Abstract:
Nader and Simin—A Separation is the first Iranian movie which won manyinternational awards as well as admiration from critics and the public. Many reviewsby critics, however, have revolved around problems in spousal relationships ofcouples in different social classes of Iran. Through highlighting the self-evidentdismantling elements and unreliable readings in the acting, directing, and even thescenario of Nader and Simin—A Separation, this article argues that besides thecouples’ disagreement, the central concern of the story is the multi-interpretations ofdialogues by the characters throughout the story. These multi-interpretations havetheir roots in the reversal of social codes which itself can be the result of the transitionof a traditional Iranian society to a modern one. Applying a deconstructive approachfor the analysis of Nader and Simin—A Separation is not an imposed critical practice;indeed, it is suggested by the movie itself, owing to the presence of a host of binaryoppositions, misspoken, and slipperiness of meaning. By drawing on these elements,various components of the movie are examined through a deconstructive approachincluding the title, class privileges, audience response, suspending techniques, andunreliable language to reveal the disguised values in a transitory period.
Machine summary:
Applying a deconstructive approach for the analysis of Nader and Simin—A Separation is not an imposed critical practice; indeed, it is suggested by the movie itself, owing to the presence of a host of binary oppositions, misspoken, and slipperiness of meaning.
Introduction The story of Nader and Simin—A Separation begins at the court where Simin’s attempts to get a divorce go in vain; thus, she abandons her family—her husband (Nader), her daughter (Termeh), and her father-in-law.
At the final scene, in the court, the separation was settled, while the judge asks Termeh to choose between living with her father or her mother.
Finally, the language used in the movie dialogues is studied closely to reflect its uncertainty in narrating Nader and Simin—A Separation story, whereas misspokens are significant parts of this endemically unreliable language.
In other words, the devastating ending where Termeh is left in a critical situation completes the state of uncertainty that Nader and Simin—A Separation’s narrative provides for the last debacle of its characters (Hassani Nasab, 2011).
The preceding discussion has showed possibilities of examining Nader and Simin—A Separation against some interpretations and beliefs held in common among critics or audiences whereas what follows revolves around close reading of dialogues and film’s language in order to trace misspoken, postponing, and slippery utterances in this movie.
However, the last court scene of the divorce with its fatal sense of waiting has a simple melody which, for the first time in Nader and Simin—A Separation, gives the audience time to think about and review the story (Ghazizadeh, 2011).