I unfortunately haven't seen too much Iranian cinema besides Kiarostami, but I checked out (and loved) Jafar Panahi's CRIMSON GOLD tonight at the recommendation of a Jim Jarmusch interview.
Jafar Panahi's Crimson Gold is a subtle tragedy about class conflict in Iran. Hussein (Hossain Emadeddin) is a lumbering veteran swollen by cortisone (for war-induced pain) and reduced to delivering pizzas at night. (He is frequently lost in a mental semi-fog during the days.) Witness to the rewards and vanities of the wealthy, insulted when a jewelry shop owner won't allow him in his store, and under pressure to get married, Hussein awkwardly aspires for higher ground but is more familiar with a life of marginal importance. When an eccentric socialite gives him a taste of luxury, something desperate is unleashed. Panahi brings his feel for and vision of the expansive ordinary, for the near-invisible forces churning within characters in seemingly throwaway circumstances. A haunting film.
Hmm... wow I just found out CRIMSON GOLD was actually written by Kiarostami. So I guess I didn't stray too far after all. Anyhow...
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