It’s sure rekindled my interest in Iranian cinema! Lately, I’ve been watching as many Ghobadi, Kiarostami and Majidi films as I can get my hands on, and I credit that to A Separation. I think the film got Western exposure at the right time politically too.
The only thing that shares with Kiarostami etc.. it’s the country, not more.
Unfortunately, in the last 40 yers or so, commercially successful foreign films tend to be isolated incidents.
In any case, is The Separation actually a good film?
Some. I would imagine it would inspire less passion in people that Panahi’s situation, but doubtless some people will be drawn in.
>>In any case, is The Separation actually a good film?<<
Far better than good, A Separation is a stunning accomplishment that delves into moral implications only hinted by the general overview of the plot. Best of all, it treats viewers with intelligence and respect, allowing us to reach our own conclusions without tying it into a neat little package. It’s my favorite film of 2011 and my favorite Iranian film, of which it has very good company.
Anything that gets people watching a film from Iran will get some small percentage of them watching other films from Iran. Not the folks who only watched it because of the Academy Award recognition, but the kind of people who already seek out French and Italian films.
Yes, it is a great film.
Mars in Aries
I haven’t seen A Separation, and I’ve been outside the US for several months, but I just noticed it’s grossed over $5 million in the US, which is astounding for an Iranian film, so could that help Iranian films by people like Kiarostami and Panahi in the future? Of coure, The Circle isn’t quite the crown pleaser A Separation seems to be, but who knows?