What's so great about Close-Up? (Kiarostami, 1990)
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- čas přidán 5. 11. 2020
- A study of Close-Up (کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک), a1990 Iranian masterpiece, often highlighted as one of the films of the decade, in fact of of the best of all times, by the hand of master Abbas Kiarostami (عباس کیارستمی). Find out what is so great about it in this latest video essay, that discloses its conception and approach, while discussing the themes and meaning, in a simple, accessible way.
Close-Up Blu-Ray and DVD:
www.criterion.com/films/1092-...
Lessons with Kiarostami:
www.thestickingplace.com/proje...
Conversations with Kiarostami:
www.filmdeskbooks.com/convers...
I have so much appreciation for the people producing these youtube video essays for seemingly little viewership. Without them, films like this would fly way over my head. Thank you for taking the time.
I thank you sincerely for the appreciation. If a single person gets to find and learns of the value and how meaningful are the films presented and discussed by this channel, then the purpose of the whole project has been achieved.
@Micheal Lawrence Thank you for beautiful articulating my thoughts as well
@ Thank you sir for taking the time to make these video essays and inturn bring such underappreciated productions to prevalent cinematic discourse
@@krishnanunnip6334 Thank you very much, my friend. It brings me much joy to know that I somehow managed to bring more eyes to discover and watch these cinematic masterworks.
22 thousand people is not a ton in CZcams terms, of course, but think of how many individual people that is. Like the entirety of Madison Square Garden plus a couple thousand taking 20 minutes out of their day to hear what you have to say about a film. In some ways, it’s a very big audience!
Having “nothing” moments in a film….so alien to todays’ filmography albiet being so important. This essay has depicted so many layered intricacies of the film. Thanks for taking us deep into it with you.
You are quite right, my friend. Something essential that is lacking in modern cinema and which makes Kiarostami's films so special. It has been a pleasure to peel the film's layers and showcase its hidden core. Cheers.
Kiarostami was a genious and should have stayed alive and made more great movies. Rest in Peace.
I wholeheartedly agree with you, Kiarostami had an unique mind and soul. May we all cherish the work he created whilst alive. Cheers.
Watching this movie as a part of my assignment, felt blank until this video showed up. Thanks.
Glad to have been of help to you my friend. Cheers.
as an iranian tho so many political and finansial issues was not told correctly but the soul that exist in sabzian is the same for so many iranians people with the biggest dreams and hopes that they dont let them to express so they try unrealistic methodes to just feel it for 1 day or 2and then feeling bad about it great movie great director
This is one of the most incredible films I've ever watched! And thanks for the essay, you gave some very interesting insights!
Thank you Loris, glad you have enjoyed it!
I was teaching this film as a Film Narratology teacher in University. To me, it's a direct evolution of Don Quixote by Cervantes. In Don Quixote, Cervantes was telling us that we can change reality, or the truth of reality, by looking at it differently. Later came Borges and in his book "Ficciones" told us that what changes is not the truth of reality, but the truth of US. And In the last scene of Close Up, after Kiarostami spends a lot of time trying to convince us that everything is "real" (even going as far as the sound dropping because of a "faulty mike" but the camera needs to capture this singular "truth" has to go on running), suddenly switches the documentary scene into a staged one, thus almost yelling in our ears "I am lying to you!!!", but we shush him and want to carry on watching, carry on believing, because there is no "truth", everything is close up, everything is always subjective no matter how singular it is, there is always the frame of our mind which is "closing up" on things. Such a beautiful film, definitely one of my top 3.
Thanks for sharing your perspective on the film with us, I think your insight is valuable and perceptive. Cheers!
I watch a lot of film and philosophy essay videos and this is one of the best descriptive and nuanced video I've seen without any fancy editing or grapics. very Kiarostami of you, lol. great work
Hey Zaumya, thank you so much for your kind appreciation. It's great this video has appealed to you, hopefully you've come out of it with a deeper appreciation for this magnificent film. Cheers!
Such an excellent analysis. Kiarostami was in a league of his own. His art was so simple yet shrouded in ambiguity. Watching his cinema is truly a spiritual experience.
Totally agree with you, PeakCinemaLover, and thanks for the appreciation too. All the best!
