Biography

Reading in Between the Lines: The Hidden Depictions of Romance in Iranian Cinema

         

          When one thinks of romance they usually think of grand gestures like passionate kisses or big proclamations of love. Iranian Cinema is usually the last to be considered to have such things. With strict censorship laws against physical intimacy and even the portrayal of women, typical portrayals of romance may seem impossible. However, this has never stopped many Iranian filmmakers, and they have become very creative and innovative with their portrayals. Despite difficult censorship laws, Iranian Cinema is able to intricately explore the themes of love and marriage through examining the influence of gender roles and highlighting the emotional nuances within these relationships. 

          Since 1979, after the Islamic Revolution, the depiction of women in Iranian films has shifted. Originally women were depicted in more of a sexual light to try and appeal to viewers through extravagance and spectacle, like Bollywood movies. This later shifted to a more chaste and idealized depiction of women that better represents the values of the new post revolution Iranian Government. As stated by Minoo Deraya, a specialist of Iranian cinema studies at York University, “Women were practically invisible in the movies. And if visible, they were obliged to depict a good Muslim woman: chaste, asexual, shy, loyal and obedient” (158). Some directors, like Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, have chosen to question these expectations, specifically in the role of marriage. In her movie The May Lady (1998), the main character Forough Kia, after her divorce, is caught between following her own romantic desires and maintaining her duties as a responsible mother. While her husband is no longer in the picture, he still has an effect on her self value. Forough’s expected role seems to contradict and even question her value as a mother and as a woman overall. In Hamid Naficy’s A Social History on Iranian Cinema, Volume 4 he states, “Women have no autonomous identity; they are taken to be a constitutive part of the core self of the males to whom they are related” (102) It is the male who is dominant, and the female is submissive to the man's desires. 

          Gender roles are very influential on how romance and marriage is depicted in Iranian Cinema. They place high expectations and even certain privileges on individuals in the relationship. A prominent example of this idea is within the film A Separation and how it presents its main couples.  One couple is dealing with a divorce and an elderly family member while the other is dealing with financial troubles and emotional turmoil. With the first couple, the husband Nader is doing everything to his ability to look after his father even at the cost of neglecting his own families’ welfare. Meanwhile, in another couple, the husband Hojjat has put his family into debt and has been recklessly trying to win a lawsuit on their behalf. As Mostafa Abedinifard argues in her analysis of nuanced feminism in the film, “male privilege and its ensuing entitlement cause irresponsibility and self-centeredness in Nader and push Simin towards separation” (118).  In both instances it is the husband who is controlling the dynamic by prioritizing their own needs and desires. Men are given the privilege to fight and control their relationships, while women are expected to respect and support their decisions. 

          This similar idea is also present in some examples of modern Western cinema, as explained by James Dowd, “Romance films of the late 20th century adopted the strategy of initially presenting its female lead as independent and successful. However, by the film’s conclusion evolving happily into a woman who was far more deferential to and dependent on the presumably more reliable judgement of the male partner” (205). While Western cinema is more mainstream compared to Iranian Cinema with their portrayals of romance, they still carry the same messages of the male influence and dominance in relationships. Gender roles are a big aspect of how a couple interact with each other and how they communicate their relationship with others. They are shown through the individual actions and bias of the characters and can influence how the relationships are perceived by the audience.

          A key element on how romance is portrayed in Iranian Films is through the exploration of emotional nuance through nonphysical intimacy. Despite strict laws on the portrayal of physical intimacy, many filmmakers are still able to portray very tender and loving moments that are very realistic. In The May Lady, Forough Kia’s lover is never physically shown throughout the film. Instead, it portrays him through the sweet messages of love and support in his calls. Without ever physically showing him, it can still be understood why Forough Kia has a fondness for him and why her confliction between love and familial duty is so difficult. Love is not restricted to only physical or grand gestures of romance; it can be simple and subtle. As argued by Amir Ganjavie in his article about the portrayal of love and sex in Iranian Cinema: “Contrary to the common belief that kissing is a universally desirable quality among humans, it is not a universal trait, and the majority of cultures do not accept it as a common way of expressing this emotion. Similarly, it is because of the pornification of the universe that we have started to believe that love has no meaning without sexual intercourse” (123).  Romance comes in many different forms and depictions; there is never one standard for a relationship in both film and in real life. It is also important to highlight how the romantic interactions are not seen as the main focus of the film but as a key element into exploring a character’s motivations and values. 

