Rating: 
Summary: Baran
Review: A wonderful movie for anyone who can read the subtitles. It
shows the workers' lives with all the unexpected twists and
turns which are very touching. There is no violence, foul
language, or hateful characters. There ARE people changing
throughout the story, interesting characters, political
consequences, and a window into a culture that is little known
in the United States. I wonder how many of us could survive
under those circumstances.
Rating: 
Summary: Majidi Does it Again!
Review: After two masterpieces, Children of Heaven and Children of Paradise, Majidi does it again, and creates yet another masterpiece with Baran. He is one of the most talented directors in any language or era, as he uses a cinematic language that on one hand reminds me a lot of the european greats like Bergman, Truffaut and DeSica.., yet on the other is a reflection of his culture and environment.
The love and infatuation that the teenager Hossein feels for Baran is simple, innocent, and well..doomed. It had to be from the start..An Afghan refugee working on a building site to support her family after her father has an accident,concealing her identity as a result, and a working class and poor Iranian boy, who at the beginning of the film was the irresponsible joker, and whose life is totally transformed by his 'discovery' and love.
The genuis of Majidi, is that he films this story without sentimentality yet with great compassion and love for his characters,and with a camera work that is pure poetry.
There are many unforgettable scenes in Baran, but the one that haunted me the most was when Baran's secret is discovered by Hossein. The acting is great from the amateur leads, especially Baran who doesn't say a word in the whole film, but whose face speaks volume, acting worthy of top rewards!!
Iranian cinema in general and Majidi in particular have proven that cinema is a truly universal art, like music, it brings people together regardless of their cultures or faiths, like no other art form can.
Baran is a must buy for any cinema lover, a film full of colour, soul and dignity.
Rating:
Summary: Not just a love story
Review: Although it could be easily categorized as a humorous and moving love story, this film goes much deeper. None of the main characters are trivialized, they all have qualities and character that show the best of human nature, compassion and generosity. Unlike Romeo and Juliet they sacrifice their (potential) love for the greater good.The directing and camera work are excellent. The story kept my interest throughout it's twists and turns. For all the millions that a Hollywood movie costs to be made, there are some things you cannot buy... view this and you'll see what I mean. A film not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: A very human love story among refugees in Teheran
Review: Filmed before the tragic events of September 11, and yet as timely as today's headlines, this Iranian film captures the plight of Afghan refuges in Teheran. There are more than 1.4 million of them who fled the Russian invasion in 1979. Many have grown up never seeing their homeland and, like illegal aliens everywhere, work the hardest for the lowest pay. And yet, this is a love story. The scene is a skeletal construction site where workers are putting bricks in the frame of a large building. Shot from a distance, the people look like worker bees. But they soon become individuals as the director moves the camera towards them. Work is hard, dusty, backbreaking and dangerous. And there are both Iranians and illegal Afghans working there. The owner, played by Mohammad Amir Naji, is always screaming "get back to work" but we soon find out that his bark is worse than his bite. He's under pressure to get the job done right or he won't be paid, and he also has a warm place in his heart for the hard-working Afghans who must run and hide whenever the inspectors come around. Lateef, played by Hossein Abedini, is a 17-year old Turkish Iranian and so therefore has a precious identity card. His job is the cook and "tea boy" on the site. He's full of ego and loves to joke around, often getting into arguments and scuffles. One day, one of the Iranian workers gets injured and, in order to feed his family, sends Rahmat, in his place. Rahmat is small and delicate and cannot carry the heavy bags of cement and so therefore is assigned Lateef's job. Lateef is at first furious and is especially angry when Rahmat's cooking is praised by all the workers. Later events make him change his attitude though. It is interesting that throughout the entire film, Rahmat doesn't speak one single word. However, the audience doesn't miss anything as every possible emotion comes through with just expressions and gestures. The story is a rich emotional experience against a background of harsh reality. The cinematography and direction are excellent. I could feel the strain of muscles doing heavy work. I saw the beauty of the natural countryside, and felt the horror of never having an identity card. I shuddered at the image of a cold stream, which would be beautiful except that women laborers, cold and overworked, were eking out a living by moving boulders. This is the story of extreme struggle. And yet, it is the love story that shines through.
