MovieChat Forums > Jodaeiye Nader az Simin (2011) Discussion > Could someone who liked this movie pleas...

Could someone who liked this movie please explain this to me?

posted 12 years ago by david-wedel
37 replies | jump to latest

I simply couldn't get my head around the fact, that the entire film's plot could have been resolved, if she (Razieh) had just gone home, and let everyone know she was in a car accident.

I know that there are other dogmas and that they have different socially accepted ways to deal with such issues, other than where I am from, but it just seemed too inconsistent with the intelligence of the rest of the film.
The argument that "they were too pre-occupied with justice to see the underlying problems", is just another way to enforce the argument, that Razieh from the beginning knew she was in deep water, and thus could have saved both families a lot of face, by telling the truth from the start. And come on, saving face is the one thing that keeps this film's plot spinning endlessly.. So why not just deal with it from the start?

If someone could perhaps help with something else that I don't understand about this film.. In my opinion it didn't bring ANYTHING new to the screen world.
It was filmed regularly, with regular shots and angles, standard lighting and sound, a great cast (I'll give them that) fed with, what I presume is good dialogue (I think it's hard to judge before you actually speak the original language).
So where were those unique, defining moments that make a regular film stand out among the rest? I knew it had won the Oscar for best foreign film and a bunch of other statuettes, along with an AMAZING rating on this website, so I ask you now, users of this website, what makes this so special?

I genuinely want to know if I missed out on something, so please don't give me the "you just don't get it"-thing.

[–] pulapizdacoaiemuie 12 years ago

Well, for me personally it had a lot to do with how involved I got with the actual drama.
Typically, I don't give a flying *beep* what happens in films, but I was really caught up in this one.

I don't know, I guess it's one of those movies where it's easy to relate to the characters' struggles because it all came about from something so insignificant, that it could happen to anyone.

Having said that, I don't think the movie is special at all. But it's a very good drama, as far as I'm concerned, and I don't think I could say that about anything I've watched in a long time.

[–] Mellow-Fellow 9 years ago

Plus it's so cool and hip to jump on the bandwagon and say how great some foreign Iranian film is. Like everyone did with "Wadjda"

All these films do is bring a different culture into the oblivious eyes of others, and they take it as fact that that's how people live there. Coming from a guy who typically defends IMDb ratings and how close they usually are, this movie isn't even close to being an 8.4, compared to similarly rated titles.

People just want to like it so much they rate it higher than it deserves. Imagine for example the same exact story being told based in London. It wouldn't even be on the map. It's dull drama and the only thing is like you said the domino effect, things can tumble out of control unsuspectingly.

Being as religious as she was she sure didn't have a problem with sending the guy to jail for at least a year, but taking his money, nooo way, thats a curse... Stupid. Just to keep the plot moving. Hey if you have a crappy drama idea just go pay some Iranian director to direct it in Iran or KSA and label it a foreign film and take all domestic credit away from yourself and you'll win all kinds of awards.

[–] daviddumont_1 12 years ago

I think she didn't tell anyone about the accident because, then, she would have to tell them that the old man left the house and she had to go after him.

And I think she didn't want them to know she let him out of his sight.

But then again, she could easily have said a car hit her on her way home.

But I guess she was a bit dumb and ended up doing more damaging things by lying.

[–] Neuronhead 11 years ago

I think she didn't tell anyone about the accident because, then, she would have to tell them that the old man left the house and she had to go after him.

Sounds reasonable.

Also the husband may have been inaccessible due to his own problems. Was he even back from jail then? She could have been in shock, or too tired to tell anyone. She could have been in denial.

The director leaves a lot up to the audience in this film. I'm not surprised a lot of people have problems with it.

I choose to believe what I was programmed to believe

[–] post-amir 10 years ago

Exactly. and don't forget about her husband. He is always angry about everything. and the woman maybe denies the accident because she don't want more trouble with her husband.
also after the accident she didn't know what exactly happened to her child. maybe she was denying the possibility of losing her child in her mind too.

[–] satmov 10 years ago

She never told her husband that she was working and if she revealed the real reason, her husband will go mad for several reasons.(e.g. For hiding that she was working). Even if she tells that it happened while going back home, many questions will arise which will lead to the reality.

Basically she was afraid of her husband to tell the real reason and thought she would escape in trial somehow.