What an incredible piece you’ve created here! So well edited. As a Californian, I didn’t fully understand this movie when I watched it, and this was so illuminating. Thank you. Looking forward to seeing more of your work.
Thank you so much for your appreciation Brenda, I'm glad this essay aided and facilitated the understanding of the film on your part. Cheers!
I just watched this movie, and I couldn't agree more with your saying. I personally really like the last shot, that was very beautiful. Thanks for your great video essay!
Thank you, Nuzulia, I'm glad you have found it to your liking. I too also love that last shot. In fact, the whole encounter in the last scene always moves me, it's incredibly touching, for it showcases the grandiose power of compassion and forgiveness, therefore displaying the core of humanity.
A very good intervention that puts the film and director in context. The story and the representation of the story - and its outcomes - are studied very carefully and reveal the curiousities of cinematic representation. Thanks.
Thank you very much for your appreciation, I'm pleased that you have enjoyed this essay and perhaps found it useful as well. Cheers.
Most film essays I've found on CZcams ultimately say very little. This one is excellent. Outstanding interpretation and analysis. Thanks.
Thank you, Hunter. It brings me much joy the fact that you have found this essay enlightening to an extent. Cheers.
Very wonderful insights, i like how Sabzian in the end fulfilled the promise of shooting a film inside the family’s home.
Hi Kristian. Indeed, I also believe that's one of the most delightful aspects of the film and a charming outcome of this whole affair.
great vid, just watched this film without any knowledge of how the case actually occurred, really makes me appreciate it more.
Thanks, Erik, glad to have been useful!
Love this essay!
Just watched this movie about a week ago and can’t stop thinking about it. Thanks for providing context for the film and conducting such great analysis.
Thank you for the appreciation, Arjun. I'm glad you have found something useful in the essay.
@ I don’t know if you can answer this, but I thought I’d ask just because I can’t find any concrete information online. Do you know which scenes aren’t re-enactments in the movie? I thought the court scene was real, but I read that it is staged. The only part I believe isn’t a reenactment is when Sabzian meets the Ahankhah family in the end?
@@arjundhatt8074 From what I can remember reading, the meeting at the end, as well as the court scenes (not the interview with the judge), were all genuine and not rehearsed.
Watched today. Just love the film. Thanks for the video essay. It gives interesting insights into the film.
Hey Abirbhab, glad you enjoyed the essay and found its ruminations interesting. Cheers!
it's Abbas Kiorastami's brilliant in a shape of simple story plot, an Artistic Masterpiece.
It's Abbas Kiorastami's "Art for the Art's sake idea....👌👌👌👌👌
Yes, absolutely, Kazi! Cheers!
Thank you so much for this essay!
Glad you have enjoyed it, Austin!
Thanks a lot for the video..... Helped me a lot to love this masterpiece
Good to hear that, helping people understand and value Kiarostami's work is very rewarding.
Thank you for sharing this
You are very welcome, Rian. Hopefully it brought you some new perspectives regarding the film.
thank you for your work!
Thank you for your interest, my friend!
thank you so much for making this video
You are very welcome, my friend, thank you for your comment and appreciation.
amazing work . sending you love from Turkey. and thank you to my father who made me a Kiarostami fan early on in my life
Teşekkür ederim, my friend. My greetings to you, living in beautiful Turkey. Your father must have been a good man, if he appreciated Kiarostami. Cheers!
@ yeah the old man knew his art. Kurosava and tarkovsky was his favs and he would discuss the ideas that were from books he read which feautured authors like dostoyevsky, hemmingway and tolstoy. He liked a good human story just nothing more than that.
wow this is so well done
Hi David, thanks a lot for you appreciation, glad you have enjoyed the essay.
This is phenomenal work! Some of the best analysis I've come across in a long time! Thank you very much for this! Unrelated, but would you ever consider evaluating a film by Margarethe von Trotta (my favourite filmmaker right now)? Thanks for everything!!
Hi Vivek! Thank you so much for your kind words, it is very gratifying to have people appreciating the variegated nuances of filmmaking and pondering on different perspectives. Certainly, I will probably do something about her in the future, but I must first acquaint myself with her filmography more comprehensively, I've only seen three films by her. Thank you once again and have a nice Christmas and happy New Year.
@ merry Christmas to you as well! Hope 2022 brings you and your loved ones immense happiness!!
