The Stoning of Soraya M.

A movie like “The Stoning of Soraya M.” (2009) raises a couple of questions that continuously linger on the mind: Is this movie a work of art? Is it a sincere effort about a human-rights issue? Or is it just an activist piece? Comparing this movie to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “The Passion of Joan of Arc” (1928) in which Joan, just like Soraya, was also publicly executed, Dreyer’s effort is a fully realized work of art. With “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” the director, Cyprus Nowrasteh, touches on the punishment by stoning as prescribed by Sharia Law, which is the way of life for a dutiful Muslim. The filmmakers try to present their vocal opinion on the cruel form of punishment that represents a compelling and controversial human-rights issue. As a result of a few hard-liners practicing the Sharia Law, the stoning by death is a well-known mechanism of punishment that is still prevalent in remote regions of the Arab world, notably in Iran, as well as in certain parts of Africa.


The film is based on the book by Freidoune Sahebjam (banned in Iran) that tells a true tale of Soraya M. The movie begins when a journalist, Freidoune Sahebjam (Jim Caviezel), is stranded in a remote village, where he soon encounters a woman named Zahra, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo (“House of Sand & Fog,” “24”). Zahra is trying to reveal a hidden secret of this village to Freidoune. This triggers the detailed flashback of a ghastly event that was witnessed by the entire village. Through her narration, we learn that Zahra’s niece, Soraya (Mozhan Marno), is unhappily married to Ali (Navid Negahban). Ali is trying to exit the marriage without having to pay the alimony for her two daughters. Soraya knows that she will not get a single dime if she divorces Ali. In the meantime, Ali’s patience is running out, and he sets things in motion to wrongly accuse Soraya of infidelity. In accordance with Sharia Law, the local clergyman and governor of the village ask Ali to find two witnesses that will substantiate his claims. Along the way, he comes up with two witnesses who mark the beginning of the end for Soraya. The verdict is handed out, and Soraya is falsely accused of adultery, the punishment for which is to be stoned to death.


The controversial Sharia Law was created by kings during medieval times who fervently respected and stringently enforced the teachings inscribed in the holy guide, Qoran. For quite some time now, the stoning process has drawn furor from human-rights groups around the world and rightly so. For instance, a couple of years ago, a Nigerian woman was almost stoned to death for infidelity and was saved at the very last moment by a worldwide anger against the local tribunal judicial process that sentenced her. As the filmmakers reveal in the featurette, there are about a thousand reported cases of stoning from the time the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979 until 1994. Of all the places in the Middle East, the filmmakers take us to a remote village in Iran to tell this sad and nerve-racking tale of Soraya. In addition, it might be a sheer coincidence that the movie was released during the uprising against the recent Iranian election in 2009.


At its heart, the film undertakes the challenging task of representing the stoning issue in countries that enforce this on its citizens without a fair trail, especially cases involving women. More so, the film is a social commentary on how Ayatollahs in Iran through local clergymen ensure that people believe in and lead their lives according to the Sharia Law, and anyone who deviates from this or commits any crime will be severely punished. The filmmakers don’t try to preach anything but merely present the merciless form of punishment that is hopelessly one-sided and unfair to its defendant. I applaud them for presenting a balanced and true-to-life depiction of a local Iranian community.


For me, the heart of the movie is the character of Soraya, played by Mozhan Marno, who is an Iranian immigrant and talented theater performer residing in Los Angeles. She lights up the screen with her never-back-down performance that is bound to stay with you until the end. Mozhan never overplays her character in the film, and within the boundary of her limited role, she brilliantly exhibits various layers inherent to her domestic life. She is a responsible mother who is genuinely worried about the well-being of her children, but she also has a strong emotional facade that provides her the strength in her final moments before dying. Nonetheless, it is Zahra who carries the entire show. Her performance is haunting and convincing, if at times overly melodramatic. In a few emotional sequences involving the governor and clergyman, she comes across a little over-the-top. Nevertheless, Zahra aptly expresses her pain of the whole event.


