Like the title itself, the film has a multi-faceted meaning—it works as a straight horror film, and then there’s both a political comment (we’re in the middle of War here between Iran and Iraq- this is set in 1988) and as a social allegory of oppression on Narges Rashidi (Shideh) being restricted by Iran’s regulations and rules regarding gender
Starts with a prologue dialogue title giving us the political backdrop and then a war documentary footage newsreel over the credits
Anvari’s thesis here is really that the fear and anxiety in the society is causing the tremor/horror. There’s conflict surrounding Shideh’s life—an unsupportive husband, a recent death in the family, being rejected by her university, bombing all around her, husband getting drafted— the thesis is carried out successfully and intelligently- it’s a good film, it’s just not artistically transcendent in any cinematic fashion
Love the Jane Fonda video reminding us it’s 1988
There’s a strong feminist thread here- Anvari is making a choice about Shideh having a daughter and not a son—and about her being shook up by the passing of her mother (not her father) – love it— she rejects the hijab
reoccurring use of the whole in the ceiling (caused from war conflict) and the X on the window used in both the political context and horror tropes to great effect
I’m not a perfect parent myself but am not 100% sure on Shideh telling her daughter that “big girls don’t wet the bed” and telling her scared child that she can’t sleep with her and the fact that she stays in a dangerous situation (that house) because they are looking for a doll – not great parented.
Love the folklore talk- adds to the atmosphere, the mute kid talking, a naked guy showing up in the room and running into the crack in the ceiling
A great shot of a dead man on the ground with a broken (and detailed) apartment interior around him
Beautiful shot of a daughter on a chair, frozen, open mouth in shock with the open roof and light pouring in
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