September 11th or A Separation has become internationally famous after winning the foreign language Oscar with nominations for few more, separated into different categories. Photographed by Asghar Farhound which also serves as a screen writer along with Westminster school alum and has surgeously bowled mentally impactful dramas. In the multi-faceted plot where fathers seperate instead of divorce and accompany their daughters to visit their grandparents, was divinely beautified through the lens of this monumental film.
Life hardly has a single perspective. In the multi-faceted plots, each individual attempts to resolve blend of ethical and non-ethical situations. Farhoud manages to brilliantly reflect class, gender, religion, and family’s relationships and heir expectations along with the legal frame work all through event that triggers super change in life. This accuracy in capturing real phenomena and combining them with deep philosophical thinking is the reason why this movie is truly one of a kind.
Summary
A Separation revolves around a middle-class couple: Nader (Peyman Maadi) and Simin (Leila Hatami). At the beginning of the movie, they are in front of a family court judge. Simin desires to travel abroad to potentially relocate with her husband and daughter. Nader is unwilling to leave as his sole obligation is to take care of his sick father (Alzheimer’s). The judge, based on the divorce request, says that the couple’s differences are not enough under Iranian law to warrant a divorce.
Despite this ruling, Simin chooses to move away from the family home to live with her parents and leaves custody of her daughter Termeh with Nader. Out of necessity, Nader hires help in the form of a caretaker for his daughter and sick father. The position of caretaker is filled by a devout woman Razieh (Sareh Bayat)who hails from a poorer background. She does not mention accepting the position to her volatile husband Hodjat (Shahab Hosseini), who is jobless and experiencing a downward spiral of financial and legal difficulties.
Nader one day comes home only to find his father sobbing and all by himself. In Rage, he argues with Razieh, who states that she was gone only a short while to attend to some business. Furious and suspicious, Nader believes her to be a neglectful person and ejects her from the home. Wishing to defend herself, he yanks her and pushes her outside. Later the same day, Razieh suffers a miscarriage and her clan blames Nader for intending it.
What happens next outlines an exhilarating legal and moral expedition. For attempting murder, Nader receives grave accusations, and from now on the tragedy of the legal battle will assume center stage, courtroom drama style. The carefully bespoke woven cut throats of embroiled families, accountability shirking truth and burrowed motives, spinning webs in circumstantial evidence. Nader fortifies his case of not knowing Razieh was expecting a child—a significant component of responsibility rationalization debate, along with his alibi claiming ignorance. She grapples with the reality of telling the whole truth because that opens avenues for deep conflict with her infertility beliefs. Hodjat’s furious menial pride sets economically confirms his anguish. Division of simin, albeit not by choice, lands them in the bitter speculative battle stripped of family identity.
As these threads unlock, Termeh is caught in the middle. The ssbsplot of Termeh’s silence, suffering, and submerged moral awakening are some of the film’s best. She is made to undergo not only the disintegration of her family, but also her childhood beliefs about reality, truth, and justice.
Like in any other film, the end reinforces the set structure in an equally – if not more – stunningly, sorrowful manner. The legal solution presents itself, but at the cost of irreversible damage to everyone. The judge, in the last scene, asks Termeh to make the choice of which parent to live with. Famously, once shedding the light on critical thought in the final moments of a film, the screen turns black, stating that some answers, like blaming and defining the truth, simple, are not.
Crew & Cast
Peyman Maadi as Nader: Maadi deeply nuanced performance of portraying Nader as a prideful utterly principled man caught between a cruel family life and moral upheaval who ends up leaning too much on paternal love is equally stunning.
Leila Hatami as Simin: An intense portrayal immediatelly in the opening scene as a modern educated Simin removes a scandalous piece of jewelry to plunge into further struggle, masquerading within marriage and the soothe-crushing confines of a rigid society.
Sareh Bayat as Razieh: Bayat astonishing adaption Razieh surviving the exhausting clash between faith and motherhood balanced with a deep sense of what justice calls for, is nothing short of amazing.
Hosseini known for his emotionally charged roles gives one of the film’s most volatile performances as Hodjat shouting out in desperation and contained rage performing what can only be described as Hosseini’s most morally exhausting role to date.
Sarina Farhadi as Termeh: Asghar’s own daughter Termeh plays her role with an unexpected maturity which serves as the very core of the film’s ethical compass.
Farhadi’s restraint while directing is rich in power, relying on the flow of naturalistic dialogues and meticulously framed shots to unravel the grip of emotional conflict hidden within mundane exchanges. He builds breathtaking tension not through action but conversation, miscommunication, and most importantly silence.
The veil like intimacy brought during the film by the handheld and vérité-style cinematography changes perception of not the film but the character’s own struggles showcasing their dilemmas.
Authored by Hayedeh Safiyari, the editing creates an authentic feel to the film through emotional impact while maintaining an intense rhythm without ever being manipulative.
When discussing A Separation, it is important to highlight the near-universal critical acclaim. Having been awarded near landmark status of contemporary cinema by many, A Seperation highlights of deeply flawed yet extremely relatable characters alongside an intricate plot at the very bleeding edge of moral ambiguity alongside a stunning score. This came with an outstanding imdb rating of 8.3/10 cementing its bolstering international recognition.
Roger Ebert said it was, “ A film about people who mean well, but are caught in a web of responsibilities and expectation.” The emotional and ethical predicaments that feel universal, despite being rooted in Iranian society. It’s been noted before that the film transcends cultural boundaries.
Alongside its Academy Award, A Separation won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2011, alongside Best Actor and Best Actress shared by the cast.
Conclusion
A film’s not just an inspection of humanity, law and society is A Separation. There are no heroes to cheer for, or villains to demonize, as the film put’s forward a story that is difficult to place into a single box. Asghar Farhadi creates a compelling story that ends up making the viewer question their preconceived notions around right and wrong, alongside the cost of choices made.
A Separation is one of the best in world cinema, and best of the 21st century. It features complex moral structures containing emotions bound to happen in everyday life, where guilt and innocence are heartbreakingly twisted, alongside truth not being absolute.
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