*MINOR SPOILERS*
Rakhshan Bani Etemad's earlier MAY LADY and NARGESS were quite impressive, and comparatively unrecognized in the US. Still I wasn't expecting the startling leap in skill evidenced in UNDER THE SKIN OF THE CITY. Weaving the many familial themes introduced in earlier works, Etemad broadens her palette a bit, balancing subtle (but complex) criticism of sexual politics in a very conservative society with broader glimpses of general social discontent, and the manner in which that discontent can produce upheaval in both personal and public worlds.
Weaving intricately between both (offering panoramic glimpses of Tehran which are all the more breathtaking because of their grittiness and restless energy), UNDER THE SKIN OF THE CITY centers around Tuba and her family of six - a married daughter reeling from increasingly brutal physical abuse (which - in this setting - is first blamed on the victim), an intelligent but increasingly restless younger daugther, and two sons - one (the older) supporting the family (along with his mother); the other still in high school and drifting into radical/left political agitation (in reaction to his family's poverty, the degradations inflicted upon the women around him, and the plainly visible chasm between rich and poor that this entire film turns on). The choice before the family to to leap for upward mobility, or risk sliding farther into poverty - but with either choice there are complications...
Throughout the film there are many stand-out moments: the opening (with Tuba's face, seen framed - or symbolically imprisoned - within a video document of the world of working women), the carefully composed scenes capturing the family home and neighborhood (reminiscent of the rather similar BEIJING BICYCLE; with both films updating and personalizing Italian neo-realism in spectacular fashion), and the many vibrant views of Tehran: this is a film that manages to capture a city and culture with tremendous affection, while still also offering articulate, tough-minded criticism - the end result is a creatively crafted film of great emotional power.
Rakhshan Bani Etemad's earlier MAY LADY and NARGESS were quite impressive, and comparatively unrecognized in the US. Still I wasn't expecting the startling leap in skill evidenced in UNDER THE SKIN OF THE CITY. Weaving the many familial themes introduced in earlier works, Etemad broadens her palette a bit, balancing subtle (but complex) criticism of sexual politics in a very conservative society with broader glimpses of general social discontent, and the manner in which that discontent can produce upheaval in both personal and public worlds.
Weaving intricately between both (offering panoramic glimpses of Tehran which are all the more breathtaking because of their grittiness and restless energy), UNDER THE SKIN OF THE CITY centers around Tuba and her family of six - a married daughter reeling from increasingly brutal physical abuse (which - in this setting - is first blamed on the victim), an intelligent but increasingly restless younger daugther, and two sons - one (the older) supporting the family (along with his mother); the other still in high school and drifting into radical/left political agitation (in reaction to his family's poverty, the degradations inflicted upon the women around him, and the plainly visible chasm between rich and poor that this entire film turns on). The choice before the family to to leap for upward mobility, or risk sliding farther into poverty - but with either choice there are complications...
Throughout the film there are many stand-out moments: the opening (with Tuba's face, seen framed - or symbolically imprisoned - within a video document of the world of working women), the carefully composed scenes capturing the family home and neighborhood (reminiscent of the rather similar BEIJING BICYCLE; with both films updating and personalizing Italian neo-realism in spectacular fashion), and the many vibrant views of Tehran: this is a film that manages to capture a city and culture with tremendous affection, while still also offering articulate, tough-minded criticism - the end result is a creatively crafted film of great emotional power.