Ashik Karib (Parajanov, 1988) Review

 Sergei Parajanov studied at the same state-funded Soviet Union film school - V.G.I.K., as Andrei Tarkovsky, and was tutored by Dovzhenko -  This system was good for distributing the films that were made, despite restrictions on what films could be made regulated by censors of the state. 

Ashik Karib was inspired by Turkish miniature portraits, sculptures and other Religions like Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Christianity.

Parajanov was also influenced by the Arabian, Persian, and Baroque styles choosing a middle eastern story One thousand and One nights wanting to capture the Poem-like stanzas with title cards and dream-like colour palettes playfully blending with the portraits and other art featured in the film like it would be visually shown in the copies of the book that partly inspired Parajanov to make Ashik Karib. 

Historically, places of worship were being destroyed, so Parajanov was doing something risky, highlighting respect for other religions in his film but, it's reflective of his personal background and works well depicted with the Long takes. 

It's hard to tell where some of the characters and settings were in some parts which were a bit disorientating, but I can appreciate the theatricality of the art direction which is also like a play or dance, as well as how the jump cuts feel almost like turning pages in a book with your eyes when you watch this.   

Cinematography stood out, reminding us as an audience that it was a film with free camera movement, Symmetry, and fluidity with time passing.

My favourite part was the philosophical, self-reflective dedication to Tarkovsky as a dove flies to perch itself on the camera at the end.

The Sound design was jarring sometimes, as it was unusually loud in places, but it also guided the emotion, and humour of the narrative with the stills and the captured film added to the silent performance a little bit like Sunrise and Singin' in the Rain did.

 

Overall, were I writing this as an article in a film review I would be so bold as to give Ashik Karib four stars for its thought-provoking and shocking given how relevant yet dated it still is as a film now.