The storyline follows a kid that uses his admiration for Batman to cope with different situations at his home and at school, and he tries his best to assimilate everything that is going on around him.
The film accurately portrays how people may feel about a condition or disease, in this case - blindness. The boy knows something is not right but, because he has not been informed about what is going on, he cannot completely understand it. He can see similarities between his father and Batman, which is what causes him to admire Batman and his powers. This is the main storyline. Some of the other scenes are confusing in relation to the main storyline, and they generate different feelings.
The camera work is good with multiple angles from scene to scene. The kid wears a Batman costume at the beginning of the film to emphasize his admiration for him. The locations and sets are well chosen and they give us insight into the child's life at home, school and with his friends. The background music isn't particularly noticeable until the end when it adds to the emotional moment of understanding what is happening in the child's life. Each actor portrays its characters well. They are passion when arguments break out. The mother's face tells all, whether it be pressure or sadness. The innocence of the child helps you understand why he sees the situation in one way and not particularly how it is actually happening. There are some moments when the shots are difficult to see, especially during scenes with low light.
The film shows how a kid perceives the blindness of his father and how he copes with that. Because he assumes his father cannot see, he tries to do everyday actions with his eyes closed. This shows the empathy of the kid toward his father. However, the film also shows the emotional toll that the father's condition has brought to the family, especially to the mom. She is perceived as tired, ashamed and sad over what her life has become. Because of all these factors, the message of the film is to make viewers understand how a health condition can have a great impact on families, and that is necessary to explain to children what is going on and teach them how to cope so they know how to react in settings outside home. It does show kids doing risky things that kids might imitate. The film touches on blindness and its effect on the family, but it does not explain the condition itself. It also doesn't show ways to effectively cope with blindness. The scene when the father is playing with his child and the way the mother observes and smiles is touching. It is one of only two times she is shown smiling during the whole film. It shows how at the end, she is willing to learn how to live with her husband's condition.
Because the kid is trying to imitate Batman, he puts himself in danger by doing activities with his eyes closed. When one of his friends tries to imitate him and he is injured both times. Once, by falling on the stairs and then by getting hit by a car. These are actions that small kids could easily imitate and result in injuries. Also, even though it adds to the drama sense of the film, there are arguments and discussions throughout the film, which are normal in scenes like those, but for a child it can be shocking the level of yelling or the mother scolding her child in a strong way. Because of how the scene plays out, one assumes that she smacks him, but that is not shown.
I give Sweet Taste of Darkness 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 15 to 18, plus adults.
Even though there is no physical violence and the moments the children injure themselves are not shown, they show high-risk behaviors that could be imitated by children. The film is best suited for a more mature audience that understands how a condition like blindness can have a great impact on the entire family. The representation of Iranian culture and exposure to the condition is something that definitely makes this film relevant. Reviewed by David O., KIDS FIRST! Juror
The storyline follows a kid that uses his admiration for Batman to cope with different situations at his home and at school, and he tries his best to assimilate everything that is going on around him.
The film accurately portrays how people may feel about a condition or disease, in this case - blindness. The boy knows something is not right but, because he has not been informed about what is going on, he cannot completely understand it. He can see similarities between his father and Batman, which is what causes him to admire Batman and his powers. This is the main storyline. Some of the other scenes are confusing in relation to the main storyline, and they generate different feelings.
The camera work is good with multiple angles from scene to scene. The kid wears a Batman costume at the beginning of the film to emphasize his admiration for him. The locations and sets are well chosen and they give us insight into the child's life at home, school and with his friends. The background music isn't particularly noticeable until the end when it adds to the emotional moment of understanding what is happening in the child's life. Each actor portrays its characters well. They are passion when arguments break out. The mother's face tells all, whether it be pressure or sadness. The innocence of the child helps you understand why he sees the situation in one way and not particularly how it is actually happening. There are some moments when the shots are difficult to see, especially during scenes with low light.
The film shows how a kid perceives the blindness of his father and how he copes with that. Because he assumes his father cannot see, he tries to do everyday actions with his eyes closed. This shows the empathy of the kid toward his father. However, the film also shows the emotional toll that the father's condition has brought to the family, especially to the mom. She is perceived as tired, ashamed and sad over what her life has become. Because of all these factors, the message of the film is to make viewers understand how a health condition can have a great impact on families, and that is necessary to explain to children what is going on and teach them how to cope so they know how to react in settings outside home. It does show kids doing risky things that kids might imitate. The film touches on blindness and its effect on the family, but it does not explain the condition itself. It also doesn't show ways to effectively cope with blindness. The scene when the father is playing with his child and the way the mother observes and smiles is touching. It is one of only two times she is shown smiling during the whole film. It shows how at the end, she is willing to learn how to live with her husband's condition.
Because the kid is trying to imitate Batman, he puts himself in danger by doing activities with his eyes closed. When one of his friends tries to imitate him and he is injured both times. Once, by falling on the stairs and then by getting hit by a car. These are actions that small kids could easily imitate and result in injuries. Also, even though it adds to the drama sense of the film, there are arguments and discussions throughout the film, which are normal in scenes like those, but for a child it can be shocking the level of yelling or the mother scolding her child in a strong way. Because of how the scene plays out, one assumes that she smacks him, but that is not shown.
I give Sweet Taste of Darkness 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 15 to 18, plus adults.
Even though there is no physical violence and the moments the children injure themselves are not shown, they show high-risk behaviors that could be imitated by children. The film is best suited for a more mature audience that understands how a condition like blindness can have a great impact on the entire family. The representation of Iranian culture and exposure to the condition is something that definitely makes this film relevant. Reviewed by David O., KIDS FIRST! Juror
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