Asgar Farhadi : Master of Character Building

Recently I understood that conflict is not the actions but the ideas of the character.  I would like to express my sincere thanks to Dir. Rajiv Menon. 

This blog will be the analysis of  Asghar Farhadi's movies and how through conflict he brings out the character.

CONFLICT: THE IDEA

Asghar Farhadi is the director who creates a masterpiece through the emotional struggle of the characters in the film. The three films mentioned above have the quality of bringing out the emotional struggle of the character as well as the social conditions in which they live. Social conditions play an important part in these movies. Hereby I would be trying to analyze the different types of conflict which and the central conflict of these films and get to a conclusion that how does he bring out the character so well that after some time I could empathize with the characters.

About Elly 

Elly a kindergarten teacher was brought by one of her friends and mother of one child she teaches, to a vacation trip planned, to meet a man named Ahmed who just returned from Germany for matchmaking. But the story unveils when Elly goes missing and her fiance comes in search of her.

I felt that the central conflict of the film is " struggle to save the honor of women in the society"

Main Characters and the conflicts they face:

Sepideh

Sepideh had her responsibilities towards Elly who she brought for the trip to meet Ahmad and was very protective of her from the beginning.As in the climax, we come to understand why she was becoming such protective in nature in case of Elly. As she wanted to help her within the restrictions of the society.(Internal conflicts)

Social conflicts she faced (Some of the examples)


Due to social restrictions, she had to lie that Ahmad and Elly are already married and came for a honeymoon.

Interpersonal Conflicts

When she hides Elly's mobile phone after she got missing, there is a fight between Amir and her.

Simultaneously when everyone compels her to tell a lie to the fiance saying that it was Elly's decision to come to trip without any force she stood for saving Elly's honor.
But then, at last, she did as the others decided.



ELLY

Elly throughout the film was so reserved in nature which symbolized her hesitation towards all that was happening, she slowly gets together with the group and everyone in the group start liking her.


Internal conflicts 

Asghar Farhadi holds the shot to his protagonists for some extended moment. Hence the audience could sense that something is wrong. As we move ahead through the story we realize that she was feeling hesitated to have a fiance and still coming to meet a man without informing her parents.

This scene where she plays with kids, She seems happy than ever. As she starts to really enjoy the trip and experience and forgets everything at that moment.  When she gets missing after the scene, this scene creates a doubt in audience mind that she was happy hence couldn't have left all the sudden.


MALE ANGER SHOWN IN A SUBTLE WAY

Amir had some bitterness inside him over the behavior of  Sepideh from the start which is also a spark leading to the fight between them.

Peyman being angry at his child and his wife.

Alireza(Fiance of Elly) beats Ahmad with anger.

Ahmad doesn't react at the point which shows the difference between Alireza and Ahmad. As like most of the men in the movie, Alireza bursts out with anger when he couldn't control his emotions and that was the reason why Elly was determined to leave him even after having 2 years relationship of being engaged.

As the Central conflict of the movie was " To save the honor of women"
The Characters were opposing and supporting the central conflict. The climax scene is crucial where the majority in the house ask Sepideh to tell a lie that Elly came to meet Ahmad without any hesitation.

In the last discussion

Peyman's opinion about Elly

Amir's  words to Sepideh

But Ahmad didn't speak a single word against her in the entire conversation which shows that Ahmad was not like other husbands and if Elly was alive. She could have led a married life which she wanted to live.

THE SALESMAN

The play of Arthur Miller " Death of a Salesman " plays a crucial role in the movie. As the real life of the character in the movie and the rehearsal's of this play is shown simultaneously. 

A small brief of the play: Willy being the central character of the play is the survivor of World war 2 and usually gets memories haunting him. He has an extramarital affair with a woman with is once witnessed by his elder son Biff.   

As Eman was playing the character of  Willy and his wife Rana being Linda in the play. The incidents similar to play takes place in their life.

The central conflict of this movie as per me is the condition when "man becoming animal " or the man losing his humanity. It's so brave of  Asghar  Farhadi to bring out such a theme and present it to an audience with such a restricted environment.

The opening scene in the movie representing the fact that even the physical needs like a home in such an environment is difficult. As building was falling apart and everyone was running to save their life. At that point, Eman showcases the first bit of humanity by taking a physically disabled child on his shoulder.

The next day in the classroom when Eman was taking a class, the boy asks him this question. 

CONFLICTS AND CHARACTER

EMAN 

Eman is a school teacher and a drama artist. In both the field, he is successful and gives his best attempts. 

Internal conflicts

Feeling empathy towards the character of Willy played by him always had a internal conflict in him. This came into action when he finds the real man who tried to molest his wife when she was alone and at last feeling empathy towards the old man he leaves him without letting his wife and children know about his deeds. 

Another conflict was "a male pride to find the guy who entered his house". 

Interpersonal conflicts

Start of the interpersonal conflict between Eman and Rana is when Eman asks her whether something happened. As he knows that Rana is telling the truth but still had a small disbelief inside a corner of his mind. 

Rana at some points understands Eman's thoughts and acts accordingly. As when he asks about the vehicle being parked away from the place where he had parked to find the culprit, She replies to it faster.

Social Conflicts 

This is the point where Eman is expressive about the environment in which he is leading his life. He thought it was pathetic conditions in which he is leading his life.

In the first scene itself, the social conditions in which they are living is shown by this image.

Changing the seat arrangement of girl students to the front and making the boy sit behind and then the Emad sitting with girl students becoming a talk in school simultaneously are the examples of the social conditions even in the middle class educated society.

Interpersonal conflicts 

After the incident, there is a subtle interpersonal conflict between Eman and Rana throughout. As Rana couldn't totally understand what Rana was going through. 

There is an interpersonal conflict between Eman and Babak during the play where Eman being in a delusion of Willy changes the dialogues and originally be harsh on Babak.

RANA

Rana is Emad's wife and a professional drama artist. She played the character of Linda in the play by Arthur Miller " Death of a Salesman ". She became a victim of the central conflict of  "a man becoming animal" in the movie.

Social conflicts 

It was the thought of the society which stopped both Eman and Rana to go for a police case after the incident. 

Rana was hesitant to explain everything to the police.

She was sure that she would be considered responsible for opening the door without looking who it is.

Neighborhood society making him afraid of the future conditions which are going to come after a police case. Hence she changes the car from the point it was parked. 

Internal conflicts 

She was afraid to stay alone in the house when her husband goes out. 

As she also played the character of Linda in the play and understood Willy from the drama. She asked her husband to leave the man (who tried to molest her) but Eman didn't do as she asked him to do.

Interpersonal conflicts 

When Emad doesn't understand her feelings and after insisting that she will join him wherever he is going, he refuses to take her. This creates an interpersonal conflict between Rana and Emad. 

MASTERWORK OF ASGHAR FARHADI 

I personally felt that the director is master in creating doubts about the character in the minds of an audience.

This scene is a master example of that 

This is the second time she is seen opening the door through the lock system. This time camera is totally covering her and the person on the other side of the door is not shown until the image of her looking back hearing the sound from the back which keeps us intriguing in the film and characters.

Boy painting like the child of previous tenant and other situations were helpful in creating that tension in the film.