Synopsis
In a beautiful opening shot, a plane flies across the screen at sunrise, parachuting a box tothe ground. The in the case is a ballot box, and a solider stationed on a deserted beach is to watchover the election agent who comes for the box. Together they criss-cross the island in search ofvotes, which is not the straightforward task you might think. This is very low-key satire, whereevery nuance counts for something. The extremely long, often motionless takes furtherconcentr…te our attention. There moments of absurdist humour that are truly startling, as whenwe come across a traffic light in the middle of the desert. A fine film (though not one to watchif you’re looking for fast-paced slapstick).
Audio
The sound is very clear, with both dialogue and the very minimal music nicely reproduced.The environmental effect is very successful, with wind and waves in particular given just theright level of rear-speaker presence.
Video
By and large, a very solid transfer. The colours, contrasts and flesh tones are very good andvery natural, nicely capturing the heat of the setting. The image is sharp, though there is someedge enhancement visible. The format is 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen.
Special Features
Sadly, nothing at all, apart from trailers for Secret Ballot, Not One Less and The Road Home.The menu is basic.
Closing Thoughts
Iranian cinema has a sensibility that is very different from the North American approach, butone that amply rewards the adjustment it requires in the viewer. It is too bad, though, thatthe disc doesn’t even provide us with filmographies of the director and cast.
Special Features List
- Trailers
