What if Francois Truffaut had made "400 Blows" in Iran? Well, he'd probably have ended up with something like Amir Naderi's masterpiece, "Runner". I love movies about children forced to face the world of adults such as "Muddy River" "Spirit of the Beehive", "My Life As A Dog", "Pixote" and "Forbidden Games". Please add "Runner" to this list because it is extraordinary. A young boy, who has lost his parents, survives by shining shoes and carrying giant ice blocks through the scorching sun to men working on the waterfront. It is painful to see the boy, quite literally, running for his life as the ice he's cradling threatens to melt before he can reach his destination. The boy is totally believable and his situation is dire. He still finds time to squeeze a drop of enjoyment from his difficult life, though, and there is a stunning sequence where the boy and his friends race to the horizon where flaming oil fires incinerate the sky. Every shot is compelling, every frame an emotion-laden snapshot of rich reality. What a marvelous adventure this film is, an adventure that is also magnificent film-making with not an ounce of fat.
Review of The Runner
The Runner
(1984)
The intensity and humanism of Truffaut's "400 Blows", but Iranian
9 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers