“The Past”–Feminist Rating: 7.5
January 14, 2014
I found Farhadi’s film to be refreshing in many ways, but not entirely unproblematic. His modern, critical take on gender roles made loving this movie easier (unlike Disney princess movies–damn their charm!), but the lack of likable, unselfish female characters made the film imperfect, from the feminist perspective.
A Detailed Look:
Successes: Both the male and female characters were portrayed in a complex and realistic manner. Characters’ weaknesses and strengths were not generally limited by their gender. The men could be highly emotional and connect with children, the women had jobs and levels of power comparable to their male counterparts. Farhadi did not make any provocative choices through untraditional gender expression or homosexual relationships, but he did present normal gender roles in a way that left room for critique. For example, Marie, a mother who was in the midst of her second divorce in preparation for her third (and, as she declared, final) wedding, was portrayed as a complex mother figure. Although her fickleness in her marriages is brought into question, she is not being criticized for “promiscuity,” but rather the unstable environments she creates for her children. She clearly loves her children, but as is displayed in her bursts of anger and selfishness, her abilities as a mother are viewed critically. I appreciated that her inability to be a great mother did not affect our perception of her femininity, but rather, made us think about modern-day parenting.
Another aspect of the film that was pleasantly surprising is the manipulation of the usual “catty female” dynamic. Trying to give as little away as I can, the plot was largely driven by jealousy and competition between women for their husbands/lovers. Although this may ostensibly appear to perpetuate stereotypes, Farhadi complicates this clichéd plot driver by turning it around on the men too. While Ahmad, the male protagonist, is staying with his ex-wife to-be and her new lover, there is subtle, but festering resentment and competition between the two men for her and her children’s attention. It begins with small things, like competing to repair things around the house. The subtlety of this “cattiness” quickly fades as Samir’s (her new lover) jealousy grows and erupts when Marie refuses to make Ahmad stay in a hotel. No character in “The Past” is safe from the jealousy and cattiness that spring out of romantic and familial love, no matter what gender or age.
Failures: Although it pains my heart to criticize this movie in any way, I have to say that the male characters are portrayed in much better light than the female characters. Characters of both genders are certainly complex–all have their strengths and weaknesses–but there is one weakness associated with all of the female characters: “unlikability” and selfishness (save one adorable little girl, but she is not really a “major” character).
While they vary in age, ethnicity, and personality, the major women of this film–Marie, Lucie (her daughter), Celine (Samir’s comatose wife), and Naima (Samir’s employee)–act similarly selfishly throughout the course of the film. They all commit questionable acts (that either you know because you’ve seen it or will know because you will see it–I won’t spoil it!) to further their own needs and agendas, and feed their egos. Marie always puts herself first. Lucie acts out of spite and resentment for her mother with no concern for how it will affect other people. Celine tries to take her own life and make a dramatic statement to get revenge on her husband without any regard for her child. Naima lies to preserve her reputation and livelihood, again, with no concern for the consequences. Although the viewer may be able to pity these women and their circumstances, he or she cannot really like or even identify with them.
It would be one thing if the same held true for the men–characters don’t always have to be likable to be interesting–but this is not the case. Samir and Ahmad (even the little boy Fouad) may act selfishly at times, as was displayed in their episodes of “cattiness,” but generally put the needs of others before their own. Ahmad is the prime example of this. He does tasks and deals with Lucie at Marie’s request. He adopts the drama Marie, Samir, and their families have dug themselves into even though it does not concern him. Although he is by no means perfect, Ahmad is the closest thing this movie has to a benevolent hero. Samir definitely does not reach hero status, but it becomes clear that, despite his digressions, he values his family above all else. By the end, apart from the children, these men (especially Ahmad)–with their strong senses of duty and family–are the most likable characters.
This dichotomy of gender (loosely) defines masculinity as selflessness and patriarchal duty, and femininity as selfishness and drama. Unfortunately, it is a manifestation of age-old film tropes of male heroism and female conceit. Although Farhadi makes some bold and impressive moves in his intricate constructions of gender and family, he does not avoid the “classic” cinematic stereotypes. This ultimately detracts from, but does not completely counteract, the feminist successes of other aspects of his film.
In closing, his film was surprisingly rich in its exploration of complex feminist issues of gender roles and familial responsibility, but unfair in its ultimate construction of masculinity and femininity. All in all, however, I would say that, intentionally or not, “The Past” is largely feminist in its radically realistic depiction of domestic human interactions. Go Asghar Farhadi and team for yet another strong film!
