The Religious art of Armenia in The Colour of Pomegranates by Sarkis Paradjanian

Abstract

The Color of Pomegranates is a film retelling a spiritual biography of Sayat Nova — an Armenian poet from the 18th century. Using this story, Paradjanian tries to show the Christian dimension of Armenia. The director introduces the viewer to the church and monastery architecture as well as the culture and art (the miniatures of the Armenian manuscripts, frescos, Khachkars — cross stones). The Armenian religious art becomes an element of the tale about the artist’s spiritual pathway and the whole nation too; it creates their inner portrait. In the scene of the profanation of the temple done by a Turkish intruder, the Turk is presented against the background of the fresco showing 40 Martyrs of Sebaste, while his arrow hits the portrait of Holy Mary destroying it. This scene has a symbolic dimension, as it refers to the martyrdom of the Armenian nation. The icon (and in particular Armenian miniatures, but also frescos and shrouds) is not only an element of the Armenian spiritual culture introduced into the structure of the film as a kind of “quotation,” but is also one of the vital artistic (stylistic) sources of The Colour of Pomegranates , which make the film a religious work connected closely to the art of Icons.