was the script. For a while it was difficult to figure out what exactly was going on and why the engineer was there. I don't think that was the director's intention and it may be the fault of the subtitle translation. However, the effect is to confuse the viewer for far too long. In fact if I hadn't picked up the case and read the liner notes during the film I may not have figured it out at all.The pace is slow. Many great films have a slow pace, but slowness doesn't necessarily make a great film by itself. Great directors can build interest in a slow film with mood, a slow but steady accumulation of details and other interesting things. But without considerable skill at film-making, slowness is just - slow. There are scenes that just seem to be endless for no real reason. A long sequence of a dung beetle pushing a ball of dung, for example. There may be a symbolic meaning here but after a bit you either get it or you don't and there is no point in letting the scene continue to run.Too many films today are superficial, and any director who tries to make a film with a deep human message, deserves some credit. However, just because a director has this as his theme, does not mean the movie will be a great one. Unfortunalatly, in comparison with films by great and highly skilled directors such as Rohmer or Ozu, this film does not measure up. I believe the director had a good idea but he overreached beyond his skills.I hope that Abbas Kiarostami will continue to make films. Perhaps he will develop into a great director. Hopefully he will continue to tackle difficult themes, but more successfully. There are seeds here that could develop. Perhaps one day this film will be viewed as an imperfect early effort by a now great director. Perhaps.

It is a very interesting and compelling film that on the surface seems to be one of the most boring ever made. "Wind Will Carry Us" tells the story of Behzad, the documentary director, who travels with his crew from Tehran to the tiny remote village of Siah Dareh where they hope to document an ancient funeral ritual. While there, all they can do is wait for an old lady to die and to hope that it would happen sooner than later. The lady does not seem to hurry to meet her Creator. Nothing much happens with the exception of waiting and repetitions of the same conversations on the cell phone with the constant interruption of calls but the honest and poetic celebration of the world around us shines through every frame of this ode to joy of life. One of my friends, who had recommended the movie to me, suggested that it should not be over- aestheticized and I totally agree. The film's serious political and social metaphors and overtones are undeniable but in its core, it is a moving, life-confirming, and soulful comedy. Watching my first Abbas Kiarastami's movie was a very rewarding experience.