Exiled Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi returns
with "Rhino Season", a new film made in Turkey, loosely based on the
true incident of a poet unjustly imprisoned for almost 30 years for
writing supposedly subversive poems. He was released at the end of that long a period, only to learn that he had been declared dead to his family years ago!
Those
are the only similarities however, as far as the connections to the
actual incident are concerned. The protagonist in Ghobadi's film is a
victim of something much more than political influences. Upon being
released from prison, the Kurdish-Iranian poet in the film, Sahel
(Behrouz Vossoughi) learns that his wife Mina (Monica Bellucci) is
remarried and migrated to Turkey.
A grey, wrinkled Sahel, quiet and
brooding, looks Mina up, and spends most of his time loitering about her
house on a cliff, but never gathers the courage to approach her.
Perhaps he is afraid of disrupting her present life, for as far as her
knowledge, he's been dead a long time ago and she has spent years crying
over his empty grave. Perhaps he just wants to wait for the right
moment. Most of the film carries on in silence and reciting of poetic
musings, as Sahel lights his cigarette, broods some more, observes, and
reminisces the dark past that sheds light on the events that led to his
incarceration.
A
series of flashbacks reveal that Mina in fact belonged to a rich family
in the Shah regime. Her chauffeur Akbar (Yilmaz Erdogan) was
obsessively in love (lust?) with her. He faces the ire of his employers,
when once, in a rather stupid move, he declares his love for Mina.
Humiliated and acrimonious, he uses the Iranian Islamic revolution of 1979
to his advantage, thereby getting Sahel imprisoned for 30 years and Mina
for 10! Years of unimaginable torture and rape in prison follow, and
when Mina is finally released, Akbar still continues his pursuit of her;
so desperate is his desire for her! And this, after also participating
in some heinous acts of violating her in prison as well!
All
this sounds too melodramatic on paper. In the end, for all its
art-house trappings and breathtaking, striking beauty of some of the
most wonderful imagery captured on celluloid, the plot of Ghobadi's film
somewhat resembles that centering around a vengeful, psychotic, obsessive lover, a premise
done to death in several Hollywood thrillers!
While one cannot overlook
the cliché ridden, contrived plot, it is not the sole element driving
Ghobadi's heart-work. There's a lot else to look out for; other aspects
that work in the film's favor, making it a work of art to give some
benefit to. For one, "Rhino Season" is a deeply personal experience for
its filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi who had to leave Iran and go into a forced
exile in 2009 after being threatened by some Iranian intelligence
agents. His work was deemed subversive too.
The
lead actor Behrouz Vossoughi had left Iran way back in 1979 and settled
in the U.S.A. and has never worked in films ever since. Both these men
have faced tumultuous times and have had to leave everything behind in
the country they loved, much against their own will. Artists have had to
face censorship from some extreme forms of government the world over.
Ghobadi's case was no exception, neither was that of the aforementioned
poet, whose case inspired him to make this film. After a phase of
depression, Ghobadi knew that he just had to make a film again to keep
going. This emotional sentiment reflects in the very mood of the film,
as Ghobadi's film is a melancholy in motion.
Via
some sublime, poetic verses and ethereal imagery achieved through
stupendous camerawork, and some of the finest cinematography to grace
celluloid (credit: Turaj Aslani), Ghobadi weaves pure magic. The images
look like mobile painting on a canvas, with accentuated lighting
effects.
The use of slow motion especially in the dream sequences or the
scenes which reflect the mood or state of mind of the protagonist
render a trance-like, hypnotic feel. You almost feel like you are
floating! The genius editing with which these surreal sequences are
melded with the real ones, is noteworthy. Of course, the accompanying
haunting score and poetry recitals supplement these wonderful images. It
further corroborates the fact that an image speaks a thousand words.
Cinema is the most powerful medium to convey emotions. "Rhino Season" is
no exception, as every frame is dipped in such awe-inspiring beauty, it
is difficult to take your eyes off the screen.
You can't miss some
symbolism-heavy visuals, notable ones with animals in them. A photograph
of a perpetrator is thrown among leeches. In one of the film's
best scenes, turtles fall out of the sky. In a follow up scene, one
turtle that falls on its back, manages to flip itself straight, and
moves on. A horse shoves its head into the window of a car, and many
more.
Some of these visuals are of course, references to past Ghobadi
films. Aside from the enticing, visually arresting frames, there are
events in the film that are far from pleasant. Yet, without resorting to
gratuitous on-screen violence or brutality (most of the atrocities are
off-screen or shot in a technique so as not to be in-your-face), the
images that follow are evocative of a somberness. It is not surprising
considering how emotionally drenched Ghobadi himself was during the
filming process.
And
of course, the mood wouldn't be as effectively put across if not for
the tremendous performance of veteran actor Vossoughi who returns to
screen after years of absence. He has hardly a word or two of dialog but
it is his face that does all the talking here. Ditto for the gorgeous
Monica Bellucci who delivers with an offbeat turn as the oppressed
Iranian woman, again, relies on silence and subtle gestures for a
memorable performance.
The
film perhaps would've worked better without those terrible plot
contrivances that plague the narrative in the last third; there are
always these huge coincidences that mar the credibility of a story. They
aren't really necessary but the film wouldn't have that stamp of a
colossal tragedy on it, which nevertheless seems somewhat forced
here. Without these developments, the film would still be just as
effective as a sad account of the catastrophe of a man who loses his
youth and his love, all due to petty jealousies of a man who couldn't
stomach his good fortune. Without the plot shortcomings, the film would go
greater distances as an exemplary work of cinema that stands tall owing
to its lyrical storytelling. Nevertheless, the latter facet still
triumphs, and for this reason alone, "Rhino Season" deserves to be
watched.
Score: 8/10
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