My major perception at the end of the movie was that the young boy dies. But what i don't understand is, why does his hand turn golden and then moves. Could it be that the director wanted to depict that the young boy is now heaven bound ?
shareI agree with you that the boy goes to Heaven. The name of the movie is The color of Paradise. That is where he goes.
share[deleted]
Rang-e-Khodaa, translates as the colour of god. His hand turns Gold when he dies and meets God. If you remember, his grandmother's face also turned gold just before she died.
Mohammad also says to the carpenter that he has been reaching our for God all his life but has never found him. The way he stretched out his hand shows that, in death, he has found God.
I think the two of you have sadly missed important major points and themes of the film. When the grandmother died, she also glowed golden, in a beautiful expression of her death. The director mirrors and conveys the same message with Mohammed when he dies, through his fingers (which was a key element and symbolic to the storyline). Another incredible message was the sound of the woodpeckers. As I was watching the ending hoping Mohammed would come alive, the sound of the woodpeckers made my heart sink. I knew with the chime of the birds and the slow focus on his fingers that he was indeed dead. It took me a second to fully absorb the entire message and find the intense beauty behind it.
From the moment I started watching this film I was engaged. It was the most amazing and surprising film I've seen this year, let alone possibly ever. I Think the first review for 'The Color of Paradise' by ruby_fff was really good and captured my sentiments exactly. A combination of glorious cinematography, amazing actors, flawless script, and lush scenery, you can't find a single complaint. I think the very point that the two of you are curious about is what made the film an extra enjoyment... the subtle expressions that leads you to do the math with your own conscious.
No--Mohammed does not die. The flight of the geese overhead, the woodpecker sounds, and the song of the nightingale come one after another, and with the last sweet call, the boy's hand begins to move, the fingers reading the song out of the air as he has been doing all through the movie. What's important to remember is that his father was unable to watch him carried away by the flood, and risks his own life to save him. When he thinks his son is dead, he is filled with grief--but the boy is alive. There is a future, one which will not be tainted with the father's shame.
The cinematography is so beautiful, and so alive with colour--it's hard to see how anybody could miss the fact that this mountain village, with the two radiant and loving sisters, and the grandmother, is a kind of paradise. Look at the scene where they throw wildflowers into kettles to make dye, and pull out the yarn bright with wild colours, which the grandmother says she'll use to make a carpet to give to God.
Oh, and one more hint: the last chapter on the DVD is called "The Miracle."
--netwallah
I think all of you missed an integral part in the dialogue. Mohammad died in the end, that is for sure, wht the glow was and why did his hand move is what i am going to explain.
Remember, when Muhammad was talking to the carpenter, he said that his teacher told him that God is not visible and you can only feel God and Muhammad replies that he is always trying to feel God, hoping that one day he would feel him and tell him all his secrets. The carpenter replies by saying that his teacher was right.
The glow, was the 'Light of God' which came on Muhammad's hands and he finally felt God. The irony is that Muhammad had to die to get something he so much wanted. The concept of seeing 'The Light' is highly prevalent in the east and mid-east, like they show in the case of Granny's death. Muhammad could not see the light as he was blind, instead he felt 'The Light' and in his own way felt God.
I think you are quite wrong. Mohammed did not die. When his father held him, Mohammed's body was not limp. In fact one of his arms is weakly holding on to his father.
Mohammed thought nobody loved him. His hand glowed at the end because he realized his father loved him. God had blessed him.
At first, I thought Mohammed was obviously dead--only due to logic (as it's unlikely that a blind boy--or even a seeing boy that size) would survive such rough rapids even difficult for a grown man to fight). When his hand moved, I thought at first that it was symbolic of his life awakening in the afterlife, particularly due to how death was portrayed when the grandmother dies (she smiles and looks as though she's awakening to something beautiful).
But then, after a few more seconds of thought, it seemed obvious to me that no, Mohammed had either miraculously survived or had been brought back to life. I was not aware of the chapter title on the DVD since I was watching it streaming on Netflix, but now that I know what it is, it seems even more obvious. For several reasons, I don't believe that the scene would be defined in that way if he had actually died in the end.