In another film, My Tehran for Sale from 2009, the couple’s romance is much more prominent as it also portrays its romance in a style that is like Western romance. As explained by James Dowd, “The romance film focuses on the development of an intimate relationship between its two central characters. Whether the two central characters will meet, fall in love, and begin what presumably will be a successful, long-term relationship, are essential aspects of the plot of the romantic movie” (203). While the main couple does follow a lot of the main elements of a traditional romance movie like chemistry on first meeting and being physically intimate with each other, the movie portrays the emotional nuance and experience that are distinct to Iranian cinema. Their love story involves difficult situations like navigating citizenship and dealing with an environment that restricts free creative expression due to strict social laws. These experiences combine different emotions of freedom, love, fear, dependency, and doubt that fully embody the human relationship experience. 

          Even the film’s depiction of sensuality is portrayed in a more non explicit fashion. When director, Granaz Moussavi, was asked how she portrayed intimacy despite strict censorship, she responded, “My solution was to utilize visual metaphors, distorted shot compositions, low-key lighting, and cinematographic methods that would limit the relay of information while hinting at further interaction between characters.” The film focuses more on the ambiance and the underlying emotional intimacy rather than the physical expression of sex itself. For example, rather than just showing the couple explicitly together in the bed the film instead focuses on their feet and highlights their soft words and warm lighting in the bedroom. This emulates a very cozy ambiance and further highlights how comfortable the characters are towards each other to allow themselves to be in this vulnerable state. By focusing on emotional intimacy, it highlights the more tender and genuine aspects of romance, making the couples feel more organic and realistic. 

          Iranian cinema does not only focus on the happier aspects of romance. It also explores the harsh realities of relationships and how they end. In My Tehran for Sale, the main characters Marzieh and Saman are presented as a realistic couple navigating the restrictiveness of Iranian culture. Marzieh wants to perform on stage despite being banned by authorities while Saman is trying to start his life over after dealing with multiple financial failures. Through their troubles they seek each other's support and comfort. Their relationship highlights feelings of “Flying together, suggesting togetherness (intimacy), freedom (sexual liberation), and climax” (Moussavi 22-23). With each other they are at their happiest because they embrace each other's desires for creative freedom. They envision a future together with new opportunities in Australia to start over and be free to express themselves without social restrictions. However, this also highlights how their relationship falls apart, especially when Marzieh’s test comes back as HIV positive. Saman’s breakdown is understandable, due to his past trauma and unwillingness to deal with any more hardship. Marzieh’s intense heartbreak is also understandable, due to her personal connection to Saman and her own desires for freedom. What brought them together is also what breaks them apart. 

          Another example is in the 2011 movie A Separation, which actually details a couple that is going through a divorce. Both have reasonable explanations for their actions, with Simin wanting a divorce due to her husband not accompanying their family to Canada to support their daughter, while Nader is just trying to perform his duty as a good son trying to care for his ailing father. They do not necessarily hate each other. In fact, they still love each other dearly. But their values do not align, and no matter what they do, their relationship is not working. Realistically, not all relationships end with just one fight or just because the individuals stop loving each other. There are many factors that come into effect, some completely out of the individual's control, like differing values, privileges from underlying gender roles, and societal expectations. Iranian Cinema highlights these uncomfortable truths with romance and marriage; here is no one person who is a villain that can be blamed for a relationship failing. These films capture how the couples did organically love each other but display how they broke apart due to harsh realities. They capture the raw emotion and not just the idealized aspects of romance. 

          Iranian cinema can explore romance organically and intimately through its examination of the imbalances and influence of gender roles, and its exploration into the emotional connections of non-physical intimacy and heartbreak. It is a prime example of how there is not just one way to portray romance. Censorship does not stop the portrayal of these themes, but it allows directors to be creative and work around restrictions to and explore them in non-typical, more nuanced ways.