Colour of Pomegranates Film Difficulty Ranking: 5
Colour of Pomegranates is not a biography of the 18th Century Armenian poet Sayat Nova, but a film which tries to depict his poetry on film. If you’re looking for plot, storyline, and a conclusion, stay away from this movie. However, if you want to explore how you can use film as an artistic medium, check out this brilliantly esoteric and stylish film.
From: Armenia, Asia
Watch: Amazon (Buy), YouTube
Next: Un Chien Andalou, Edvard Munch, Neruda
Why Watch Colour of Pomegranates?
- For one of the most unique biographies you’ll see on film
- Experience life in an 18th century Armenian monastery
- If you liked the surrealist film Un Chien Anadlou
- If you like picture books – it feels like a live action old picture book
The Breakdown
Colour of Pomegranates starts with a disclaimer. It clearly states that this is not going to be a biographical film, but rather an attempt to depict the poetry of Sayat Nova on film. So it starts with one of his poems, showing an image after each stanza of poetry that serves as a metaphor for the words. It’s like the opposite of watching a silent film; instead of words describing whats on screen, the images visualise the words of the poetry.
Whilst the starting poem ends, the style of the film doesn’t. It continues fairly esoterically until the end. There’s no dialogue in the whole film. The only narrative exists in a few chapter titles indicating what stage of Sayat Nova’s life the film has progressed to.
In a weird way, the film seems to capture what film might have looked like had it existed during Sayat Nova’s life. Through the static shots and cuts, the director has managed to make it feel like an old film as if the images were part of an art or history museum. As like in a museum, every single shot has been crafted to fit the depiction of Sayat Nova’s life. The 18th century has been brought to life by the director and it’s mesmerising.
What to Watch Next
If you want to watch another stylish or unique biographic film check out:
- Edvard Munch: a biography of the 18th century artist made to look like a Tv documentary, with actors playing Munch and his friends and family.
- Diving Bell and the Butterfly: biography of Jean-Dominique Bauby filmed from his perspective after suffering a stroke that left him with locked-in syndrome.
- Neruda: like Colours of Pomegranate, Neruda is a biography of Neruda’s work and style, and not just his life. His poetry comes to life.
Or you want something to match the style of Colours of Pomegrante, check out the original surrealist film, Un Chien Andalou, co-written by Luis Brunel and Salvador Dali.
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