What makes me so sure is more than just that chapter title--it's the nature of the story. Think about it: if he had really died, wouldn't this turn the storyline into some sort of two-dimensional cautionary tale? If he truly dies, where does that leave the father? So what if Mohammed is happy in the afterlife--will that be a comfort to the father, who already somewhat blames himself for his mother's death? If this were a story that had strains of fatalism or had a moralizing tone (i.e. "if you don't do such-and-such, such-and-such bad thing will happen), I might believe he had died. But instead, the story seems to be more about life--coming present into what simple beauty is around you, speaking to you, and about what matters most in life. I think the heart of the father's story has to do with the short conversation he has with his mother. She says to him, "It's not him [Mohammed] that I'm worried about, it's you." She sees the life in Mohammed and the inner strength he has and how much he has to give to others. But she sees her son as trapped in his own fears, too ashamed and self-focused to actually see all that God has already given him. It's as if she sees that Mohammed is truly alive, whereas her son is not, and that is what she most wants to see changed. To her, life is not so much about the visible, superficial aspects as it is the matters of the heart.
With that in mind, "the miracle" makes perfect sense in terms of completing the story arc. When Mohammed first falls, the father seems frozen on the bridge, almost as if he's wondering if this is a moment in which fate (or whatever he believes in, not being a religious man) is freeing him (albeit in a twisted way) from what he has seen as a burden rather than a blessing...a problem to be solved rather than a challenge to be taken up with courage and hope. But then it's as if he realizes that, if he doesn't plunge into what seems fearful to him, he may actually lose his life. Excuse me for mentioning the Bible in this, but it makes me think of the words of Jesus where he says, "Whoever tries to save his own life ["life" actually referring to the something like the ego] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"...as mentioned, he's not so much referring to the physical life, as the Greek/Aramaic term actually refers to the ego or self-defined self...i.e. the sense of self-preservation, or the various things we try to define ourselves by to obtain some sense of security. All this to say, I almost see the father's story arc this way--as if from the beginning he's so focused on trying to save his own life, but then in the end finds that in doing so, he's actually losing the most important things in life that have been given to him. When he finally jumps off the bridge and is willing to throw that sense of self-preservation to the wind is where he finds the truth. It seems so clear to me that the ending is redemptive--that, as the father actually loses his life, he finds it. While it isn't logical to the Western, empirical perspective, I think it's completely believable, in line with the story arc, that a miracle has occurred.
Netwallah.
I am definitely with you on this one. Well, mainly.
I think that Mohammed dies but is brought back to life almost immediately which is the miracle mentioned in the DVD last chapter.
I love your interpretation:
"What's important to remember is that his father was unable to watch him carried away by the flood, and risks his own life to save him. When he thinks his son is dead, he is filled with grief--but the boy is alive. There is a future, one which will not be tainted with the father's shame."
This is brilliantly put. I was still trying to get my head around the meaning of the ending and you've explained perfectly.
At my great age, I remain impressed when I find my mind changed. Rohan 4 , I believe explained it accuratly. I too didn't want to accept that the child had died. I chose to believe that in his innocense and debility, he was always a part of God. I thought the glowing light was simply a cinematic depiction of his resurrection; An outpouring of the grace of God upon his father in his hope of his love for his son. I thought the gathering birds might be evidence of that. But in all,the scenes of the childs hands themselves became an accumulated expression of his tender heart. We're only here for a short time. The glowing hand was symbolic of the child having returned to the love of God from whence he came.
shareI think you all missed the point... no, thats right, the post wasnt about what points we had missed, it was asking a specific question about the end of the film. Sorry, righteous, irrelivant replies annoy me!
Yes, agreeing with many, Mohammad died. His father discovered what he meant to him, which was important to the story and his character, but too late. The 'glowing' death theme, and the end shot of Mohammad feeling (reading) space, would have alot to do with what the teacher said (according to the conversation with the carpenter) I would think.
I believe the woodpeckers were there, between worlds, to state neither were alone.
Does anyone know what part of Iran this film was shot in?
