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The House Is Black

The House Is Black

1963
Documentary
Short Film
20m
A short documentary about life in an Iranian Leper Colony.
Your probable score
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The House Is Black

1963
Documentary
Short Film
20m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 75.22% from 543 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(543)
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Rated 12 Apr 2013
89
96th
Possibly the best atheist movie. It's quite ironic that it's from Iran.
Rated 15 Feb 2008
90
85th
I must admit that up until half an hour ago I knew basically nothing about leprosy. I still don't, really, but at least now I've had a look at the Wikipedia article, and also I've watched this horribly depressing 20 minute film about lepers in Iran. The narration contains many references to God and religion, and it seems like it may have a bit of a "Problem of evil" angle to it. In any case it was very poetic, and the images of the lepers were completely harrowing.
Rated 20 Apr 2010
96
92nd
This film is an example of fantastic editing. The way the images are pieced together provides an innate rhythm that you don't normally get from such a movie, almost like the pictures are providing a structure for the poetry. Ultimately poignant and devastating.
Rated 21 Feb 2012
100
99th
The film's great achievement is in its ability to humanize the lepers, illustrating the beauty of humanity through "ugly" people. The rhythmic editing immerses the viewer in this milieu, while the poetry and the readings of the lepers emphasize the transcendent object of both the lepers' questions and their praise. That these have a community and the doctors can treat their disease offers hope, even as they deal with the stigma of disfigurement the rest of their lives. Utterly compelling.
Rated 28 Oct 2014
7
92nd
a search for meaning where none can possibly be found.
Rated 21 Jun 2008
83
93rd
If you're only ever going to see one movie about lepers, make it this one. It's a cinematic triumph, but can you tell it's the work of a poetess rather than a film director? The visuals and soundtrack (and editing thereof) combine into a work of great artistry, but it's very direct, and never feels formal. The voice-over merges informative narration with Farrokhzad's poetry, sprinkled with pieces of religious scripture, but it sounds compassionate, never pretentious.
Rated 20 Jan 2012
100
99th
Accomplishes in 18 minutes what some directors spend their entire lives straining for.
Rated 15 Jan 2013
84
88th
Filled with images so powerful, they'll be emblazoned on your soul for days. Required viewing for anyone who thinks their life sucks.
Rated 29 Jun 2011
80
78th
Less a documentary about an Iranian leper colony than a poetic montage of images, fitting since the director was a poet and did the editing for her film, one that is both a sad look at the condition these people lived with but also, as stated in the introduction, shows a lighter, joyful side to these people's lives, layered with a narration which talks about God, one which could be viewed in multiple ways (or all of them at the same time), creating a powerful work.
Rated 04 Feb 2009
81
64th
Interesting and depressing, but only on reflection. Everything about it is just so matter of fact and direct that it doesn't really hit as hard as it could. It does have a very poetic aura because of the visuals and soundtrack.
Rated 06 Jan 2008
90
89th
Very sad film. Very though provoking. Beautiful shots and the beautiful poems of Forugh said in her voice were amazing.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
89th
Honest, shocking and devastating.
Rated 17 Jul 2009
100
98th
"Leprosy is not incurable...Leprosy is not incurable."
Rated 14 Dec 2015
92
94th
Utterly devastating. This doesn't sugar-coat anything, it uses a rather primitive, yet powerful combination of environmental sound effects, sometimes very rapid editing, and narration woefully reading some incredibly candid and dark poetry that works as well as any other way to get us into the thoughts of these victims.
Rated 20 Aug 2015
85
88th
The film tries to underline the life and aura in the so called ugly things too, for they are also a part of a big flow of living and inanimate objects which are very beautiful and poetic if you know how to look at them (like this movie does: to symphatize with everything and try to comprehend their existence in a poetical way). Very brave and inventive movie which is very humanistic, looks a bit like Herzog's "In the Land of Silence and Darkness".
Rated 06 Jan 2012
4
70th
How do you live in the face of such overwhelming pain? An absolutely thoroughly depressing documentary. It's hard to "love" such a film, but the merit is obvious, and it's even poetic at times.
Rated 05 Nov 2018
85
81st
Fuck.
Rated 26 Feb 2009
80
80th
A brilliant piece of film, so sad.
Rated 22 Jul 2014
0
0th
i bet its allso green...wit envy
Rated 09 Sep 2012
93
94th
Intense and brilliant.
Rated 10 Oct 2013
62
72nd
funny movie i like it
Rated 09 Jul 2008
7
67th
Really depressing.
Rated 10 Apr 2012
90
91st
This isn't a documentary that gives you facts. Instead it impacts you in a more visual way. The images are depressing and affective, and the movie is very poetic. It can depress you but it also offers hope, as these people do have a community while they're getting treated, so the film does show some light. Very accomplished piece of cinema, it makes me say things like "very accomplished piece of cinema," which I'd never say otherwise.
Rated 16 Nov 2010
70
77th
The way in which this cinematic essay on leprosy combines the poetic with the concrete seems to emerge from a peculiarly Iranian capacity, this being a particularly clear and early example.
Rated 02 Feb 2013
77
76th
cüzzam, lepra, sükür, dini motifler, siirsel, sinif, okul... çok çarpici... herkes izleyemez....
Rated 19 Nov 2009
65
26th
The images are haunting and beautiful, but Farrokhzad's poetry is cringe-inducing in its pretentiousness. Is she actually comparing her personal feelings of isolation to that of a leper colony?
Rated 17 Oct 2010
35
90th
"A deceptively simple film." - Eric Henderson
Rated 04 Jun 2009
80
68th
We get a good solid unflinching look at the daily lives of these poor wretches, woven together by spoken prayers to God (who as usual doesn't answer the phone). "O Lord thank you thank you thank you for having completely kicked our asses". The general atmosphere of hopelessness and life-that-is-grotesque-parody-of-life is spot on. I once knew a woman who was crippled by a stroke and then abandoned by everyone; in fact, one of these lepers even looks like her
Rated 26 Jan 2009
85
84th
This film emits life in a way I've never seen before: it has a rhythm and tone suggesting lived life and expressing great curiousity... Staggering.
Rated 01 Nov 2013
80
79th
Would sir care for a nice, warm cup of depresso?
Rated 07 Feb 2007
84
81st
I admit I only got this because I wanted to see what real lepers looked like. Mission accomplished. It's a good short, though... a little slice of life at the leper colony.
Rated 21 Jul 2018
95
98th
Absolute poetry. Absolute beauty. A mix of despair and hope in the face of meaninglessness. Such a wonderful contrast brought by the switches from match to mismatch and back between the images and the voice-off. To be ranked just next to Aristakisyan's Palms.
Rated 17 Jun 2019
90
94th
write a sentence with a word "house" in it
Rated 22 Feb 2020
10
97th
Fuck.
Rated 02 Jun 2021
90
80th
Viewed May 25, 2021.
Rated 08 Nov 2021
22
15th
Worthy and well shot. Am I bad person for preferring action films and comedies?
Rated 27 Jul 2022
72
80th
It seems like a lot of people were more affected by this than I was. There are some start images and it was tragic but I didn't get anything more out of this.
Rated 17 Aug 2022
64
26th
It's good for what it is--essentially a documentary intended to destigmatize leprosy, but I don't get the hype. I always have some difficulty taking in both the audio and video when subtitled films get very poetic in their language. This is definitely on me for not knowing the language or not being able to read/comprehend/view fast enough, but I find it's a consistent barrier to truly loving this kind of film.
Rated 25 Oct 2022
73
29th
*borat voice* this house is NAAAHHT BLAHCK

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