The Color of Pomegranates

Sergei Parajanov’s 1969 biographical portrait of 18th-century Armenian troubadour Sayat-Nova (Persian for "King of Songs") eschews a conventional look at the songwriter’s life in favor of trying to capture the poetical inner workings of Sayat-Nova’s mind. A mostly dialogue-free film, The Color of Pomegranates spares little attention on historical details specifically relating to Sayat-Nova (who is played by several actors), instead serving up an exercise in free association with recurring images and themes from the poet’s compositions manifested onscreen, such as the profusion of blades and silky garments. As Sayat-Nova was an ordained priest in real life, the tableaux on screen are chock-a-block with religious iconography, including bewitching images that range from the Sabbath-esque sight of the titular fruit bleeding across a stretch of muslin to a pair of boy-angels hopping over gravestones in a cemetery. Even with its relatively short runtime, The Color of Pomegranates will likely test the patience of viewers expecting some kind of narrative to unfold, but some will be rewarded by simply letting the indelible, quietly hallucinogenic images wash over. Shot through with the wavering tones of solo singers and heavenly choruses bringing Sayat-Nova’s words to auditory life, this is one of those rare profiles that is truly authentic to the artistic voice of its subject. Extras include audio commentary by filmmaker Tony Rayns, Mikhail Vartanov’s 1969 documentary The Color of Armenian Land featuring footage of Parajanov at work, a new video essay on the film's symbols and references with scholar James Steffen (and an interview with Steffen), archival documentaries on Sayat-Nova and Parajanov, a 2015 experimental short documentary by Martiros M. Vartanov, and an essay by film scholar Ian Christie. Recommended. (J. Cruz)