The movie was shot in Gilan and Mazandran, two northern provinces about a three hours’ drive from Tehran. Gilan and Mazandran cover a stretch of a coastal land surrounded by the Caspian Sea to the north and a mountain range to the south. The beautifully lush scenery is due to plenty of rain caused by the mountain range trapping the moisture rising from the lake.
By the way, the exact translation of the movie’s Farsi title is not “Color of Paradise” but rather “Color of God”:
Rang => Color
e => of
Khoda => God
Thanks for the info
shareWell, it's unlikely that anyone will read my post but here it goes anyway.
The ending of the movie, personally, is one of the most touching movie moments I've had. But, did he come alive? Is he dead? Resurected?
The key part is the conversation he has with the blind carpenter. Here the luttle boy complaints about his life and says that he's still waiting for God to touch him (as the priest has told him if I'm not mistaken). Therefore what really happens at the end is that he's finally touched by god.
Absolutely beautiful film and quite religios although not in a specific religious cult (islam, christianity, judaism) but about god as a whole of the universe. Really touching.....and I say this despite being an atheist.
I felt very moved by this film. I think that it was especially sad when the father's whole world fell apart when his mother died and he couldn't even get married to that woman. I really wanted to believed that Mohammed survived because that would give the father a chance to redeem himself as a father and he would finally realise how precious Mohammed is to him. what a beautiful landscape and a beautiful peaceful people... just think those very towns could be bombed by Bush due to 'political reasons' and those types of ordinary civillians could be killed. Personally, it gave me a better appreciation for middle eastern communities and their way of life
sharei totally feel the same way. we cannot see the lives we take when our war-like president makes these descions.
shareIf I'm not mistaking, the boy actually says that he was taught by the priest that he would see God between the fingers of his hand (if I remember correctly from the subtitles). Now in the end scene, when his hand moves, doesn't he spread his fingers? This took me some time to realize, but when I did, I started feeling cold all over.
>Absolutely beautiful film and quite religios although not in a specific religious cult (islam, christianity, judaism) but about god as a whole of the universe. Really touching.....and I say this despite being an atheist.
I totally agree.
Everyone can has his/her own view about the ending. That's almost a must of a really good ending. Now that we see the discussion here, so what we're talking about is quite possible to be a good ending. :P
The boy may be dead, may be alive. Both are possible if you're not so strict and think it really counts. The point from the ending, in my opinion, is the father found the real love for his son and he found the meaning of love when he jumped into the water. And love can be considered as a cast from the paradise. Will the love survive the boy? It doesn't matter.
Anyway, good movie. A little bit sad/blue, but moving.
I have a question about what the sounds were that the father kept hearing. It sounded like some kind of beast, but i either missed it or did not understand what it had to do with the story. Please, it has been bugging me since I saw this film.
Which was fantastic, I might add. Thanks for all your comments. All these different points of view add a lot to the experience I had while watching.
I'm with you guys! This is a beautiful film no matter how you interpret it.
shareThe father heard bird sounds, as did Mohammed, but they were different bird sounds. The father's were ominous, and usually showed up when something bad was going to happen, or when the father was being selfish. To get the sound, the crew took a turkey call, slowed it down, and I believe slightly altered the pitch.
shareI was in the theatre when this movie came out, during the last scene and Mohammaed'd discussion with the carpenter half the audience was crying.
Also Mohammed did die in the last scene.
I originally thought the boy lived, and that both their toils through the river represented a rebirth, and that this new love for Mohammad is what saved him.
shareive not actually seen this film but really want to see it...and i thought it might interest those who dont know a direct translation of the films title (rang-e khoda) does not translate to 'colour of paradise' but translates to 'colour of god'. im looking forward to the R2 release to see how they portrayed my homeland and maybe try and see why they translated the name to colour of paradise.
sharehey!
whats wrong with you people?
the director left this up to you!
you can imagine that he is dead or he is alive..thats for yourself..the movie itself has not any clue about this and thats because the director left this up to you!
