Love Lockdown
By Dwayne Tillman
Asghar Farhadi’s 2011 Oscar winner A Separation is a film nearly unparalleled in its simple yet complex and look into domestic life. It’s a multi-layered, utterly compelling masterpiece that brilliantly gave an insight into fractured relationships while also working as a subtle deconstruction of modern Iranian society. His latest, The Salesman, is similar (on the surface at least) in that it’s another neo-realist thriller that gives us another compelling look at broken down relationships and the humanity that drives these situations. And though The Salesman never quite reaches the jaw-dropping heights of the former (how could it?), Farhadi still proves that he is an absolute master at eking out alarming levels of tension and feeling from what is seemingly something so mundane.
The Salesman follows schoolteacher Emad (Shahab Hosseini) and his wife Rama (Taraneh Alidoosti). After a construction project destroys their flat, they are forced to relocate into a new apartment in Tehran; an apartment they soon learn was previously tenanted to a woman working as a prostitute. Whilst home alone one night, Rama buzzes in a man who she assumed was her husband. It turns out to be a client of the previous tenant. Emad comes home to find a bloodstained floor. He finds Rama in the hospital bloodied and beaten up. Instead of calling the police, Emad opts to take matters into his own hands, attempting to track the culprit down himself.
The film begins slightly erratically, as it establishes the various aspects of each of the characters lives. There seemed to be slightly more dynamism on display in Farhadi’s direction than I’m used to seeing from his films, particularly with the added aspect of the recurring stage production of Death of a Salesman. This initially gives the impression that this will be a slightly more bombastic film than we are used to from Farhadi. However, as the film quickly finds it footing, it becomes more of a tightly wound revenge thriller by way of a nuanced character drama. This film seems more interested not so much in WHAT happens, but more so in the humanity behind how we react towards said happenings. This makes for a consistently thought-provoking look at marriage in the face of struggle.
Making the film even more thrilling are the brilliant performances. Alidoosti absolutely tugs at the heart with her portrayal of Rama. It’s a subtle but effective performance that completely sells Rama’s trauma; one that will stick with you long after the credits. Hosseini is the standout here, however. He won Best Actor at Cannes for this role, and you can see why. It’s a performance of different levels and emotions, and you feel absolutely every one of them.
One of Farhadi’s greatest strengths is his masterful ability to take his audience on an unpredictable journey in which, occasional contrivance aside, you never know what to expect next, right up to the tense and tragic (if slightly melodramatic) finale. In addition, there are so many different layers to the film, so much so that it’s unlikely you’ll pick up on everything Farhadi is conveying upon the first viewing. Repeat viewings will almost certainly offer more and more rewards. A lot of the film’s genius lies in what is not directly discussed. You could look at this situation from the perspective of different characters and get a completely different take. Such is the subtle brilliance of the film and Farhadi himself. The film is unexpectedly a feast for the senses at times, too, particularly its almost art film-esque theatre sequences and its simple yet striking production and costume design.
As I mentioned, The Salesman doesn’t leave as much of an haunting impression as A Separation did. There are a few instances where I felt that the film was treading too familiar ground. However, this is yet again another masterful piece of cinema from one of our best neo-realist filmmakers; one that satisfied me so much that I’m ecstatic to dive back in dig further past its surface to discover more of its hidden beauty.