Ten (2002)

World-renowned Iranian writer-director Abbas Kiarostami (TASTE OF CHERRY, THROUGH THE OLIVE TREES) has created a deceptively simple work—shot on digital video within the confines of a single vehicle—that brings the intricate nature of Iran’s sexual and social politics into sharp focus. Seen through the eyes of a beautiful, chador-clad divorcée, the film catches her impromptu conversations with various female passengers (and her imperious young son) as she navigates Tehran’s congested and vibrant streets over the course of several days. As Kiarostami’s "dashboard cam" eavesdrops on these extraordinary and moving stories of sex, divorce, love and religion, an entirely original and fascinating portrait of modern Iran emerges. Also features the "master class" making-of documentary 10 ON TEN.

Disappointing, especially from Kiarostami

I watched this film twice, and I didn't really like it. Cinematically, it was garbage. As a document of modern day Tehran, it's interesting, but ultimately, it's a very unimaginative, tedious film. Kiarostami simply takes 2 digital video cameras, straps them to both sides of a car, and has actors (professionals and non-professionals) drive around amd talk. It does offer a more multi-faceted portrait of Iranians than you usually get in the mainstream press, but the film is really boring to look at. It is not especially creative to strap 2 cameras to a car and make a "film". There's really no difference between Ten and any news piece you will see on the evening news, except this film is 90 minutes. The documentary, 10 on 10, is more interesting, simply because Abbas himself is the star, and he talks about how he makes films. He does say that he feels his film Ten is the future of cinema. I hope he's mistaken. Don't misunderstand me, this review is not a hatchet job on Kiarostami. He is a great filmmaker. Taste of Cherry, Close Up, and The Wind Will Carry Us are all masterpieces, and deserve the accolades they receive. Unless you are a Kiarostami completist, you can skip this one, otherwise, watch it once.

May 15, 2006

Another Skilled Screenplay

Ten on Ten expresses humanity in its rawest form , an animal all too familiar for Mr. Abbas Kiarostami . In this case humanity was an improvisational story told through the daily life a single mother while driving . Picking up family members , friends , and strangers in her car while passing the time talking of life's short comings , the main character is sure to reach beyond the boundaries of the screen and touch the heart of ever individual watching . Each character , oozing with personality , riding in her car captures her imagination . As liberal as that imagination is , still she finds herself experimenting with the strengths and faults of each character .
At the end of the day , however , she never looses sight of her inherent existentialistic threads and metaphorically sighs relief each time a passenger leaves the vehicle . Beware , though , this film is sure to leave you hungry for more Abbas Kiarostami ...




But the question remains: was this film a premeditated thought or was it improvision at its best ? February 28, 2006

See it!

A view into a young woman's social life in modern Iran. Informative and stimulating. October 2, 2005

Ten on Ten

I strongly recommend this film and the "Ten on Ten" which comes in the package to film students and teachers. Kiarostami is a guy of accident and he knows the taste of life. February 13, 2005

Cinema at its best

In addition to providing an important window on Iran, that should challenge any stereotypes that may be held by Westerners about this country that figures so frequently in the news of late, this film is really a remarkable and powerful film, by one of today's most important filmmakers -- Abbas Kiarostami compares very favorably in my mind with the great Auteur directors of the 60's and 70's, such as Bergman, Fellini, Antonioni, Godard, Truffaut.

This film is an instance where the truism that less is more really fits. There are two camera angles in this film: medium shot of the driver and medium shot of the passenger. As Kiarostami explains in his very worthwhile set of lessons on filmmaking "Ten on Ten" (included on this disc), this camera angle is both extremely simple and very versatile. It is perfect for enabling a character to engage in dialogue that is not artificial -- because it is natural for a character to speak facing forward when he or she is in the car, and because effectively it sets the viewer in the other seat. It also allows the viewers to focus on the main characters of the film, and allows the director to create a scenario for these characters, while at the same time allowing for the unpredictable and unplanned to take place in the background, outside of the window.

While the characters in the film are not actors, they perform their roles extremely well. As Kiarostami explains (drawing upon, I think, an idea first put forward by Bazin) anybody is capable of playing perfectly a single role for film: the part of themselves. The director enters the picture by setting up conditions under which the characters are free to play this role, without it seeming artificial, at the same time as they fulfil a larger objective demanded by the film as a whole.

I really admire directors, like Kiarostami and Bresson and Tarkovsky, who set up for themselves rigorous principles and adhere to them in the interest of portraying something that transcends what they could put into the film by themselves. While sometimes the result can be more interesting than entertaining, I find that Kiarostami's films tend both to be enjoyable as well as stimulating. This is certainly the case with "Ten" (and I would also recommend "The Taste of Cherry" and "Close-up" and "ABC Africa" by the same director). December 25, 2004

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