Actually, apparently Majid Majidi himself stated that the boy is truly alive @ the end in an interview. He felt it was a better ending, although many disagree, as it rewarded the father for his epiphany with a second chance to cherish his son.
shareI am curious where you are getting this interview from? We watched this movie in my international film class, and the ending was a great debate between the students. The professor says that Mohammed died, and he is the professor so we can't argue with him since we are just lowly students. IF Majid Majidi did clarify the ending for this film in an interview it would be great for my class, so if anyone can find it would they tell me thanks.
shareI wonder if more religious people believe he died, and non-religous people believe he lived. Religious people have heaven as the most desired place to go, and non-religious depend on this life.
shareI'm religious and I believe he lived. The entire film he is looking for God because his teacher told him that God is everywhere. Then in the end he found what he was looking for. I don't think you have to be dead to feel a connection with God. It was so heart wrenching though watching him look, and it says so much about everyone. I mean its call "the color of paradise" or "the color of God" and it's a blind boy trying to see that color. You forgot that it's that hard for everyone though because no one can see something that doesn't have a form to see or touch.
shareI'm a great fan of Majidi's, mainly for his ability to tell a story as beautifully as he does without the razzmatazz that is so typical of Hollywood. The ending of this movie is particularly beautiful mainly because it is left to the interpretation of the viewer. I guess, the director wants us to stay involved with the movie even after it's over and not just move on with our lives.
My personal take on the ending is as follows. To the best of my knowledge, Islam believes that God is everywhere - in the flight of birds, in the blooming of flowers. Mohammed is a boy who, though blind, is so intrinsically aware of God throughout his existence, much more than other people with sight like his father. My feeling is that Mohammed lives in the end as God appears to him in the form of the birds flying and returns him to life. Maybe as a reward for Mohammed for being so close to him while he was alive. I think this coming back to life due to divine intervention is the reason why the final chapter in the DVD is called 'The Miracle'. The beauty of the ending is that it gives a highly profound religious message without sounding overbearing, pompous or preachy.
Anyway, I think any interpretation of this beautiful ending is valid, as the world is seldom objective. I would like to hold on to my version of the ending personally and would equally respect any other interpretation as it would be that person's personal take on it. I think that's the way that Majidi would have liked it to be.
I had referred to an interview with Majidi in a separate discussion thread. The interview comes from a book called "Color of God" (title of the movie in Iran) & contains the full script of Color of Paradise plus an in-depth interview with Majidi on this movie, essays by various critics on the movie and stills from the film. It was published in 1999/2000. Unfortunately the book is in Farsi (Persian) & I'm unaware of any translations.
In reply to the ending, I'm translating a few of the specific questions on this subject as best as I can here:
Q- And it appears that the boy is dead?
Majidi - But my feeling was that this father has for years been his own prisoner and been in a conflict with life and existence. These impurities in his core had prevented him from seeing the world as one should. Now that he has found spiritual cleansing and the will to live and seeing the world in a different light ..... I felt that if the son dies the father has not been rewarded.There were people who objected to this form of resurrection and believed that death would also be an appropriate ending. But this death, would have also been the father's death. Because the river, from the first time that we see it, is their destiny.Yet, how does destiny want to play with them? It wants to somehow direct them to the correct path, and when they get there, should it want to take everything from them? It was as though God had reawakened him, and having done so, would God take back this gift? I didn't think so as the son was part of his father's being. I felt that to recognise the father's reawakening, the son must be resurrected and the father be rewarded. Because we believe that even in this world people should be rewarded for the good deeds that they do. At least they should get some inner satisfaction. This can happen in this world too. Anyhow, God takes the father's hand and rewards him be giving back life to his son.
Q- This reward is sent by the seagulls, isn't it? I mean they are assigned this task, like the fish in Children of Heaven.
Majidi- Ye, these are visual metaphors. The metaphor is also reflected in the soundtrack. In Children of Heaven the fish act, here the seaguls which has a very self-evident meaning and is not surplus to the context.
Corrosion 2:
Thanks a lot for this post. I am really glad that my interpretation of the ending was quite in line with Majidi's. Could you tell me where I can read this full interview?
Thanks.
Dear Sunitkhot
As I mentioned the book is only available in Farsi (Persian) language & probably only in Iran where I bought it. May be I'll write to him & obtain permission to translate it.