The Runner (1984) [The Criterion Collection]
The Runner (1984)
BDRip 1080p | MKV | 1480x1080 | x264 @ 20,4 Mbps | 91 min | 13,13 Gb
Audio: Persian AAC 1.0 @ 132 Kbps | Subs: English, French, Romanian, Persian SDH
Genre: Drama
BDRip 1080p | MKV | 1480x1080 | x264 @ 20,4 Mbps | 91 min | 13,13 Gb
Audio: Persian AAC 1.0 @ 132 Kbps | Subs: English, French, Romanian, Persian SDH
Genre: Drama
Director: Amir Naderi
Writers: Behrouz Gharibpour, Amir Naderi
Stars: Madjid Niroumand, Abbas Nazeri, Musa Torkizadeh
Childhood takes on mythic dimensions in one of the defining works of postrevolutionary Iranian cinema. Inspired by director Amir Naderi’s own boyhood, The Runner is lit from within by Madjid Niroumand’s electrifying performance as a young orphan fending for himself on the streets of a port city, determined to rise above his circumstances—working odd jobs, passing time with friends, learning to read – and running, always running, toward the future. Water, fire, the human body in motion: in hypnotic images of lyrical power, Naderi finds unexpected glory in the world of a boy suspended between modernity and elemental natural forces as he chases his own path forward.
If it's true that environment determines character then young Amiro must be something of a hero for having survived so well against such overwhelming odds. Orphaned and illiterate, he wanders the desolate waterfront of a nameless Iranian city, living each day on whatever loose change he can honestly acquire: selling ice water, shining shoes, or foraging for empty bottles at low tide (while oil-laden tankers line the distant horizon).
But the poverty of his surroundings can't dim the dignity of his spirit, in much the same way that the unflinching honesty of the film helps to give it an often exhilarating power. What passes for a storyline is closer in spirit to a cultural documentary, pieced together from several swift, abbreviated episodes leading to the final, profound image of Amiro exultant, holding aloft a large block of ice (the goal of one of his many running 'competitions') while the controlled fires of a nearby oil field rage in the background.
Director Amir Nader was fortunate to cast in the title role a young boy whose face betrays every emotion, from exuberance to heartbreak, and communicates his thoughts independent of the sometimes illegible English subtitles. In its own quiet way it's a stunning film, and a rare, rewarding glimpse of daily life in a little understood part of the world.
(click to enlarge)
The Runner (1984) [The Criterion Collection]
More in My Blog