Children Of Heaven by Majid Majidi

Assalamualaikum to my lecturer Madam Ayu and my fellow friends. I am sure that you all are enjoyed while watching this movie. After watching this movie i had done review on it. Children of Heaven is a Iranian film. The children innocent faces register such a range of emotions over the course of the film I began to think that many adult actors should be watching this film and taking notes. From the point of my view, this movie is a very touching movie and there are many moral values that I can interpret. The director produces a warmth movie that has a good lesson, the story also easy to understand and delivered in a good way. It's also a very charming film for of all ages.

Overview...

Ali takes his sister Zahra's shoes to the shoemaker to be repaired, but suddenly it loses when Ali went into the shop and left the shoe at outside the shop. Their hardlife start when the shoe had loses because Zahra has no shoe to wear when going to school. Zahra wanted to tell their parents about the loses shoe but Ali stopped her from doing that. So they decided to keep about the shoe loses as a secret from their parents, knowing that their parents is no money to buy a replacement pair new shoe and fearing that they will be punished. To solve this matter Ali and Zahra made a plan where they share Ali's sneakers. Zahra will wear it to school in the morning and hand the sneakers to Ali at the afternoon so he can attend afternoon classes. They have to face many obstacles during this time such as Ali always went late to school and nearly to be dismissed while Zahra has to rushed quickly after school to hand off the shoe to Ali. The sad moment when Zahra sees the shoes on a her schoolmate's feet, and follows her home, but the two soon become friends. A few days later Ali heard about footrace in his school and the third winner will receive a new pair of sneakers. Ali entered the race with the hope he will be win the third prizes and he want to give a new sneakers to his sister Zahra. He accidentally places first and wins another prize instead. The film ends with Zahra finding out that she will not get a new pair of shoes, but there is a quick shot of their father's bicycle at the end of the movie that shows what appears to be the red shoes Zahra had been focusing on earlier and another pair of white sneakers, for Ali, whose old sneakers were torn from so much use. The film also ends with the final shot and touching ending where showing blisters on Ali's feet because of he tried his best to win the third prizes in the race for his sister.

RESPONSIBLE

From the point of my view, the moral value that I can get through this movie is responsible and independent. Ali and Zahra were responsible children towards their parents. They helped their parents without any protest. They do all work by their ownself. For instant, Ali helped their father to do gardening at town as to earn extra money, while Zahra helped their mother to do housework and look after her youngest sister. They know their responsibility towards their parents very well. This value gives good impact to our self and to arouse us our responsibility towards parents and family.

LOVING

Besides that, loving between siblings is the most important moral value that we should implement as an example in our life. It's about a 9-year old boy who loses his 7-year old sister's shoes through no fault of his own. They are very poor and they both want to keep it as a secret from their parents. They love their parents and do not want to burden them.So they decided that they will share Ali worn-out sneakers. Zahra wears them to school in the morning, and Ali wears them in the afternoon. However, they faced many challenges during this time. Zahra almost loses a shoe when it falls into a drain while Ali late for school and nearly to be dismissed. Because of loved to his sister Ali willingly to sacrified and faced the obstacles. Ali, has the biggest, most expressive eyes I've ever seen and my heart immediately went out to him while Zahra is little sister which paly a good role. Later, there is a footrace announced in the little boy's school. He finds out that if he wins third prize he can get a new pair of sneakers and he struggle for it as he want to give the sneakers to his sister. The tension mounts and this proved the Ali loving towards Zahra. One of the best things about this film is that it brought me into another culture. This is just a simple story about the love between a brother and sister. It transcends all cultures, and makes the audience see the humanity of the children. There's one scene where they clean the shoes and blow great big soap bubbles at each other. It certainly is heartwarming. This story show us a strong love between Ali and Zahra. This moral value we should implement in our family as it is a very good value that nowadays we are busy with our life and forget to be loved each others.

CARING

On the other hand, this movie also interpret a moral value that is caring. This can be shown when Ali and Zahra cares towards their family. They understand their family situation which is poor. When Zahra shoe’s was lost, Zahra wanted to tell her father about it, however Ali reminded her that if she told the truth, they will create a problem to their father and make him worried. So, as they are concern and caring children, they decided not to tell their parents about it because their parents would not be able to afford a new shoes. Lastly they made a plan. Their secret arrangement consists Zahra wearing Ali shoe’s to school in the morning and Ali wearing the shoes in the afternoon.

MATURED

The next moral value that I have learnt from this movie is being a matured person. Ali as an older brother he can do his responsibility very well and think carefully before doing something. For example, when the shoes was lost he decided not to tell his parents about it as he does not want to burden them. This proved his maturity. However he also was a genius student although he came from poor family. Ali never makes his poorer as an obstacle to achieve a good result in his examination. As a result, Ali got an excellent result in his examination and had given a valuable pen by his teacher.

UNGRATEFUL

Instead of good moral values, there was one negative value that we should take it as a lesson which is ungrateful. We can see this attitude through Zahra character. She was ungrateful with what she had. Although, her brother sacrifieced a lot for her such as gave her a valuable pen, and gave her his sneakers but Zahra still not happy. She always looked at the person who are rich and had a nice shoes. She want a shoes like them.

In a nutshell, we should practice a good values in our life and take a negative values as a lesson.Always remember that everything we did will impact in our life. Life like as a circle what goes around come around!!! Don't miss "Children of Heaven"! It is a richly rewarding experience.


There are some critics and reviews on this movie;

"One of the most gentle social commentaries you are ever likely to see, with heartwrenching performances from two young (non-actor) children. This will melt your heart."
- Shannon J. Harvey, Sunday Times (Australia)-

"I wasn't expecting much, despite the praises I'd heard, when someone told me that the plot of this movie was about a boy who loses his sister's shoes. But every aspect of this movie deserves praise.This movie is a perfect example of how a film can be made beautifully effective without having to resort to raw sex, constant violence, or complicated plots. It is the simple but charming story of two poor siblings, who must share one pair of shoes because the brother, during his walk home from the shoe repair loses his sister's shoes.The loss of the shoes brings on all the difficulties with which they must now cope. The film tenderly shows how they strive toward resolution of their problem. The director has achieved a very solid tension that keeps your eyes glued to the screen from the opening frames till the very end. This film beautifully shows a world of which most Westerners are completley unaware, a world that is so different from our own. The bulk of the film is carried very capably, on the shoulders of two small, young children, and they do a totally magnificant job of making you believe this very lovely, charming, and worthy film.

-Siti Mashithah-

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