Since I already have a review for this one, I figured I'd post it now.
The House is Black (1963) -
This short is one of my favorite films of all time. I didn't expect to love it as much as I did when I first saw it considering how poor the quality of the film is (some of the subtitles blend into the background, making them difficult to make out), but by the time I finished it, I was blown away by it.
The line "Leprosy is not incurable" is repeated twice throughout an opening sequence which states facts about leprosy, almost as if to make sure the meaning of that line isn't lost concerning the grisly images we see of the people with the disease. This monologue also indicates that the people we see suffering in the film could be cured of this disease. It's just that the government failed to take care of them as, instead of solving the problem, they herded them into the colony documented in the short, leaving them to further deteriorate. Instead of this scene coming off as preachy, this unspoken message is implied rather than directly stated, making for a powerful scene. Regardless of whether you pick up on this implication or not, it still manages to get under your skin.
Farrokhzad also does a great job at exploring the ironies of the daily lives of the people in the colony, specifically with religion. Multiple sequences indicate that religion is a major part of their cultures. In one scene, a group of kids thank God for giving them hands, eyes, and ears - features which many people in the colony don't have. In another powerful moment, a man holds his withered hands in the air and refers to them while reciting a prayer. This is followed by a sequence which cuts between a group of people practicing religion and several shots of people with deformed body parts, in turn creating tension through the editing. Watching this, you can't help but wonder why all these people thank God for giving them gifts which many of them don't have. It seems likely that religion is an abstract concept in their lives and they don't think much about the words and prayers they say.
In addition, a few sequences in the film stuck out as especially powerful. The first of which shows a couple women putting on makeup and brushing their hair. Seeing this, it's clear that, in spite of their facial and bodily features, many of the women in the colony still make an effort to look beautiful or to find light in their current situations. Another scene shows a group of boys playing ball together. Unlike a number of the older people we see in the colony, their mobility doesn't seem to be effected by their disease. The deformed facial features on a number of them are hard to ignore though and, considering how the shot which immediately follows this sequence shows a man with one leg using crutches to walk down a path, the short seems to suggest that those boys will end up like the old man unless they're cured of their disease (one effective shot which occurs earlier shows a man giving his crutch to a boy to play with). The classroom scene at the end is also worth mentioning. Something about the scene, specifically some of the answers the boys give to their teacher, makes it feel staged. It just seems too suited for the messages Farrokhzad wants to send to have naturally occurred. While I usually find staged scenes like this to be jarring in documentaries, I didn't mind it so much in here as it's still able to make for a devastating critique of religion.
Overall, this is a perfect short. Instead of solely raising awareness for the issue documented in it, Farrokhzad has several artistic points which she incorporates into the dialogue and the visuals of the film quite phenomenally. Sadly, Farrokhzad died shortly after this film was released, making this the only film she ever directed. Who knows what else she could've given us? However, this film will forever stand as a masterpiece to me and, if you can get by the occasional issues with the subtitles, you're in for a great treat with it.
Next Up: Brats