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NEWS & LETTERS, March 2002
'The Circle': a review
A woman born in Iran is born as
a second-class citizen. The humiliation and deprivation of that status are shown
in the appropriately titled film, THE CIRCLE by Jafar Panahi, banned in Iran. It
is based on episodes from the lives of several women. It starts with the alarm
of a woman who has to face the unexpected birth of the wrong gendered
grandchild. She says, "We were told it was to be a boy. My daughter's
in-laws will ask for a divorce." The very first scene in the film succeeds
in showing the absolute burden of womanhood in Iranian society, which also rings
true to the condition of women living in other regions where patriarchy has an
excessive stronghold. Every single day of their
lives, women in Iran are insulted verbally, physically and emotionally. They are
threatened by the Islamic government and their guards and security forces, which
promote and protect a gender-biased society. In this society, women have to take
a great risk in order to gain a limited freedom. Women are not seen as human
unless they have the appropriate and sanctioned relations with men. The movie follows the dreams
for freedom of a young woman who has just been released from prison. She tries
to go back to her home, which she thinks of as a paradise where she will find
freedom. She represents young women with all their dreams and hopes to be free.
But all they see is injustice in a
police society with brutal reactionary rules and regulations against Iranian
people, especially women. Jafar Panahi tells the story of a woman's sacrifice
and loss,depicting the innocence and rebellion that are embodied in her spirit.
He shows several other women caught in the repetitive cycle of abuse which pulls
their dignity to shreds. Their own families, and not just the nameless, faceless
society at large, victimize and abuse these women. They are prisoners of
society–at home, at work, and in jail. The utter loneliness of being a woman
is well-depicted by Jafar Panahi. The strongest woman shown in
THE CIRCLE was a prostitute. Confronted by the righteous police officer who
apprehended her, she replies, "Will you feed my children?" Without
begging, crying, or protesting, she is taken to the police station, where we
encounter other women Panahi has introduced us to. Ironically, they are crouched
on the floor in a circular room. Thus, Panahi shows us a few rotations of the
inescapable circle of imprisonment for a woman in Iranian society. —Ali Reza and Hawa Bibi |
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