Despite the strengths in the acting department, the movie falters in its storytelling. First, my biggest problem with the film is its narrative style. Looking at the cover, you see lines like “based on a true story” and “based on a book,” but they hardly hold any merit, considering how the story unfolds. As an example, after Freidoune takes a break in the village, Zahra knows that he is an outsider. As soon as Zahra starts telling this tale, the movie switches entirely to the flashback mode. Instead of having a proper Q&A session on the events that transpired in the village which ultimately led to the stoning of Soraya, the flashbacks are just one recording session for Freidoune. I am not sure if this is how Freidoune recorded Zahra’s story in the real interview. I would have expected the natural journalist instinct of asking questions to kick in that would have further validated the authenticity of events. Of course, all of this leads to inadequate insight into the character of Freidoune himself, since the movie is based on his book.


Second, it appears that although filmmakers provided enough background on the incident, the entire movie rushes to the final act of stoning. Soraya only has a brief moment to gather her thoughts before beginning her slow march to the stoning ground. The film could have slowed down a bit, which would have provided ample time to focus on emotional feelings building inside Soraya after she is made aware of her eminent death. Instead, the filmmakers were rather busy focusing on how Zahra felt on the sentencing rather than on Soraya. It is only in the final act that you really feel sorry for Soraya. Is it because she was brutally stoned? Would our feelings be any different if it were a quick death? These are the questions that the film evokes.


Lastly, the movie never threatens to become either an artistic or an activist piece, partly owning to the filmmakers indecisiveness in their depiction of the overall message. The film solely focuses on the act of punishment by stoning. However, in the process no solution or alternative is offered to the victims or their family members who fall eventually fall prey to this law. Since the life of Soraya did not have any impact on anyone for it to become a Hollywood biopic, the filmmakers deliberately composed the film in such way that the stoning act is the central attraction.


Despite these shortcomings, kudos to the filmmakers for at least attempting to tackle a key human-rights issue in which a tribunal dictates the sentencing without hearing out both sides. My heart goes out to all the women and their families who have met a similar end such as Soraya’s. Having said that, “The Stoning of Soraya M.” is a bold effort that is at times a bit underwhelming.


Video:
Lionsgate present the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1. The dusty outfields around the village are rendered beautifully. Colors pop out in the form of green fields and dresses worn by the locals. The print is clear of any abnormalities like blemishes or specks. Overall, the transfer appears to represent the film perfectly.


Audio:
For this release, we get a Farsi Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track. The movie for the most part is dialogue heavy, with the front channels doing most of the sonic work. The dialogue is clear and consistent throughout. The lossy rendition works with the original sound design and, therefore, I don’t have any qualms about this audio track. The rear channels are active during the music score. Also included is the option to view the movie with English or Spanish subtitles.


Extras:
Starting off the extras, we get a long featurette on the film, “The Making of the stoning of Soraya M.” (16x9, 46 minutes), that is divided into three segments: Inspiration, Production, and Completion. The director, Cyprus Nowrasteh, provides detailed insight on the location, which was a remote village in Jordan. We also come to know how difficult it was to write a script from the book. The director discusses the translation of dialogue in Persian and how the entire translation process presented a challenge for its actors. The dialogue had to be spoken with proper local accents, and considering that most of the actors were nonnative Iranians, it elongated the entire shooting time. Along the way, we meet the writers, translators, crew, and actors.


Following this featurette, we get a pair of two audio commentaries: the first is with director,Cyprus Nowrasteh and writer Betsey Nowrasteh, and the second commentary involves the key crew members (excluding the actors). Both commentaries are detailed and provide thorough inside views on the village, the script, and the book. They talk about their limited budget and specific challenges in the filming process, and they also discuss their frustrations with the locals.


Rounding off the extras, we get an original theatrical trailer of the film in 16x9.


Parting thoughts:
The filmmakers have their heart in the right place when telling the story of Soraya M. The movie is worth watching for the heartbreaking performances by Shohreh Aghdashloo and Mozhan Marno and for the subject of punishment by stoning. As the stoning cases are seldom reported, “The stoning of Soraya M” is a step in the right direction in its depiction of a one-sided tribunal judicial system.


Final Ratings:
Video = 8/10
Audio = 6/10
Extras = 6/10
Film Rating = 7/10