Written and Directed by Asghar Farhadi
Starring Amir Jadidi, Sahar Goldust, Mohsen Tanabandeh, Maryam Shahdaei, Alireza Jahandideh and Fereshteh Sadre Orafaiy

A character-driven morality tale. A thought-provoking take on hearsay and social media’s role and influence in forming public perception. An account of the worthiness and price of reputation and pride.

Official submission of Iran for the Best International Feature Film category of the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. Grand Prix Winner and Palme d’Or nominee at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival. 

These facets and accolades are exactly what we’ve come to know and expect from acclaimed Iranian writer and director, Asghar Farhadi (Best known for the 2012 Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Oscar winner, A Separation), who was inspired to make A Hero courtesy of the true story of a man who returned a bag of cash he found while on leave from a debtors’ prison in Shiraz. 

Set and shot in Shiraz, one of the oldest cities in ancient Iran, Rahim Soltani (played by Amir Jadidi) is granted 2 days leave from prison to repay a large sum of money he owes his bitter and unforgiving brother-in-law, Bayram (played by Mohsen Tanabandeh). The ever-smiling Rahim and his girlfriend, Farkhondeh (played by Sahar Goldust) intend to be rid of Rahim’s debt by way of a bag of gold coins, but plan a or plan b do not go according to plan at all. Further compounding the situation, Bayram meets any attempt at negotiation, reconciliation, and further delay with rigid resistance. Desperate to be rid of his debt and freed from prison, Rahim’s family members become heavily involved in his situation and a media frenzy ensues as rumours surrounding the authenticity of his story surface.

As is always the case in an Asghar Farhadi film, the themes being explored, and the questions being provoked via a globally accessible story and superbly defined characters are plentiful in supply. Their formation and presence throughout A Hero are nothing short of being excellently crafted and undeniably succeeds at drawing your attention to the finest of details. But surprisingly, A Hero arguably becomes a little overly convoluted and had me lost in some of that detail. 

A wordy script. Many, many characters who become impacted and embroiled in Rahim’s financial woes and social status in a variety of ways. An accumulation of themes and questions before they converge. It can easily overwhelm, but it can equally enthral. 

You may wonder who the hero of this story is the film’s title seems to be referencing. Right there is a prime example of what Asghar Farhadi so expertly creates and develops. From the outset, Rahim is a kind and family-oriented man who one could say doesn’t deserve to be imprisoned. He is most definitely actively pursuing all avenues to gain an honest job, earn his own income and pay back the moneys he owes. During this, an apparent act of goodwill thrusts our protagonist into the media spotlight, where he is celebrated as a hero. Furthermore, Rahim is ostensibly quite hard done-by his brother-in-law, but once the script begins to involve Bayram in its evolving story, he’s suddenly no longer the antagonist of the picture that’s been painted thus far. Bayram offers a very different and doubtful perspective over Rahim that cleverly shakes up what we thought we knew about his story, intentions, and his true nature. It’s the writing and unveiling of layers such as this, the themes and questions that arise, and the instant ability to have empathy and understanding for all characters that make experiencing the works of Asghar Farhadi so rich and rewarding.

Countless others can be identified and interpreted. What exactly is a white lie and when is it no longer white? What acts do we consider and call heroic and are they truly that of a hero? How much of our true selves do we sacrifice or lose in times of desperation and loss of control? To what extent does amplifying and shifting our profile in the public domain exacerbate outcomes?

A Hero is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from June 9th.

Moviedoc thanks Hi Gloss Entertainment for providing a screener link to watch and review this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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