An evocation on class struggle and the various dynamic social strains which subsist in any hierarchical, market economy, Bahram Beizai's poetic exploration uses the mysterious death of Yazdgerd III, the last of the Sassanid kings of Iran, as his central conceit to explore the vast complexities of society. Taking place in a sole location, Death of Yazdgerd plays largely like theater, yet the cinematic language implored by Bahram Beizai is impressive, oscillating between polemic diatribes and tranquil observation, the combustibility and tension of this situation being felt in every frame through use of staging, composition, and editing, juxtaposed with theatrical performances which combine to deliver a simple yet effective poetic literary-based construction that is full of dynamism. The complexities which strain any social formation or society when confronted by the vast power vacuum left in the wake of a king's death is explored in a way which the weight of the situation is felt in every frame, disparate souls - whether it be paupers or the king's most loyal subjects - all confronted with the unknown when the authority structure of one man - a god king in this case - is taken swiftly and mysteriously from this world.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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