The Early Films of Asghar Farhadi Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

The Early Films of Asghar Farhadi Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 29, 2024

Asghar Farhadi became a member of a rather exclusive club in Academy Awards history when The Salesman won for Best International Feature Film, becoming the second film by Farhadi (after A Separation) to be so feted. Only a few other legendary names like Vittorio de Sica, Ingmar Bergman, Akira Kurosawa and Federico Fellini have been able to shepherd more than one of their films to that honor (which is officially bestowed upon the country of origin, even if it's tradition for the director to receive it at the ceremony). This double feature from Film Movement's Film Movement Classics imprint offers Farhadi's first two features as writer and director (he had previously co-written a feature called Low Heights which is not yet in our database), and for those who have seen either A Separation or The Salesman, this duo probably unsurprisingly explores some of the same ideas and themes of Farhadi's later work, and they both certainly provide an absolutely visceral (if at times downright disturbing) view of contemporary Iranian culture.

For reviews of the films in this release, please click on the following links:

Dancing in the Dust Blu-ray review

Beautiful City Blu-ray review

The Early Films of Asghar Farhadi Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

The Early Films of Asghar Farhadi Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

The Early Films of Asghar Farhadi Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements on each disc are detailed in the above linked reviews. Additionally, Film Movement provides a nicely appointed insert booklet with an interesting essay by Naghmeh Rezaie.

The Early Films of Asghar Farhadi Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is an amazing double feature that may admittedly be rather disturbing but which still offers some rare insight into Iranian traditions and customs from an "insider". Technical merits are generally solid and the two visual essays very appealing. Recommended.