Simplicity in Execution, Gravity in Narrative: Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry
Taste of Cherry feels almost biblical in its means of storytelling. A man, wanting to die, asks three different men to bury him after he has committed suicide in a grave that has already been dug. It is both simple in its story and execution but weighs on the soul with such gravity in its deeper meaning. These are the narratives that began storytelling. The ones that should us what it means to be human and how, as a mortal being, we act in different ways towards life and death.
Each of the men that Mr. Badii asks to assist him are from a different point in their life. And each react very differently to his request. A young foot soldier runs in fear from the very idea. An adult student of the seminary pleads with him to respect the body that God graciously bestowed. Finally, an aging taxidermist, with much reluctance, offers to take part. The only thing that unites these men is that all of them have, in some way been connected to death themselves. Through war, religion, and science, each of them has comprehended death but never had it stare them in the face. Mr. Badii on the other hand is consistent. Resolute trough each interaction that what he is doing is right. We never learn why he wishes to kill himself, disregarding it as something that could be understand but a pain so deep that it could never be felt (in a sort of meta rejection of the emotions showcased in film). But you don’t need to know, the journey is as necessary as the destination and Mr. Badii’s attempts to plan his own burial are enough to hold you for the tight 100 minute runtime.
Like Kiarostami’s other films, Taste of Cherry is in constant motion (the first third literally takes place in a moving car). While the characters remain stagnant in their intentions, the world quickly moves around them. It is a signature of his style. Technically masterful, the camerawork in this is so advanced I had trouble believing it was filmed in 1997 and not last year.
Ultimately this film makes you ask a single question of its ambition. Why would Mr. Badii try to request the service of a stranger that is very much unnecessary to the action he plans to take? If one plans to kill themselves probably the least concern is how they will be buried. Maybe he wanted it to be proper. Maybe he wanted to draw attention to in fact be talked out of his plan. Like many others, it is a question that is left unanswered. Like the Bible, it is one where your mind fills in the blanks based on your own preconceived notions, fears, and desires.
