A Review, plus Thoughts on Religion & Violence in Film

The Stoning of Soraya M. (2009, directed by Cyrus Nowrasteh) - The relations between the United States and Iran have been rather frought, particularly over the last thirty-odd years, since the overthrow of the Shah and the implementation of the theocracy that is still essentially in power there to this day. Tied into this, of course, is also the relationship between the United States and the religion of Islam. Indeed, among the first "exposures" I had to Iran and to the Muslim world at large was seeing the 1991 film Not Without My Daughter in my middle-school social studies class.

The Stoning of Soraya M. continues in this grand tradition. While it is important to remember that things like this DO happen in parts of the Muslim world, I think it is also important to remember that one should also not make the mistake of assuming that this is standard behavior in Iran or among Muslims. Like any religion, Islam is unfortunately plagued with people who like to use the "name of God" (or Allah, in this case?) to promote their own agendas. (Need I remind you of 2006's Jesus Camp, in which the director of the camp explicitly says that her goal is to get people to lay down their own lives in a similar way for Christianity?)

Having said this, here's the plot: The film is based on the 1994 book of the same name, written by Franco-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam (played by Jim Caviezel in the film). Set circa 1986, Sahebjam's car breaks down in a small village in rural Iran. While waiting for his car, he encounters Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), a woman who convinces Sahebjam to record her as she recounts the story of what happened to her niece, Soraya (Mozhan Marnò).

Soraya's husband, Ali (Navid Negahban), is an abusive man who wants to be rid of Soraya in order to marry a 14-year-old girl without having to support two wives or return Soraya's dowry. When Soraya agrees to help a recently-widowed man by cooking for him and helping him to look after his son, Ali comes up with a plot to accomplish his goal. He accuses her of adultery, the punishment for which, in accordance with the "Islamic law" practiced in the village, is death by stoning.

Obviously, Soraya is found guilty and sentenced. The film also shows the stoning itself, in protracted, gory detail, which makes this a film that is VERY difficult for even those of us with strong stomachs to watch. It shows all the men of the village -- including Soraya's husband, her sons, and even her own father -- chucking stones at her. This violence and the way it is depicted in the film, however, should probably come as no surprise, seeing as how the film is produced by one of the producers of 2004's The Passion of the Christ.

Which brings me to another point. Films like these always make me question how I justify watching violence on film. I cannot bring myself to watch films like Passion, Glory, or another violent Gibson film, Braveheart. Yet I can watch Michael Madsen slice a cop's ear off with a straight razor in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and not be quite as squeamish about it. I can watch Uma Thurman wreak all sorts of gory havoc in the restaurant scene in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 and actually cheer her on as she does it. So what's the deal?

In any case, it is certainly an important film to see in that we do need to be reminded from time to time that these things go on. But don't let it cloud your perceptions as so many films have before ... I suppose that's the most important thing to take away from it.