[–] zoolzool 12 years ago

This isn't meant to be confrontational, just a bit on the honest side...

"In my opinion it didn't bring ANYTHING new to the screen world."

Was it supposed to? Did it have to? What about 90% of the movies out there that all use CGI and actors who all copy the same stupid mannerisms and stuff like that?

If Razieh had told the truth, there wouldn't have been much of a movie. Everything could have been over in half the time. I think she was upset with Nader for firing her, and accusing her of stealing, and she wanted to get back at him.....

Frankly, none of this would have happened if the wife had not wanted a divorce so badly. I do agree with her wanting a better life for her daughter, but for Gods sakes, could she not understand her husbands sense of duty to take care of his father? She was unfeeling and uncaring, and just wanted Nader to put his dad in a "home" or something like that. Terrible.

"If life is enjoyed, does it have to make sense?"

[–] furryfreakbrother 12 years ago

How can you blame the wife? I don't think it was a question of insensitivity on her part but more of a prioritizing needs. If I lived in Iran and had a child I would be doing anything to get out of there. We're talking about a volatile country that is extremely oppressive to women; and her daughter is the future, the father the past. Which do you put first? This is, of course, one of the many "separations" in the film. She had to make very tough choices, but I don't think they were easy choices, or choices without feeling. We know they had a special bond because her name was the only words the old man spoke, and when she was leaving he wouldn't let go of her arm. But her daughter's life and well being are her primary concern. And it's very easy for me to imagine which parent she chose at the end of the film.

[–] melinda2001 9 years ago

Iran is not like the rest of the Middle East. It's perhaps the most Western in many ways but there is a giant political split between young and old. The youth are amazing and liberal and the older conservative people who have the power are trying to roll back to authoritarian times. But the old are dying out and the young are taking their place. It's not an entirely bad place to grow up, and is better than many places in the US that I can name.

[–] Mellow-Fellow 10 years ago

Haven't seen the film yet, and I know I shouldn't be reading these forum posts but in middle eastern culture it is required for a male, by law, to look after your grand-parents. No retirement homes there where you just sweep dad under the rug and throw some money under it every month to keep it away from you.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] mortezahalimi 12 years ago

You know it is pretty hard to take blame for the death of someone even when it is your own unborn child.

And also As long as I can remember she didn't realize that it was the car accident that killed the baby until later in the film.

[–] cigsandludes 12 years ago

She didn't do this for several reasons the most important one being, denial that she had a miscarriage. Taking what their daughter said about a possible violent history between them she couldn't simply go home and say she was hit by car and maybe lost her unborn child working for a man she hadn't yet told her husband about. Given what we are left with about that history between them and what we've seen of her husband's "hot-tempered" personality, I'd say it's not unrealistic of her to try and believe it was because of the incident on the steps. Okay so, why wouldn't she just lie and say she got hit randomly? Because she is a devout follower, and would be worried she would be punished for sin. (Although, she is still sinning and when it all came down to it, she wouldn't swear on the Koran.) In her extreme denial it was easier for her to lie to herself and say that the unborn miscarried because of her being pushed down the steps. Don't forget that the same day of the incident was the same day she went to the doctor, so she also had not yet had confirmation that the car accident was the result. Only after she was hospitalized.

It's tragic because she lost him (The Dad) trying to clean up her daughters mistake (the mess on the steps), a mistake her daughter should never of had to of made but did because of the over-whelming nature of the job and she lost her unborn by simply not wanting to make any mistakes so she could continue to support her family.

[–] Strazdamonas 12 years ago

Yes, it could. But a deeply religiuos woman explaining "i got hit by a car chasing a half-naked old man across the street" wouldnt go well with her deeply religiuos husband. Especially when she did work in secret agasint his will.

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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.

[–] mike-3200 12 years ago

She was also hiding the fact that she was working from her husband.

[–] smcgrory5 12 years ago

It didn't bring ANYTHING new to the film world.....dah (no disrespect, no insults). It was a compelling story.....all about the story...A fantastic story about the human condition.

[–] tam_77014 12 years ago

I think that the critics thought it was so radical because the common thought is women have no rights in Iran. Yet you have some powerful women characters in this movie. And the husband actually is trying to teach his daughter and cares about her opinions. It is not the kind of movie you would expect coming out of Iran. It was a really gripping movie to me. I loved it.