With a remarkable cast and a breathtaking story, “A Separation” seeks the truth in more ways than one.
Written, directed and produced by Asghar Farhadi, “A Separation” is a film that takes place in modern day Iran and focuses on a family that is being ripped apart by divorce. Simin, played by Leila Hatami, wishes to leave her husband, Nader, who is played by Peyman Moadi, because he refuses to leave the country with her due to the deteriorating condition of his father’s health. Leaving no one to take care of his elderly father during the day, Nader hires a woman to help out while he is at work.
Trouble arises when Nader finds the hired nurse to be neglecting his father and potentially stealing from the household. Soon, Nader discovers that the nurse was admitted to the hospital and claimed that he used excessive force when kicking her out of the house. The story quickly evolves from what appears to be a typical family melodrama to a superbly crafted nail-biter that grips audiences until the very end. From script to cinematography, Farhadi offers a master class on filmmaking.
Curiously, the camera is constantly moving throughout the entire film. That is not to say that it encroaches on “Blair Witch” levels of nauseating camera movement, but because the camera is almost never static it adds tremendously to the film’s successful attempt at cinematic naturalism. In terms of cinematography, this breathtaking naturalism was also achieved in the lighting of the film – so well that when watching “A Separation,” chances are you won’t notice it. In fact, that’s the point. The lighting and camera movement is designed in such a way that allows audiences to be transported into the story.
The cast of “A Separation” is also spectacular. Each and every performer seemed to be perfect for their role. They make the audience forget, yet again, that they are watching a cinematic work of fiction. This is, of course, due in no small part to Farhadi’s superb directing. The tone of the film is both constant and strong. He is even able to extract a truly career-making performance from his daughter, Sarina Farhadi, for whom “A Separation” is her first professional acting experience.
While the film’s title suggests “A Separation” is about the beginnings of a broken family, what the film truly explores is the need for truth in a culture very different from our own. The virtues of honesty and integrity are weighed much more heavily in Iranian culture than in our own. It is true that in our own culture, honesty is a very desirable quality, but, let’s be honest, it is only completely necessary in a court of law. In stark contrast, Farhadi shows us a world where a white lie made to protect a family could serve as a deciding factor in a child’s decision on parental custody.
Of course, not every aspect of Iranian culture in “A Separation” is meant to be a contrast to our own. What Farhadi was attempting to do was create a portrait of a family with such honesty and naturalism that a person from any culture could find similarities and empathy in it.
Roger Ebert calls the film a “useful portrait of Iran today.” It is useful to anyone whose minds and points of view are dominated by foreign policy and who forgets that in countries other than their own, there are people who live, breathe and feel just as they do.
“A Separation” was awarded best foreign language film at last Sunday’s Academy Award ceremony, and it is a shame that foreign films are not eligible for best picture. The film was also nominated for best writing for an original screenplay, although it fell to Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris.” While Farhadi’s accomplishments with this film are many, one stands tall among the rest: “A Separation” is a shining beacon that catapults Iranian filmmaking onto the map, where it will remain for years to come.
Geoff King can be reached at [email protected].