Rating:
Summary: Good but Non-Political
Review: I am not sure exactly what political messages other reviewers got from Majidi's movies including Baran. There were no overt criticisms of how illegal Afghan workers were treated in Iran. Yes, they hid whenever the government inspectors showed up at their work place, and, yes, they could not rent a bed to sleep in at a run-down motel because they did not have an ID. But is that much different from how illegal immigrants are treated anywhere else in the world? How about the treatment of women in general? A slight hint I got was that women may not be allowed to work alongside men, but there was no outrageous mistreatment of women. The only thing that the Iranian government might be peeved about may be the fact that Majidi shows how much the poor struggle to make a living in the Iranian society, but there were no attempts by the director to attribute the conditions of the poor to the incompetence or wrongdoings of the government. Having said that, I do not believe the fact that Majidi's movies lack attacks against the Iranian establishment diminishes their greatness. They show such humanity that helped me put aside my prejudice against the Muslim societies in general and identify with both the women and the men in more ways than one. Majidi depicts the men and women of Iran, and of Islam, to be of kindness and good will, which I do not believe he manufactured by himself. Among his three movies I have seen (I am hoping there are more), Baran is my personal favorite. First of all, there is a great amount of humor, and then there is the heart-breaking struggle each character goes through. I understand that some people found some parts of the movie a bit slow, but I argue that they were necessary to make us the audience understand how much it sucks to be poor, how moral even the most destitute can be, how lonely young Lateef feels, how much he longs to find a girlfriend, and how he changes from a self-centered, abnoxious little boy into a young man with great empathy and selflessness. I wish Majidi a long and productive life so that he will give us more great movies.
Rating:
Summary: There are few "must see's"....this is one
Review: I was not really aware of Majid Majidi until I took a chance on this movie the first time. It is a strikingly beautiful movie, a simple story deftly told. Not much happens in it......not much has to.
Baran is the story of hard-nosed, selfish kid named Lateef whose cynical view of the world is changed once he makes a discovery about the "son" of one of the worker's who is out injured. He is tough on the son at first until he makes the discovery that the "he" is actually a she, trying to provide for the family now that the father is hurt. It is a love affair without very many words being uttered between the two. I won't say too much more so I don't spoil the entire story but this movie trancends language. You forget you are reading subtitles. It is a beautiful work, both in the story told within and the stunning cinematography.
Hollywood could learn something from watching this movie. Buy it.....cinema is alive and well!
Rating:
Summary: Memerized by the experience of a day labourer
Review: I watched the movei "Baran" (Rain) last night. It was a beautifuly done in a background rarely suited for a love story ( a construction site!). It was a touching story, with strong social and political overtones. Yet it was tender and soft. Colorful creation of a brilliant mind. I recommend it to all who want to understand the aspirations of those who live in abject poverty and yet have characters so strong. Ali...
Rating:
Summary: Simple story, powerfully told
Review: It's a pretty simple story about a Iranian boy's developing affections for a Afghan refugee girl. The situation is complicated by her masquerading as a boy to earn some desperately needed money for her family. Although it deals with youong love, this movie is by no means a fairy tale, which is the fate of almost all Hollywood movies telling similar stories. The characters may dream and yearn, but reality is always pressing and uncompromising. But the movie also offer hope. Perhaps in the end, life is not about the gratification of our desires, but how we reached out to others.
Rating:
Summary: Very beautifull and sad.
Review: Just see this movie, and see the work of a master movie director! Makes holliwood look bad. Remember; Baran means rain, you need to know this to understand the ending.
Rating:
Summary: Cultural Boundaries Ties Down Love...
Review: Lateef a young man in his late adolescence and works in Tehran as a tea server on a construction site where many illegal Afghan's work. He losses his job to an Afghan newcomer by the name Rahmat. In the beginning Lateef is very hateful toward Rahmat and he does everything possible to make life sour for Rahmat. However, this changes when Lateef notice something odd about Rahmat and his hatred reverses. The film becomes a love story where Lateef expresses his love with unselfish acts of care in which he jeopardizes his own future. It should be mentioned that Baran is a wonderful and humane film that pushes the envelop in Iran, since it is illegal to make and show love stories on film in Iran.
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