The Color of Pomegranates (1969)

A super-stylized, surreal biography of Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova, whose life is depicted through non-narrative amalgamations of poetic images.

Director:

Sergei Parajanov

Writers:

Sayat Nova (poems), Sergei Parajanov

Stars:

Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Alekyan, Vilen Galstyan

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Sofiko Chiaureli	...	Poet as a Youth / Poet's Love / Poet's Muse / Mime / Angel of Resurrection
Melkon Alekyan	...	Poet as a child (as M. Alekyan)
Vilen Galstyan	...	Poet in the cloister
Gogi Gegechkori	...	Poet as an old man (as Giorgi Gegechkori)
Spartak Bagashvili	...	Poet's father
Medea Japaridze	...	Poet's mother
Hovhannes Minasyan	...	Prince
Onik Minasyan	...	Prince
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yuri Amiryan
I. Babayan
Medea Bibileishvili
T. Dvali
Aleksandr Dzhanshiyev	...	Monk
Guranda Gabunia
Zh. Gharibyan

Storyline

One of the greatest masterpieces of the 20th century, Sergei Parajanov's "Color of the Pomegranate," a biography of the Armenian troubadour Sayat Nova (King of Song) reveals the poet's life more through his poetry than a conventional narration of important events in Sayat Nova's life. We see the poet grow up, fall in love, enter a monastery and die, but these incidents are depicted in the context of what are images from Sergei Parajanov's imagination and Sayat Nova's poems, poems that are seen and rarely heard. Sofiko Chiaureli plays 6 roles, both male and female, and Sergei Parajanov writes, directs, edits, choreographs, works on costumes, design and decor and virtually every aspect of this revolutionary work.

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Plot Keywords:

poet | 18th century | armenian culture | surrealism | russia | 

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Taglines:

Besides the film language of Griffith & Eisenstein cinema hasn't discovered anything revolutionary new until The Color of Pomegranates - Mikhail Vartanov

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The squeezing of the pomegranates scene, 'bleeds' its juice in the shape of the (historic) outline of the Armenian nation: nevertheless, its current, now generally accepted title was only given by the then Soviet Union authorities who objected to director Paradzhanov's calling it just 'Sayat Nova' (the historic poet it depicts.)

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Quotes

Poet as a Youth: In this healthy and beautiful life my share has been nothing but suffering. Why has it been given to me?

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Connections

Featured in Paradjanov: The Color of Armenian Land (1969)

User Reviews

"Paradjanov made films not about how things are, but how they would have been had he been God." Alexei Korotyukov

Time has not been kind to this film. Not yet 40 years old but the stock is worn down and the colours faded, with the reds and the blacks standing out. Which lends the images -symbolic, poignant and full of atmosphere- an extra dimension, since it renders the idea of films of the beginning of cinema. As a kind of bridge towards the era of this "hallucinatory epic account of the life of 18th century Armenian national poet Sayat Nova". It remains a powerful and very beautiful film, not like any other. Time has been good to this film... "I don't want to found any school", Paradjanov said. Nevertheless he has set fantastic examples.

Details

Official Sites:

Parajanov-Vartanov Institute [United States]

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Armenian Azerbaijani Georgian

Release Date:

27 January 1982 (France)

Also Known As:

The Color of Pomegranates

Filming Locations:

Haghpat monastery, Alaverdi, Armenia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Armenfilm, Yerevan Film Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

79 min 72 min (Commercial Cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1