If you haven't watched Farhadi's new release already, then prepare yourself for yet another suspenseful, infuriating, domestic crisis, or in brief, a Farhadi's plot. One worthy of the classy Palme D'or apparently. Not as intricate and open-ended as his previous ones, but in the same neighborhood.
******* SPOILERS AHEAD **********
Emud and Raana are in a rush to evacuate their collapsing house and move to a new flat which was, unbeknownst to them, formerly inhabited by a prostitute. Raana gets assaulted by an intruder one night, who seems to be a client of the previous lady. Emud, filled with rage, seeks for his revenge of course. Raana, on the flip side, prefers everything to be forgotten. Contrasts evolve between the two as we move further, to the extent that they begin to reconsider their relationship.
What triggered Farhadi to make his new title back in his hometown, in my opinion, was the need for a serious heads-up towards where the society is going. "The Salesman" is a social criticism in its core and thus more bound to Iranian context and culture. Although the plot's conflicts and themes appear not to be uniquely Iranian but certain references are quite foreign for an outsider audience.
The couple lives in a society where everything is misplaced. Law and security systems have basically lost their functionality. Peace and pleasure is sought outside the family and words of truth are spoken not in the real life, but on a theater stage while playing roles. Raana decides (out of her shame) that there's no need for police to get involved. Emud begins his own investigations and at the end both debate on how to punish the guilty guy, to top it all.
So when the victim turns into a detective and ends up as his own judge, all by himself, there's one thing for sure; The society has failed to its furthest extent.
******* SPOILERS AHEAD **********
Emud and Raana are in a rush to evacuate their collapsing house and move to a new flat which was, unbeknownst to them, formerly inhabited by a prostitute. Raana gets assaulted by an intruder one night, who seems to be a client of the previous lady. Emud, filled with rage, seeks for his revenge of course. Raana, on the flip side, prefers everything to be forgotten. Contrasts evolve between the two as we move further, to the extent that they begin to reconsider their relationship.
What triggered Farhadi to make his new title back in his hometown, in my opinion, was the need for a serious heads-up towards where the society is going. "The Salesman" is a social criticism in its core and thus more bound to Iranian context and culture. Although the plot's conflicts and themes appear not to be uniquely Iranian but certain references are quite foreign for an outsider audience.
The couple lives in a society where everything is misplaced. Law and security systems have basically lost their functionality. Peace and pleasure is sought outside the family and words of truth are spoken not in the real life, but on a theater stage while playing roles. Raana decides (out of her shame) that there's no need for police to get involved. Emud begins his own investigations and at the end both debate on how to punish the guilty guy, to top it all.
So when the victim turns into a detective and ends up as his own judge, all by himself, there's one thing for sure; The society has failed to its furthest extent.