A Hero – Movie Review
127 Minutes, Rated PG-13
Written and Directed by Asghar Farhadi
**NOTE: this post will be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, enjoy this brief look at my thoughts. Stay tuned.**
Synopsis:
Rahim is in prison because of a debt he was unable to repay. During a two-day leave, he tries to convince his creditor to withdraw his complaint against the payment of part of the sum. But things don’t go as planned.
A Hero is the official submission from Iran for the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category of the 94th Academy Awards in 2022.
Debtor’s prison, once common around the world, still exists in some parts, and this depiction brings that into stark relief. If a creditor files a complaint against you for a debt, you can be forced to serve prison time.
And people complain about the American credit system, am I right?
But with Rahim, we see a man who appears to be trying to get out from under his debts in a somewhat underhanded way, but who then does the “right” thing (once thwarted), only to have the positive consequences of that action boomerang back at him, raising questions about his behavior based mostly on his past behavior.
The film is an examination of whether doing the “right” thing, even for the wrong reasons, is laudable.
For Rahim, as it has been throughout millennia of philosophical examination and discussion, that answer is “maybe.”
But the film itself proves that none of us exist in a vacuum, that our actions have consequences beyond ourselves, and perhaps that our fate it ultimately in the hands of those whose lives we impact.
The film is shot very well, and–subtitles aside–the performances are very good overall.
The relationship between Rahim and his son is often heartbreaking, when it isn’t being overshadowed by Rahim’s blatant self-interest.
It feels strange to say that A Hero is a family film, but it kind of is, as Rahim is dealing with a broken and extended family, also with an eye towards his future, while always looking for the quickest way there instead of the best way.
A Hero will hit US theaters on January 7 and will become available on Amazon Prime Video January 21.
A Hero stars Amir Jadidi, Mohsen Tanabendeh, Fesesteh Sadre Orafaiy, Sarina Farhadi, Sahar Goldust, Ehsan Goodarzi, Alirez Jahandideh, and Maryam Shahdaei.
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