The Salesman

This is the second film I've watched from Farhadi's catalogue and it just makes me want to explore even more. He is so good at creating these social dramas with complex moral dilllemas, none of his work is one dimensional. The acting in this is incredibly powerful but what really sat with was how the toll of trauma is shown in different ways. We see Rana suffering both physically and mentally, while Emad her husband seems more focus on the physical pain she had incurred and the societal expectations only make things harder for this couple. Later, when Emad takes it upon himself to bring justice his wife it causes friction between the two of them. Rana does not want relive her trauma or have anything to do with her attacker, which is a reality a lot of survivors are faced with today What's wild is how Farhadi makes his antagonist deeply human. Towards the end you almost start to feel bad for him. They aren't just a faceless perpetrator with no sense of humanity They have a whole life outside this horrible act. When you see the length Emad pushes the person to you realise how complicated morality really is. The difference in how Emad and Rana process what happened takes a huge toll on their marriage. It's a complex and heartbreaking story with a sharp social commentary. Farhadi gives us no clear conclusion or answers. He lays the weight of their choices out on a platter and keeps us seated in discomfort. I think the guy on the plane next to me must've been so confused when I lowkey started tearing up.