Enticed
by the soul-stirring music and enthralled by the exquisite
snow-capped mountains of Tehran, we begin our journey
with a green-eyed agent whose boss is a husky voice
on the wireless, a cool guy with a great sense of
humour. It is hard to digest that this is a journey
to the Next World, the handsome agent the spirit of
death, and the husky voice, God. Farzad Motamen's
Music Box unfolds itself through such characters,
earthly and ethereal.
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A
mythical rendering about Death and God, the film tells
the story of Ali, a twelve year old, who lives with
his father and grandfather and yearns for the love
of his dead mother. We are plunged into the mystery
when Agent Maleki appears before the boy and begins
talking to him. From that point his life takes a new
turn. Now he can sense death. He fights with it when
it comes to his grandfather and reconciles to it when
it is his own turn. His fearless acceptance of the
inevitable is gifted with love and life.
The film begins on a suspenseful note unconventional
in terms of its plot, but brilliant cinematography,
striking dialogue, and evocative music add great charm
to its treatment. It is indeed difficult to render
the abstract notion of Death and God, but the film
has done justice to it. In fact it completely avoids
the dark aspects of death, and instead even makes
it seem desirable.
The compositions and camera movements portray Maleki
as always surrounded by an aura of mystery, as does
the way his expressions are also captured. The music
is also very effectively used to highlight Ali's love
and innocence. The conversations of Maleki with Ali
and God are tinged with humour and insight. For instance,
to Maleki's observation that humans are strange creatures,
Ali replies "At least we are that."
The music box, a parting gift from Ali's grandfather,
is used very evocatively in the film. Etched on the
lid of the music box is the famous painting, "The
Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo - the hand
of Adam reaching out to God – a contemplative
image about mortality and the divine. This image becomes
a leitmotif to foreground death as a continuity of
life in another form and not just an end.
The Music Box testifies that even death becomes immortal
when it comes to cinema.
Swetha
Antony
©FIPRESCI 2008
