I regret that this is the first Asghar Farhadi film I've written about, though I've seen several. His films are about ordinary people in Iranian society, who face difficult ethical quandaries exacerbated by their religious and social realities. Seemingly clear-cut situations and simple plans tend to go awry and become complicated very quickly. His best films are essentially morality plays, specific to the modern Iranian milieu. "A Hero" is his latest, currently in the middle of a plagiarism scandal. It's about a debtor temporarily granted leave from incarceration, who hatches a scheme to stay out of prison.
Rahim Soltani (Amir Jadidi) decides he'll play the part of a hero, taking a bag found by his girlfriend Farkhondeh (Sahar Goldoust), and returning it to its owner instead of using the gold inside to pay off his debt. The publicity from being a good Samaritan initially brings Rahmin attention, job offers, and monetary help. However, his unhappy creditor, Brahman (Mohsen Tanabandeh), isn't convinced by the story. Soon Rahmin is put in the position of having to prove his version of events to an investigator (Ehsan Goodarzi), and dragging other people into the messy situation, including Farkhondeh, his sister Malileh (Maryam Shahdaie), and his young son Siavash (Saleh Karimai).
The cultural context needed to parse all the different relationships and obligations in play here is a little daunting at first. I struggled with how to describe Farkhondeh, because she's the woman Ramin "intends to marry," not technically a fiancee, and the term girlfriend feels inadequate. Brahman's grudge doesn't just have to do with the debt, but with how it was handled by Rahmin, resulting in the loss of Brahman's daughter's dowry. However, once Rahmin gets the ball rolling with his little scheme, and the media flurry begins, the themes of "A Hero" are immediately very universal. Rahmin painting himself as a hero invites scrutiny that he didn't anticipate, soon finds the fickle public opinion turned against him, and considers increasingly desperate measures to get everyone back on his side. In the process, Farhadi asks his audience to consider the nature of altruism. Does it matter that Ramin initially wanted to keep the money? Or that it may have been returned to the wrong person? Or that he chose to publicize his act?
The actors are all very good, Amir Jadidi in particular. Farhadi's leading men tend to conform to a certain type, and Jadidi bucks this image a bit because Rahmin is a very slippery figure who is creative with the truth. Though he does display a good amount of moral fiber, and there's plenty to admire about him, he's not trustworthy in the least. This makes Rahmin fascinating to watch as he tries to squirm his way out of his lies, and keep his house of cards from falling. I appreciate that as Rahmin's story starts to unravel, it allows him to show his good side as much as it shows his bad side. Nothing is simple in this universe, least of all the hero of the piece.
Farhadi's filmmaking is simple and straightforward, but is very proficient at capturing many different viewpoints and the involvement of many different characters. There are many minor, but vital figures, including the woman who heads a charity duped by Ramin, and Brahman's protective daughter, who have a significant impact on the story. Siavash is present for many scenes, and registers as a major character even though a speech impediment keeps him from saying much. And more importantly, Rahmin's awareness of Siavash in these scenes becomes key to his decisionmaking as the situation gets more unstable.
It was a relief to find "A Hero" this year, after failing to connect with so many other films. Its lack of frills may feel old fashioned at times, but its construction is flawless and its aims are compelling. Farhadi tells a very familiar story, but one that's never felt more timely or more necessary. Whether it's actually his story or not, it's as good a place as any to start with his films, which I really haven't shown enough appreciation for.
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