Introduction
Through the Olive Trees raises questions concerning the purpose of art and, more importantly, its relationship to the world as it is. The movie explores the significance of creative work in our lives. I realized the film is an excellent example of the synthetic quality of narrative, reminding me of the various elements of fiction and how they differ from real life.
Critique of Narrative and Artificiality
The film’s central concept is “and life goes on.” I understood it as a criticism of narrative in film composition and its capacity to simplify reality into a more manageable subject. An example of this concept of extremal artificiality is the role of the teacher, who also plays a teacher in the film (Through the Olive Trees). He argues that the part is simple for him, which is a comment on how the film’s artificiality distorts reality.
Furthermore, the movie highlights the story’s significance in shaping our perceptions of the world around us. Through the Olive Trees is an intriguing film that challenges our assumptions about art and its impact on our lives. The film again demonstrates how narrative tricks in movies can distort reality when the actress Tahereh struggles to distinguish between her role in the movie and her real-life persona (Through the Olive Trees). This plot device raises questions about the film’s honesty, as it begins to feel as if the action is both authentic and unreliable. By blurring the lines between fiction and reality, it questions our understanding of what is truthful and what is not.
Cinematography and the Beauty of the Iranian Countryside
The film’s cinematography is particularly outstanding, featuring breathtaking images of the Iranian countryside and the olive trees that serve as its backdrop. The use of natural light is especially noteworthy, with images captured at sunset and at dawn. Although the film is a work of fiction, these decisions contribute to creating a sense of realism. It is incredible how the cameraman captured the beauty of Iran’s countryside, nearly making it a character in its own right. The olive orchards, in particular, are gorgeous in their simplicity and provide an excellent background for the characters’ problems.
Natural light is also used masterfully to create a feeling of time and location that draws the spectator into the drama. The shots taken around sunset and early morning are particularly successful in conveying a sense of the passage of time and the ephemeral nature of human experience. When these components are combined, they create a genuinely remarkable visual experience.
Mise-en-Scène and Editing in Conveying Meaning
The importance of mise-en-scène, or the arrangement of visual components within a shot, in conveying meaning to the spectator cannot be overstated. This method is effectively employed in Through the Olive Trees, particularly in scenes where Hossein is pursuing Tahereh. The filmmaker uses the setting to underscore the power relations between the two protagonists, with Hossein frequently following Tahereh over broad fields, his figure shrinking in the distance. Along with the cinematography and set design, the editing in Through the Olive Trees is outstanding. The filmmaker used jump cuts to disorient the spectator, primarily during the sequences within the film. This strategy emphasizes the deception in storytelling and how it varies from reality.
Conclusion
Overall, Through the Olive Trees is a provocative film that raises significant concerns about the purpose of art and its relationship to reality. The photography, set design, and editing are all superb, contributing to a sense of reality despite the picture being a work of fiction. The viewer is left to examine how narrative both mirrors and distorts reality towards the end of the film.
Work Cited
Through the Olive Trees. Directed by Abbas Kiarostami, MK2 Diffusion, 1994.