What a disturbing yet powerful film. THE STONING OF SORAYA M. will make you angry at the injustices against women. Director Cyrus Nowrasteh has made an adaptation, a depiction that’s fierce and brutally honest. Masterful performances by… Shohreh Aghdashloo and Mozhan Marnò as the lead. THE STONING OF SORAYA M. is not an easy watch but it’s simply heartwrenching, one of the most important true stories of our time.
Stranded in a remote Iranian village, a French journalist is approached by Zahra, a woman who has a harrowing tale to tell about her niece, Soraya, and the bloody circumstances of her death the day before…
As the journalist turns on his tape recorder, Zahra takes us back to the beginning of her story which involves Soraya’s husband, the local phony mullah, and a town all too easily led down a path of deceit, coercion, and hysteria. The women, stripped of all rights and without recourse, nobly confront the overwhelming desires of corrupt men who use and abuse their authority to condemn Soraya, an innocent but inconvenient wife, to an unjust and torturous death.
A shocking and true drama, it exposes the dark power of mob rule, uncivil law, and the utter lack of human rights for women. The last and only hope for some measure of justice lies in the hands of the journalist who must escape with the story — and his life — so the world will know.
It’s unbelievable when you think of how they still treat women in some parts of the world and the reason they use to justify their acts. Screenwriters Cyrus and Betsy Nowrasteh create the environment that makes the audiences feel uncomfortable from the beginning, that you can sense the evil in the air even when the story hasn’t reached its climax. The moments that lead to that fateful day are just as haunting as the horrific punishment itself. One after another you see different ways that men try to make themselves superior, whether it’s domestic abuse, an invitation for arranged marriages, the council deciding someone’s fate without females having their voices heard. You’re gonna be angry at what you’re watching.
I knew the original score sounds familiar because it’s by John Debney, the same guy who got Oscar-nominated for The Passion of the Christ, what an excellent choice because once again, he brings back that certain sound and tunes that fit for that particular culture and for when a person is embracing her fate, the journey from her home to her death. It’s sad and majestic at the same time. Cinematography by Joel Ransom who’s used to doing TV gigs manages to capture the brutality, he takes several interesting angles and shots of where the stones might be flying from. Nothing about it is toned down.
Shohreh Aghdashloo is perfect in this movie. As a the strong-willed auntie who’s not afraid to stand up to the men in town, Shohreh is relentless, brilliant, and captivating. When she speaks, she demands your attention. Mozhan Marnò who plays the lead character Soraya is effortless, you can see the sadness and despair in her eyes, a woman betrayed not only by her husband, but also by her own sons. A great performance which unfortunately will probably get overlooked by many. Director Cyrus Nowrasteh chooses not to surround the story with performers who are not Iranian but look like one.. he chooses to cast talented Iranian actors who believe in the message of the story so what you get are a group of people who give their all to make this look and feel as convincing as possible. For the record, people who use religion to hurt other people have no place in this life or in the life to come.
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