CAST:
Shohreb Aghdashloo - Zahra
Mozhen Marno - Soraya
Navid Negahban - Ali
David Diaan - Ebrahim
Parviz Sayyad - Hashem
The movie starts with showing Zahra, aunt of Soraya, who is picking some bones and burying them near a river bank afer washing. The very instant we see Zahra, we feel as if there is something mysterious in her, the way she covers herself with a cloth above her dress etc shows something mysterious. On the other side, a journalist has been shown who is standing beside a repairing shop to get his car repaired. Zahra on the way back to her home comes across the journalist and tries to speak to him, but Mullah and Ali chases her away saying that she is insane. But at last after certain efforts Zahra succeed in talking with him. Later on she narrates the story Soraya,her niece to him and asked him to record it.
Ali is the husband of Soraya and the couple has two daughters and two sons. Ali has turned his two sons against Soraya and makes them do what he wants. He has asked Mullah, by warning him about his bad past, to persuade Soraya in divorcing Ali, thereby he can marry a 14 year old girl, with whom he has promised to release her father who is in jail. Mullah tries to convince Soraya to be his temporary wife, but Soraya refused it. Following this, a woman dies and Mullah and Ali talk to Zahra to convince Soraya to take care of Hashem,the widower. Zahra argues that Soraya can do the job only if she is paid. Later Soraya starts to work for Hashem, and Ali takes this as an opportunity to spread rumours about Soraya saying that she has been unfaithful towards him, for making her stoned to death which thereby allows him to marry again. Mullah and Ali start to spread rumours about Soraya's infidelity and also threatens Hashem in providing supporting evidences to build their case against Soraya.
In the same evening Ali beats up and drag Soraya on the streets accusing her fidelity. Zahra rescues Soraya and asked for a private meeting. Hashem lies that he has engaged in adultery with Soraya. After continues discussion, it was decided to stone Soraya to death. The villagers start to collect stones and dig a pit where Soraya has to be placed during stoning. At the same instant the president Ebrahim, the one and only good minded male in the entire village, prays to God to give a sign if what they are going to do is not right. Soraya was dressed in a white rob, with her hair left loose, hands tied at the sides and was put in the hole which has dug like a grave and she was covered with soil. At the same instant a carnival van has arrived but it was chased away, I think that, really it was a sign showing that what they are doing is not right. The first chance to stone Soraya was given to her father but he missed two chances, at the instant a woman shout out it is the sign but none listened. Later Ali throws and it hits her on the forehead and blood drips down her face with a cry, it's the most horrific scene in the entire film. Hashem was also given stones but he leaves the venue crying. But the crowd didn't stop stoning her they stoned until her her white rob drenched with redness of blood. Ali went near her to confirm whether she is dead, but found signs of life and shouted out ' this BITCH is still alive'. Again the crowd stoned her until she was dead. Ali was the last one to leave the venue, by passing a deadly smirk to the dead Soraya. It's this grin over his face which gives a devilish look to him. Zahra as not allowed to bury her body and it was left by the river side.
This is the story narrated by Zahra, after recording the entire thing the journalist starts to leave but he was stopped by Mullah and destroys the tape later leaves him. As he drove away Zahra appears in the way and hands over the true tape and shouts ' the whole world will know about the injustice which had happened and all these is because of the God that I love, who is great'. Later Ali's marriage with the girl has broke off and Hashem also admits that he was forced by Mullah and Ali to lie.
As I already mentioned this film wouldn't leave it's audience without having tears in the eyes especially in the eyes of women audience, because, it's the story of a woman, exactly, not of a single woman but of a lot of others like Soraya...the fact is the film is basesd on a TRUE STORY of a woman similar to the titular character, Soraya Muntecheri. As the title itself suggests, it is a movie about stoning, or it can be considered as a satire over the practise of stoning prevailed in the religion of Islam and Christianity. However, to a certain extend this sort of punishment is required, unless or otherwise there won't be any limit in commiting sins. As Soraya has mentioned in the movie " I am not afraid of death but, of the stones and pain ".like this due to the fear of the pain caused by these sort of punishments people may keep a distance from such sins. But the sad part of it is, there will be innocent beings like Soraya, who may become a victim for such dreadful punishments. In the movie, the whole village knew the demeanour of Ali how rude and cruel he is towards his wife, yet they stand in support of him, the only reason behind it might be the power that men's voice has in society. Ali being a police officer, should be the one in bringing solace in between the people and the one with whom Soraya must feel secured of but... The character of Mullah is another symbol of cruelty in the people, who by appearance seems to be as a perfect one. Mullah, being a respectable muslim man, always carries the Holy Qur'an and the Holy thread of Thasbeeh, hence has a perfect appearance that a pious muslim has but,not so pure as he seems and needs to be, instead has the stain or black mark of sin under his cassock. Whereas Ebrahim, who is not a perfect muslim by appearance but a perfect one by heart. This is not the case of the film alone, but also of the real world where we live. In short, the movie succeeded in passing the light over today's reality, where minute scrutiny of each individual is required in comprehending their real nature.Just as the characters, each and every scenes in the movie has a lot to tell,to question and to inform, there isn't any scene which is in vain. Especially the unbearable scene of stoning, which is the main reason for the drops of tears in the eyes, when Ali throws the stone over her, I myself feel to slap over his face.... and to stop him from throwing the stone... because, Mozhan (Soraya) has created that much intimacy through her acting. The most untolerable scene for me is, when her son stones her... they are stoning the one who gave birth to them...and the one who loves them more than anyone... And when Ali approaches Soraya to confirm her death, at first I thought he must feel guilty for all the things he had done.. because, after all she is his wife, but the reverse took place there isn't any sort of remorse even in his voice that is why instead of addressing her as 'she' he just shouted 'this bitch'. And his devilish grin is the most praise worthy thing in the movie.it is this grin which make him appear to be as more cruel And after the entire stoning scene we could see Soraya as a bundle completly soaked with blood, which is the most horrific scene in the entire movie.
Even now, being watched the movie months before, and writing an appreciation over it, I could feel as if some unknown feeling is lingering over my mind. Because it was such a film, which has the capacity to leave the whole audience in a profound silence when it ended. After watching the movie we commented over it, saying, it was not needed to kill Soraya and her innocence has to be revealed without killing her and a lot more. But the fact is, unless Soraya is not stoned to death, we, the spectators leave this movie too as an ordinary one and won't ever discuss any more about it, even I wouldn't have opted to write a review over it.Definitely, it's a movie which still has its spells echoed in every nook and corner of my mind... Indeed it's a great work of art.
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