We have to face the fact that most of the praise for this movie comes from the brilliantly filmed stoning sequence itself. It is truly gripping and sad, even though it doesn't come close to what a real martyrdom like this looks like. For me that part of the film did the trick. But it is not the only important issue we have to confront. Seems to me as though director Cyrus Nowrasteh was far too keen on getting to the execution of Soraya, while leaving the plotting against her almost untouched and played like a soap-opera (even his camera angles are quite uninspired when you compare them to what he does during the actual stoning). And the conspiracy against Soraya is as important as her sacrifice, that is the core of this tragic story: why and how. In the end we feel really moved by her horrible death, but there is no deep study into her surroundings and the people she shared the village with. Her husband comes off as a James Bond villain instead of a real person totally void of compassion and filled with self-interest. In Nowrasteh's mind, her husband is evil the way Darth Vader is evil, but we never really see him as a human being deprived of emotions. He's just there for us to hate. It is a real pleasure to watch Mozhan Marnò's performance as Soraya, as her eyes and dignity reveal so much about the nature of a woman we will never know for real: a mother, a daughter and a humble and pure citizen. Shorheh Aghdashloo is quite a powerful force and drives our fears and wrath as an audience, all pointed towards these self-centered people who end up killing a woman just because she is a woman and an inconvenience. Make no mistake: you will feel moved. It is impossible not to be affected by the subject matter. But the film lacks vitality and a better study of the factors that led to Soraya's demise.
Review of The Stoning of Soraya M.
