The Seed of the Sacred Fig Review: Protest Against Own Blood

RATING – ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 3/5*

The Seed Of The Sacred Fig Review:

Mohammad Rasoulof’s Persian film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, has been receiving rave reviews, but after watching the movie, I am unable to understand how revolutionary thought, based on real events, can merge with family issues and be justified at the same time. The film presents some horrific visuals based on the revolutionary movement in Iran, which has gained considerable attention globally through the media. However, while addressing sensitive issues like the hijab protest, the film turns too personal regarding one’s opinion, losing its social connection, only to tie up loose ends in the end without clear reasons. Despite this, some insightful theories regarding the opposing mindsets between daughters and their father are somewhat encouraging and bold to witness.

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The Seed of the Sacred Fig Story:

This social family drama revolves around Iman (Missagh Zareh), an honest lawyer who has recently been promoted to judge in the Revolutionary Court. He must sign death sentences as ordered by his superiors and feels extremely guilty about it. He is provided with a gun by his officials but fails to keep it secure. Simultaneously, he suffers from paranoia and suspects his wife, Najmeh (Soheila Golestani), and teenage daughters, Rezvan (Mahsa Rostami) and Sana (Setareh Maleki). Someone leaks Iman’s information on the internet, forcing him to relocate to a safe place with his family, while his main goal is to interrogate them and discover the whereabouts of his missing gun. Will he find it?

Mohammad Rasoulof has crafted a script that takes over 160 minutes of your life, but did it really need to be that long? The narrative is structured as if it were a suspense thriller, yet I felt little thrill throughout. The film could have been 15-20 minutes shorter to maintain a better pace, and I might not have found myself in a position to take those small naps. Furthermore, as mentioned above, I couldn’t quite accept the notion of socialism opposing dictatorship through family dynamics. The father was trapped by the law; he didn’t act intentionally. Yet, the daughters deceived him, and that small lie escalated into new levels of obsession, jealousy, and turmoil within the family. Imagine killing someone just for taking or hiding a gun. Funny, isn’t it? The film lost its sensibility at that point.

Talking about performances, it’s a very good casting unit, and they have all been quite impressive. Soheila Golestani plays a devoted housewife, and she looks naturally involved in that character. Missagh Zareh’s character may be misunderstood by many, but that’s the trick here. He is an honest lawyer turned into a puppet who must then go against his own family. All those shades are so different from each other, and yet Zareh makes no mistakes while absorbing them all. Mahsa Rostami and Setareh Maleki have done well enough, while Niousha Akhshi and Amineh Arani are fine in supporting roles.

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a challenging film in today’s time, as it deals with social issues that are considered sensitive and perhaps risky, and some may even label them as propaganda. The script had to battle all these perceptions, and that’s why it became difficult to maintain its level. Nevertheless, the film has its own soul and subjective takeaways that need to be viewed to understand some truly important issues. At last, it’s all about battling your inner self, and we can all easily relate to this. The technical support, including cinematography, sound design, and art design, is good, although the editing lacks sharpness. Mohammad Rasoulof’s film encompasses many themes: feminism, oppression, revolution, political protest, freedom, basic human rights, and most importantly, humanity, which is lost. The mixture may not be great, but it’s definitely good enough for a one-time watch.

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