Review of Argo

I know, I know, I know, it's way past Oscar season so what am I doing reviewing Argo which has been reviewed by all the major media outlets? I just wanted to scribble a little. Perhaps I can offer a different perspective, perhaps I'll only regurgitate other critics. Anyway here it goes.

The best scene in the film is the ending. Would they just get on the plane and away to safety! I was twisting and turning in anguish as I watched the fake film crew make it through customs on there way to freedom. The sense of relief was a great feeling. I clearly understand why it won best picture. The other scene I like in the film was where the Americans disguised as Canadians drive through central Tehran among protesters, this heightens the sense of panic that they might get caught. It is foreshadowing the big escape to come and Afleck does a great job building suspense showing little details that increase anxiety

I liked the film. I'm interested in Iranian Cinema. Reading a book called the Net Delusion which describes and analyzes the Green Revolution which occurred in Iran a few years ago. I've also seen a great animated film called Persopolis in an animated film course I took. Both films and the book deal with Iran's tumultuous past and it's current authoritarian government. If we compare the two films perhaps it will shed light on current depictions of Iran and Iranian history from two different perspectives. Argo is an American account that largely portrays Iran without much sympathy. We are bombarded with images of unruly protesters and revolutionary guards storming the American Embassy in Tehran. Ben Afleck is clearly the hero. The hostages are freed. The great Ayottolah has been tricked and there was something salvageable from the hostage crisis. It all makes for a very good story between clearly defined bad and good.

Yet, if we look at Persopolis we get a different view of Iran. We see a nation torn apart by political struggle and one authoritarian government after another. The protagonist is a girl who turns into a women and is forced to live in exile from Iran. In Persopolis we see a different more nuanced portrait of Iranian society; a society where people long to be free but are repeated subjected to authoritarianism.

Which leads me back to the Green Revolution. This movement was violently snuffed out by the theocratic regime. It was a grassroots movement to bring an end to authoritarianism in Iran. And as Evgeny Morozov writes in his book social media greatly affected the way the protest was staged. Perhaps it wasn't as big a force as disaffection with the fake elections, but it clearly led to greater participation and global awareness of what was going on in Iran.

Anyway, I digress. Both are great films. Both provide some insight into Iranian history and culture.