The Stoning Of Soraya M Review

• 24th Feb 2011

I approached the idea of reviewing this film with some reservation and more than a few conflicted thoughts. While one can hardly be an informed adult without knowing at least a little about the ancient (dare I say, biblical), and yet still extant practice of stoning. It certainly does not follow that someone like me; a non-religious white Englishman (my familial roots are actually a mix of English, French, Japanese and Sri Lankan), would have already known of the tragic story of Soraya Manutchehri. So it was that I have to admit to literally first hearing about it only when this movie came up for review. However, the timing is interesting as the subject of stoning has made national news several times again recently. It is because of this that I felt moved to take it on, and I’m so glad I did.

The film is based on the 1990 book by French-Iranian journalist, Freidoune Sahebjam, played by Jim Caviezel; and tells the true story of a young Iranian woman (the aforementioned Soraya Manutchehri, played by Mozhan Marnò) who was falsely accused of adultery by a scheming husband, and under Sharia law, found guilty. She was, subsequently, bound, buried waist deep and publicly stoned to death in her village.
This all happened in 1986, a few years after the fall of the Shah, amidst the Ayatollah’s more fundamentalist religious regime.

I am well aware of the ‘tread lightly if you have to, avoid if you can’ mantra most non-Muslims tend to adopt when trying to discuss anything to do with Islam in general and Sharia law in particular. However, my attachment to freedom of speech being what it is; I can only review the movie as honestly, and as objectively as I can. It is also important to state that while some personal opinion could creep into the review; this is not intended as a commentary or thought piece specifically about the rights and wrongs of Islam or Sharia law, and certainly not about the corruptibility of its code by those with less than honourable intentions. It is after all a movie review.

So, to the film.

I’m not sure exactly where in the Middle East it was shot, as the film’s credits were quite vague on this point. However, the vistas offered here are nothing short of spectacular even if the natural beauty of this rugged land is rendered amazingly mute and almost washed out once we get into the meat of the story. Not in a camera trickery, lighting or colour processing kind of way either, it’s more a feeling conveyed almost subliminally. I was left wondering if anyone else watching the movie felt anything similar.

The music helps in this respect; John Debney’s score is powerful yet melancholy and subdued, but ever so slightly predictable in its approach. Vocal duties are handled by Sussan Deyhim. They are effective yes, but I do think that Gladiator was ten years ago now and we could do with a few new ideas in this area.

The director tells the story from the perspective of Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), the ageing yet strikingly beautiful matriarchal aunt of Soraya. It is through her that the story was told to Sahebjam in the first place, so it is fitting that it is her recounting of the tale, and his subsequent panicked fleeing from the village afterwards are presented as bookends to the main narrative. Aghdashloo turns in a nuanced performance and I really enjoyed all the little mannerisms and quirky pieces of business she does. She also has really effective ‘eyes’ in that she can say a great deal with just a look. Marnò’s performance as Soraya is less effective in places. To me it seems she may have been cast based more on how she would come across as the condemned Soraya in the final act (which is admittedly very effective), but she doesn’t quite deliver the unwitting version before Ali’s plan is revealed. It’s a very minor thing mind you, as I still thought Marnò’s performance overall was excellent. The rest of the supporting cast do a fine job, although I did think that Ali was played with an almost comic book level of evil. He’s depicted as having no redeeming qualities whatsoever, not even an evil charm. For me this made him a little difficult to take seriously at times. It also seems crazy that someone so clearly malevolent, could convince the town officials of Soraya’s infidelity in the first place. Although maybe that’s the point. Perhaps the film-makers wanted to hammer home the gleeful ease with which a man can condemn an innocent woman to her fate within the strictures and customs of Iranian rural culture.

The movie has been compared to Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ and, I guess, this comparison holds some water but only in the very limited sense that both films culminate in the brutal and protracted execution of an innocent. Other than that, it’s apples and oranges.

Obviously Caviezel’s involvement ties the movies together in a literal way.

However, while watching Passion is very hard work, even a non-believer like me can at least find a little comfort in the knowledge that, Jesus believed the treatment he was receiving was all for God’s higher purpose. That his suffering was achieving something greater than himself and meant something significant. This is a key difference and one that for me makes a huge impact when making the comparison. Poor Soraya suffered her inhuman and barbaric treatment with the full knowledge that it had been visited on her for being nothing more than an inconvenient wife.

Thankfully the stoning itself, while certainly graphic enough; does not linger salaciously on its own bloodiness. It strikes an informed balance between showing you enough to powerfully convey the horror and pain, while also obscuring or cutting away from Soraya’s agonised body several times as well.

Sahebjam’s book is banned in Iran and frankly this isn’t surprising. I would assume then that the film would probably be banned there as well (at time of writing, I could not find info on this). It’s a shame as to my mind; it’s quite obviously not in any way a protest against God or Islam. Rather, it is about cruel and devious men abusing their religious beliefs as a means of justifying despicable behaviour towards others. In the powerful words of Soraya, when given a last opportunity to speak before her assembled village:
“How can you do this to me?
…….how can you do this to anybody?”

Therein lays one of the film’s fundamental messages, which is that regardless of what she did or did not do. This form of summary judgement and punishment is evil and raises the question of how can something so wrong be the will of God?
It’s a question we have all asked ourselves at one time or another when great tragedy or suffering is endured by ourselves or those we love.

“God is great! God is great!” They all chant. Yes indeed, and both Soraya and her aunt believed this with passion and sincerity too. However, the movie tries to show us that we are less than great, and that certain customs and doctrines seem to offer ways in which to indulge this weakness at the expense of others. It’s certainly a powerful if well worn message.

Ben Pegley