Brilliant ♥️. This is my 3rd film that I have watched due to your video & recommendation. Trying to cover them all 😌
Glad you are finding these wonderful films through my recommendations, Karthik. Best regards!
I am really glad to see this study. This was my first Kiarostami movie and I look forward to watch all of them. I also love to watch Panahi and Farhadi. Thank you for this video.
Glad you've enjoyed it, Kiarostami is brilliant and there are plentiful jewels from Iranian Cinema.
I watched this movie not knowing it was a documentary and i was so confused. I’m going to watch it again
Hey Daniel, thanks for watching the video. Indeed, the magic of the film lies on it's ambiguous display of truth and representation, and how the natures of both facets intertwine. It is a documentary and it isn't, it's a production with a duality that isn't made clear throughout, hence the mystery and its power. Cheers.
Great video about an incredible film!
Thanks SP, "Close-up" is definitely an outstanding film.
Amazing commentary... well done 👏👏👏🫶
Thank you, my friend. All the best!
Thanks for review🙏
Thanks for the commenr, my friend.
One of my TOP 10 movies ever. TOP 2, in fact. This one and "Cinema Paradiso".
É um filme espantoso, sem dúvida. Cumprimentos!
@ Somos ambos portugueses? Abraço e parabéns pelo vídeo.
@ Graças aos comentários aqui fiquei a saber de um pequeno documentário feito sobre o Sabzian. Por isso, obrigado novamente.
@@clorofilaazul Obrigado e confirmo a nacionalidade, sempre um prazer cruzar-me com um conterrâneo, ainda por cima apreciador de Kiarostami. Abraço!
increíble, gracias.
De nada, amigo.
Esse inglês com sotaque português não me enganou! Parabéns pelo vídeo, para mim o Close Up é dos melhores filmes de sempre
Bem tentei disfarçar, mas apanhaste-me bem! Obrigado Zé, Kiarostami é um dos grandes realizadores e o Close-up sem dúvida uma obra-prima.
Thanks a lot for this detailed essay. Very interesting insights..Keep up the good work!
Thank you Rishabh, glad you found it useful. Cheers.
Thank you so much for your efforts 🧡🧡🧡
Thank you for the appreciation, Ctrl+A!
@ happy day for me i found this channel and i think i am obsessed with your content gonna watch all your videos so keep the good work and may god bless you 🙏🧡
@@ctrla31 Thank you very much, hope you enjoy the other video essays. Cheers!
great video
Thank you, my friend.
very very wellput thank you for articulating so well
Hey Thang Le, glad you enjoyed this exposition of Kiarostami's wondrous masterwork. Cheers.
Do you also have any book recommendations on this ? I like how you say set should be taken more seriously as a mean for self-actualization
@@thangible Sure, I have a few books that might interest you:
The Evidence of Film - Abbas Kiarostami
The Cinema of Abbas Kiarostami
Close Up: Iranian Cinema, Past, Present and Future
Iranian Cinema and Philosophy: Shooting the Truth
Masters and Masterpieces of Iranian Cinema
A Social History of Iranian Cinema: Vol. 4
Contemporary Film Directors - Abbas Kiarostami
What a great essay ! Can you tell me the background songs that you used please ?
Thank you very much Eliya. It's a group of songs by the artist Blear Moon. You can visit his bandcamp and support him if you appreciate his music, I often leave the link at the end of my videos. Cheers!
Great
Cheers!
Wow👍👍👍👌
Thanks!
Nice
Cheers.
❤
thanks
You're welcome my friend.
Are you on letterboxd? Would like to see your favorite movies. Or maybe you can make a video on that
Hey Bill, unfortunately I hold no personal social media accounts, so no Letterboxd. But perhaps I'll take about some of my favourites in a future video, that's a good idea. Cheers!
2nd favourite film!
It is a beautiful masterwork, Louis. Cheers.
everything is great about close up
I have to agree, it's a phenomenal masterwork.
Epic Director, who made movie as poetic.
Certainly one of the finest filmmakers the world has ever seen.
You bet your ASS this is a beautiful movie.
For sure! And if there's one thing life has thought me, is to never disagree with the CZcams Police.
@ 🤣 By the way, excellent review! Absolutely perfectly said
Toughy fork
I miss my wife
Sorry to hear that. May you find peace of mind and soul, my friend.