On Leave from Prison, a Man Becomes a Prisoner of a Different Kind

Amir Jadidi in "A Hero"
Photo Credit: RottenTomatoes.com

I’m ashamed to admit that, before seeing writer-director Asghar Farhadi’s latest drama, “A Hero,” I hadn’t seen any of this other movies.  With acclaimed films like “A Separation,” “The Past,” and “The Salesman,” I heard of him being a celebrated filmmaker who has become a prominent voice in international cinema.  So, when I had a chance to catch a preview screening of his recent film, I figured this would be as good of a time as any to be introduced to his work.

And, what an introduction it was.  “A Hero” showed me the complex vision that Farhadi brings to his filmmaking in a morality tale that unfurls into something bigger than its characters could have expected.

Rahim (Amir Jadidi) is in prison for an inability to repay a debt.  During his sentence, he’s granted a two-day leave.  When he hands in a lost purse, a small lie in the aftermath soon creates a deep web of deceit that entraps Rahim and threatens to destroy his life.

Jadidi delivers a superb performance as someone who sort of bumbles his way through the events that unfold from his lie, but then begins to realize that he’s way in over his head in terms of handle it.  However, with Rahim’s financial and familial situations, Jadidi creates a character for whom you can’t help but feel sorry as he tries to keep everything on track.  He’s an endearing character because of how ordinary he is, and Jadidi sells the everyday nature of Rahim, rendering him relatable as we try to see ourselves in this precarious scenario and wonder how we would handle it.

The supporting cast has several superb performances from portrayals of characters who become caught up in Rahim’s lie, most notably Mohsen Tanabandeh as Bahram, Rahim’s debtor, and Sahar Goldoost as Farkhondeh, Rahim’s new girlfriend and confidante.  The whole supporting cast is able to match the uncertainty and stress that Jadidi experiences as the consequences of his lies close around them, and the strength of their work makes their characters every bit as intriguing as Jadidi’s. 

The screenplay by Farhadi isn’t necessarily a thriller, but the way in which he builds tension little my little as the web of lies becomes more complex peppers some understated thrills throughout.  With the amount of characters who get pulled into the ripples of the initial lie, there’s an enticing unpredictability as to how everyone will be effected by this event and how their involvement will shape the growing complications of what Jadidi has started.  

This is a narrative where, every time a new layer to the original lie is added, we spend enough time on it as we see how the effects from that layer will unfold.  The story shows the consequences of each lie, and the way in which the screenplay exhibits how each lie leads into another is a vivid display of how not telling the truth can spiral into something that can become impossible to control.

The cinematography by Ali Ghazi and Arash Ramezani captures the newfound, yet temporary freedom of Rahim in a long take of him exiting the jail as the camera frames him behind a fence, only to follow him as he appears on the other side.  This is then followed by a a shot that lingers on him as he walks amongst a construction site alongside some mountains, having the camera frame him against this backdrop as he walks further and further away into the openness of the region.  

Then, once we arrive to Jadidi’s series of lies, that freedom dissipates as we transition to scenes of him and other characters crowded in closed spaces, whether it be a room in a house or a shop, and the way in which these individuals are shown in these spaces heightens the concept of how the consequences of the lie are closing in on them little by little.

However, a standout moment in the camerawork is the final shot.  I won’t give anything away, but the way in which Ghazi and Ramezani use light and darkness creates a meditative, haunting, but somewhat hopeful conclusion that results in what may be one of the best closing shots of the year.  If you think this movie will give you much to discuss afterwards, this image solidifies that notion.

Farhadi provides terrific work in capturing the drama between Jadidi, his family, and other acquaintances, always giving audiences an idea of the simmering tension underneath, and then allowing it have an exposure that progresses throughout the film.  He creates a movie that’s both a family drama and a cautionary tale, intertwining the two into a complex character study of someone who not only tries to right his wrongs in a questionable way, but also realizes that what seems like a simple solution can lead to a difficult outcome.

Grade: A