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Marriage of the Blessed [VHS]

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Written, directed and edited by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, "Marriage of the Blessed" ("Arusi-ye Khuban") is an intimate psychological portrait of Haji (Mahmud Bigham), a shell-shocked veteran of the Iran-Iraq war who is trying to return to civilian life back in Tehran. Haji is an idealist, a child of the revolution, who is still affected by the slogans painted on the walls ("The crop always belongs to the farmer" says one). But as the victim of an "explosive wave" during the war, Haji's sanity is fragile: when a glass platter shatters the sound nightmarishly turns into an exploding tank he remembers from the war. Waiting at a doctor's office Haji is oblivious to everything that is going on around him, until the incessant sound of a man banging away on a typewriter turns into the gunfire of a machine gun. Suddenly we see the typewriter in the foreground and beyond it advancing Iraqi soldiers and their tanks. Haji screams for everybody to get down and tries to fight back against the imaginary attackers.

Haji was engaged to marry Mehri, but her family wants to cancel the marriage. They like Haji, but they do not want to have to hide their son-in-law in a closet. However, Mehri still wants the marriage: "You are from Paradise," she explains to Haji, "You cannot stand this purgatory." Although she does not understand why he cares about what happens in Lebanon and starving children in Africa, she accepts his idealism. But even though he never says anything, the audience understands that Haji is troubled by the contrast between the soldiers sacrificing their lives at the front and the apparent indifference of the citizens back in Tehran. Of course, Makhmalbaf cannot be too explicit in his condemnation of the current regime; However, his ill health and worsening depression immobilize Haji into a stupor which is painfully depicted, show casing Makhmalbaf's gifts as a filmmaker.

At the insistence of his friends and family, Haji gets his job back as a photographer at the newspaper where he was once considered "the anxious eye of the revolution." His battlefield photographs were excellent, but now he turns his lens on the streets of Tehran, shooting photos of the drug deals and dying children on the streets, the homeless sleeping wherever they can, digging through garbage for food to survive. However, the delusions remain: an empty field turns into a sea of posters and and he recalls the anti-American protestors that once filled the streets of Tehran. One night he pursues a thief, demanding to know from the frightened man why the he steals. But before an answer can be provided Haji and his wife (they are married but not registered) are stopped by the police who demand to know what he is doing. Reality and fantasy collide as we now see Makhmalbaf and his film crew, making their movie and explaining what a documentary is to the police. But then we are back within the confines of the film. Although he has authorization, the police will only let Haji take photographs of a sunflower. Ironically, that becomes the only one the newspaper will publish, telling him they cannot solve all the evils of the world. For Haji, this is the final act of betrayal. Certainly the metaphor is not lost on Makhmalbaf's Iranian audience. However, Haji has not yet completed his descent into hell as his sanity crumples.

Having documented the hypocrisy of the society in which he lives, we have to wonder where Haji can find a place in his own country in which he can truly survive. "Marriage of the Blessed" is a strong critique of Iranian society and the obvious failures of the revolution to create the perfect world it promised. As a director Makhmalbaf's strength is in his editing more so than his writing. It is what we see, the juxtaposition of haunting images that stays with us more than the plot or dialogue. Makhmalbaf is one of the post powerful filmmakers in the world today. This striking 70-minute film, presented by Facets Video, is shown in Farsi with English subtitles.