The Traveler

Starring: Hassan Dorabi, Mostafa Tasi, Masud Zandbegleh, Pare Gol Atashjameh
Directed by: Abbas Kiarostami
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Drama
1974

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A penniless Iranian boy (Hassan Dorabi) schemes to collect enough money to take a bus trip to Tehran to see his favorite football team.

Review:

Tim: Abbas Kiarostami's The Traveler feels like an important film, especially in the country of Iran. This unflinching film shows the poverty that many children grew up in, yet tells a powerful story of morality, wrapped up in an easily-digestible shell of a story about an ambitious, scheming young boy. There is a lot to unpack here. I have no doubt that in Iran, this is an important, landmark film. I liked the movie, I spent time thinking about it, but I couldn't quite muster enough love for me to consider this more than just a "good" important film. As always, this is just my opinion.

I do think the story is a fascinating one. We meet this young boy in a small town in Iran. He and his friends have so little. This is not an uncommon way for children to grow up in the world, sadly. The difference with our protagonist is that he's incredibly resourceful, has a dream that he passionately seeks, and seems to care for no one but himself. This ruthless selfishness is stunning at times. For the majority of the film, we see him obtain money by any means necessary. He steals from his mother. He tries to sell pilfered items to store clerks. In perhaps the most famous scene in the film, he sells pictures to multiple children and adults, posing them and taking pictures with a camera that has no film. He shamelessly rips off everyone he can. He resorts to selling group property and pocketing all the money for himself. These scenes are brilliantly filmed and you feel so strange watching the story unfold. On the one hand, you can't help but feel impressed by the ingenuity of this kid. On the other hand, you recognize you're watching someone who could easily grow up to be evil. The behavior we see on screen isn't normal.

Eventually, the kid makes it to Tehran, but his adventures and misadventures are just beginning. Those scenes are intriguing and memorable as well. This all leads to the climax, a fairly powerful and surprising sequence that does deliver a thought-provoking finale. The narrative here is quite effective.

The other big appeal of this film is that it puts a strong focus on what it was like growing up in Iran in the early 1970s. Watching this movie as an American, I recognize how little I know about this country or its people. I loved getting to see ordinary life displayed on the screen here. Kiarostami does a great job of directing a film that feels like a documentary. It feels authentic, lived-in. It has none of the trappings of big studio productions. It feels small, intimate. It feels real, which is what gives it is power. I'm sure many Iranians saw themselves and their own childhoods (at least aspects of it) in these characters. As I said, I believe this film is incredibly important to Iranian cinema. Globally, I acknowledge the worthwhile qualities this film has. I liked it.

I struggle to call this a "great" movie, or even an especially good one. I think it's good, and I feel like a "7" is the closest I can get to the reality. Truth be told, this might be a film that deserves a "7.25", but I don't do that. I don't round up, and I didn't find the film quite powerful enough to raise the film to the next rating. I thought this boy's journey was interesting and frightening, but I never felt any emotional connection to him or anyone else in the film. His actions are often so despicable, I was rooting against him at much of the film. This approach does blunt the film's conclusion somewhat, if you're not trying to make a powerful point about morality from an Iranian perspective (which the film obviously is trying to do). All to say, I admit I'm slightly torn on the final rating. I also realize that in the end, it doesn't matter. I liked The Traveler. It's the first film of Kiarostami's that I've seen, and its only my 3rd Iranian film. This is a good movie, an important movie, and fans of global cinema would do well to see it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



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