I Cannot Get Enough of Asghar Farhadi’s Films
January 8, 2014
After subsisting on rom com repeats and guilty-pleasure television series for months at college, I resolved to treat myself to more “sophisticated” viewing experiences during my break. There was no better place to go for this than the Film Forum, one of my all-time favorite theaters in NYC.
On my first trip there, I caught a Barbara Stanwyck double feature–two westerns that were a whole lot of fun. Were they sophisticated? Apart from Stanwyck’s performances and the sheer fact that they are over half a century old, not particularly, no. On my next trip, however, I was definitely in for a breath of fresh air.
I had not heard of Farhadi or his films until I was on line, waiting to be seated for a showing of his newest film, “The Past.” Call me a bad film buff, but I had not really noticed the work of the Oscar-winning Iranian director until it was literally in front of my face. Ever since it has come up on my radar, however, I have not been able to stop talking about it.
Although the couple in front of me was nervous the length of the film before it started, I cannot remember a time when 130 minutes passed so quickly for me. The truly incredible thing was Farhadi did not need crazy explosions, eye-catching graphics, overly dramatic music, or even unreasonable plot twists to keep my attention. He was able to draw me in with an intricate, yet realistic tale of divorce and it complications, and the riveting performances of the actors who portrayed the people living it. I was truly absorbed into the world he created, invested in the lives of the characters of an alien culture, who don’t speak my language. I still felt as if it floated with me while I exited the theater and into the “real” world.
As you can imagine, I could not wait to watch another one of his films after the incredible experience I had with “The Past.” In fact, if the reviews I read had any merit, his first film, “A Separation,” was to be even better, more complex, political and thought-provoking. When I finally rounded my parents, and visiting friend, up to watch it with me, I was definitely not disappointed. Similar in set up (both have a pending divorce, a protagonist daughter, and a singular tragic occurrence that drives the plot), pacing, and cinematography, “A Separation” was comparably gripping and provocative. If it’s any indication of how well Farhadi commands the attention of his audiences, I’d like you to know that my mother, who falls asleep during ANY movie that runs past eleven o’clock, stayed awake for the entire movie, which ended well after midnight. A few days later, I still find myself thinking about “A Separation” quite regularly. More than a week later, and I still cannot put “The Past” behind me.
In sum, here’s a selection of points that I took away from these incredible movies. Go watch them for yourself and see what he leaves you with.
1. Slow Pacing Doesn’t Mean Boring Pacing Farhadi has mastered what I call “life pace,” i.e. when the timing in scenes for a movie or show is very similar to how things would be paced in real life (not like 24). Often times, time is sped up in film to move the plot along and keep viewers engaged. Although a few weeks is definitely not equivalent to two hours, the moments in time that Farhadi includes pass in a way that is realistic and leaves room for pauses that may be considered unacceptable in other kinds of film, but are necessary in life. It is smart that he picks such specific stories and constrained intervals of time, as he allows viewers to experience film in a way that can relate more easily to their lives. He reminded me that somehow we can (usually) entertain ourselves with conversations and events in real-time–why shouldn’t directors be able to do the same with “life-pace?”
2. The Ordinary Can Be the Most Political
When I talk to my friends about these Iranian films, they always ask me why the plots are not more political. From a country that is always the subject of heated political debate, I guess they expect something about nuclear weapons, government oppression, or Islam. I reminded them that Iranian people have lives and family drama too–our films aren’t all centered on imperialism and Christianity, so why should their entertainment be held to a different standard? Despite the absence of overtly political themes, there has been a great deal of discussion on the film’s message about the treatment of women in Iranian culture, among other controversial topics. Although his film did well in theaters in Iran, Farhadi faced backlash from the Iranian government for being “overly critical.” So where are these political messages? The answer is simple: in the interactions of the people. Cultural norms and impactful governmental policy are most present in the people living them. While Farhadi did not include bombs or beheadings, by staging an in-depth portrayal of the domestic lives of Iranian people in his films, he forces viewers to look at society through a critical, magnified lens. His “radical” political statements lie in the realistic, or “ordinary,”nature of his story. It goes to show that films do not have to be over-dramatic or controversial to be provocative, but rather they need to give people a good look at the real nature of their society.
Again, PLEASE WATCH THESE FILMS. They have really changed how I view cinema.
Look at The Feminist Rating for a quick assessment of how feminist I consider these films to be!
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Sunday, September 8, 2013 at 3:04PM
But after that... what else?
Marie between her men. She does this to herself.
