Crimson Gold

Crimson Gold
DVD cover
Directed by	Jafar Panahi
Written by	Abbas Kiarostami
Produced by	Jafar Panahi
Starring	Hossain Emadeddin Kamyar Sheisi Azita Rayeji Shahram Vaziri Ehsan Amani Pourang Nakhael Koveh Najmabadi Saber Safael
Cinematography	Hossein Jafarian
Music by	Peyman Yazdanian
Release date	2003 (2003)
Running time	95 minutes
Country	Iran
Language	Persian

Crimson Gold (Persian: طلای سرخ Talâ-ye Sorx) is a 2003 Iranian film directed by Jafar Panahi, and written by Abbas Kiarostami. The film stars Hossein Emadeddin as a pizza delivery man who witnesses corruption and class disparity in his city and is driven to crime.

The film was never distributed in Iranian theatres, because it was considered too "dark". Therefore, it was not possible that Crimson Gold be considered as the Iranian entry for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2003 Oscars as it was not released in Iran.

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Mentally ill pizza delivery man Hossein attempts to rob a jewelry store, but the Jeweler refuses to cooperate. The Jeweler triggers the alarm of the store. Hossein kills the Jeweler and, after some deliberation, takes his own life.

Days before his death, Hossein is told by his friend, co-worker, and partner-in-crime Ali that everything is cleared for Hossein's marriage to Ali's sister (named "The Bride" in the credits). Ali empties a purse he had snatched, where they find a slip of paper with the address of a jewelry store and a figure of 75 million tomans. A con artist, The Man in the Tea House, overhears the conversation and informs them on pickpocketing. Hossein, naturally sensitive to his social status, is somewhat offended by the con artist's automatic classification of him and Ali as mere pickpockets. However, the con artist advises them, “If you want to arrest a thief, you’ll have to arrest the world.” Later on, Hossein and Ali attempt to visit the jeweler's shop but are prevented from entering by the jeweler.

Hossein delivers first to a friend and fellow former war veteran who gives him a large tip, and then delivers to a raucous block party in a wealthy Tehran district that is being staked out by the police. The police prevent his delivery and detain him until the party ends. He offers the pizza instead to the police, who only eat when the chief accepts a slice.

The next morning, Hossein, Ali, and The Bride dress formally and gain admittance to the jeweler's shop. They browse among jewelry much too expensive for their means, while Hossein primarily waits to see The Jeweler. When The Jeweler actually shows up, he condescendingly suggests that they go to a pawnshop to buy handcrafted gold that can be easily liquidated in an emergency. Disgusted, Hossein and The Bride leave to their respective homes.

Hossein naps in his simple apartment until he is awakened by police arresting a man professing innocence from a nearby building. Later that night, Hossein passes by a fellow delivery driver who had been killed in a fatal accident. He delivers a pizza to an unnamed Rich Man, who lives in an extremely wealthy district and lives lavishly in a spacious apartment. The Rich Man invites him in, and while he is occupied in a phone call, Hossein explores the apartment, taking a shave and swimming in the pool, before surveying the city from its balcony.

Some time later, Hossein holds the Jeweler at gunpoint when the latter opens the shop. Hossein initially demands for a specific piece of jewelry before deciding instead to demand the safe's key. Hossein then kills the Jeweler before committing suicide.

• Hossein Emadeddin as Hossein
• Kamyar Sheisi as Ali
• Azita Rayeji as The Bride, Ali's sister
• Shahram Vaziri as The Jeweler
• Ehsan Amani as The Man in the Tea House, a con artist
• Pourang Nakhael as The Rich Man
• Kaveh Najmabadi as The Seller
• Saber Safael as The Soldier

Hossein Emadeddin, who plays the lead role, was not a professional actor but an actual pizza delivery man with paranoid schizophrenia, who made filming very difficult by destructiveness and noncooperation. After completion, the Iranian Ministry of Guidance insisted that cuts be made to the film, which Panahi refused, leading to the film being banned in Iran, even for private screenings.^[1]

Crimson Gold has an approval rating of 88% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 83 reviews, and an average rating of 7.5/10. The website's critical consensus states: "A slow-burning, riveting film about Iranian class differences".^[2] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 26 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".^[3]

• Cannes Film Festival, Un Certain Regard Jury Award.^[4]
• Chicago International Film Festival, Gold Hugo.
• Tbilisi International Film Festival, Golden Prometheus.
• Valladolid International Film Festival, Golden Spike (Tied with Osama).

• Crimson Gold at IMDb