Sex & Philosophy

These four women in fact represent one woman to me in four different phases of the evolution of the meaning of love in a feminine life experience: “Period of romantic innocence” ”Period of love revenges” “Period of indulging in sex and forgetting love” and “Period of melancholic maturity and recreation of love” The man however, does not see the different phases of a woman’s maturity in every one of these women. In each woman he seeks love but finds loneliness. He does not see his multiple love affairs as reasons for a world satiated with love. He shouts that the contemporary world is incapable of creating absolute love such as the case of Romeo and Juliet. He regards love as every phenomenon resulting from its own circumstances and therefore, regards everything whose birth depends on circumstances as mortal and ephemeral. He feels that there is no love on earth. Only romantic circumstances mislead us to illusion. On the other hand, “Love” and “ Time of Love” are a cinematic duet to me. These two films complement each other without repeating one another and interestingly, both speak of love and relativity. Both have been made outside of Iran. ( “Time of Love” was made in Turkey and “Love” was made in Tajikistan) and they are both banned from showing in the Iran.
 
Chingiz Aytmatov’s view:
Today’s romantic movies have devalued the concept of love in kissing and hugging. Makhmalbaf’s “Love”, however, is not a sexy film. This film is quite philosophical turning love back to its essential value. “Love” is a modern film that persuades the viewer to think again about the meaning of love. I personally would like to see this film again and have a copy at home to review again and it would be so good that not only the viewers but also artists would see this film and learn from its contents and style. Another interesting point is the Makhmalbaf family as a unique family in world cinema. I have come across families who have all been brilliant in theatre or music but I have never personally encountered such a phenomenon in cinema where all members of one family have become so outstanding in the international cinema and who have created magnificent works.