SIMIN: Your daughter's future isn't important to you?
JUDGE: There are a lot of children who live in this country. You say none of them have a future?
SIMIN: I prefer my child doesn't grow up in this situation. I have the right as a mother.
JUDGE: Which situation?
[Simin doesn't reply to him.]
Hello everyone! I'm back later than usual once again, but now that another academic term has started (oof), I can continue posting regularly to relieve any stress caused by school! In times like these I really appreciate the presence of this blog, it's one of the few things that genuinely makes me happy. Let's start our post of this week, A Separation by the brilliant Asghar Farhadi! Thanks for being here and I hope you enjoy reading the post!
A Separation is both written and directed by Asghar Farhadi and is his fifth feature. By successfully depicting a realistic portrait of the sociopolitical texture of his country, Farhadi has become one of the notable directors of Iran.
The film tells the story of a married couple, Simin and Nader, who find themselves faced with complex events that surged after their divorce.
Even though the story revolves around a married couple, both of the key characters in the film are female, each of them symbolizing different aspects of Iranian women. When asked if it was his intention to draw a contrasting portrait of two Iranian women, Farhadi explains that the confrontation of these women was not that of good versus bad. Rather, he built up a conflict that sparked between two positive entities, letting the audience decide which one of them deserves victory.
The film has a lot of moments where the audience is left with questions. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I really like the kind of films that urge the audience to think about the plot deeply and let them empathize with the characters. A Separation is not an exemption from that kind of movies. By urging us to question "Who stole the money?" or "Who did Termeh choose?", the story leaves a lasting effect on the audience.
Coming to the characters of the film, let's start with my favourite, Razieh, who proved herself as an honourable woman from time to time in the movie. Razieh is so devoted to her religious beliefs that she doesn't hesitate to seek guidance when something contradicts her ideology. When the turning point of the film comes (I won't spoil it!), she doesn't lose her dignity and stays true to herself - which made her my favourite character. As they come face to face during a conflict, Razieh symbolizes the nature of truth established in Qur'an while Simin -whom I'll talk more in a bit - portrays a more modern and metaphysical truth. This article interprets the contrasts of the characters brilliantly!
Moving forward to Simin, we can observe from her appearance and manners that she represents the middle class. Because of the society she lives in oppresses women, as a mother, she's trying to build a better future for her daughter abroad. In one of my favourite scenes, she explains to the judge that she can't raise her daughter in such an environment. When the judge wants her to elaborate on that reply, she remains silent.
Simin's strong traits like her independence and confidence make her an unforgettable character in the film. During the film, I could relate to this character a lot on an emotional level, even though the society I live in isn't as oppressive as hers.
Reaching the end of this post, I'm giving this movie a well-deserved 9 out of 10. I especially loved the film's pace as it almost never dropped the tension between characters. The actors also did a brilliant job, (especially Sareh Bayat!) I enjoyed their performances a lot.
Thanks for reading this far and please don't forget to check out my Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr; all with the same nickname moviesatdawn. You can also comment your thoughts down below or send your suggestions to: moviesatdawn@gmail.com! Thanks again and I'll see you next week!
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