Movie Review "September of Shiraz."

 Movie Review "September of Shiraz."

Introduction:

In 2007, Ms. Dalia Sofer published the novel "The September of Shiraz." In 2015, Wayne Blair directed a movie based on the story of Ms. Sofer's "The September of Shiraz."

Historical Background:

It is important to give a background to this movie; it enables the movie watchers to understand the story of this movie in a better light. 

Jewish people are part of the Iranian community. The story of Jewish people goes back to Cyrus the Great when God told Cyrus the Great in his vision to go to Babylon to liberate Jewish people. Cyrus the Great freed the Jewish people and provided the Jewish people with financial resources to build the Temple in Jerusalem. 

Xerxes the Great married Esther, who was a Jewish person. Esther told Xeres the Great about the diabolical plan of Haman, who was the King's chief adviser. When Xerxes the Great became aware of Haman's sinister plan, the King issued a death sentence to Haman. 

In the contemporary history of Iran, Reza Shah Pahlavi the Great protected Iranian-Jewish and did not allow any harm. Also, in 1937, Abdol Hossein Sardari was an Iranian diplmat in Paris. When he became aware of the full nature of Nazi ambitions, he began issuing hundreds of Iranian passports for non-Iranian Jews to save them from persecution. To safeguard his plan, he did not ask for permission and felt that he had the implied support of Iranian leadership. His actions were later confirmed and applauded by the government of Iran.

During Pahlavi Dynasty and Iranian Jewish

When the Pahlavi Dynasty governed Iran, each person's faith had no reflection of the person. The Jewish people in Iran were loyal to Iran and never took any action to undermind the sovereignty of Iran. They were the pioneer of the modern economy of Iran. For example, Habib Elghanian contributed to the economic growth of Iran.

The Movie:

Introduction:

The opening scene of the movie goes back to August 1979, and Iran is going through the mayhem. Nothing is stable; everything is upside down. Isaac Amin is a having a jewelry store and is not involved in politics. His wife Farnaz is a housewife. 

Class Conflict:

During the 1979 Revolution in Iran, Marxist factions allied with the Islamist faction and called their political ideology Marxist-Islamist. They believed the affluent family escape the cycle of poverty at the expense of proletarians. The issue of class conflict emerged during the plot of the movie when the housekeeper began to talk with Farnaz and accused her of preventing her from having a life-chance (Max Weber terminology). Farnaz illustrated to her that she and her son escaped the cycle of poverty. 

In 1963, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi abolished the feudal system and implemented the welfare-liberal political economy in Iran. This system allowed Iranians to escape the cycle of poverty, and the class conflict became less relevant. However, the clerics and the left-wing factions push on the agenda of class conflict spearheaded. 

The revolutionary forces formed kangaroo courts and began to apprehend people without legal merit. The revolutionary forces also arrested Mr. Amin. Mr. Amin's family did not know where he was and what he was doing. The captors tortured him physically and psychologically. Mr. Amin bribed his captor Mohsen with his life-saving. Mohsen accepted the bribe and allowed Amin to leave the prison.

When Amin left the prison, he went to his jewellery store and saw his store is empty. He had a safe spot to hide several diamonds. Amin opened the safe place and took the diamonds out. When he was leaving the building, he saw the housekeeper's son Morteza at the entrance of the building. Morteza demanded the diamond. Amin was not going to give his diamonds to him. Morteza began to blackmail Amin by showing a recommendation letter from Her Imperial Majesty Farah Pahlavi to Amin. The recommendation letter carried a death sentence. Amin convinced Morteza that his case against Amin had no legal consequences. Amin went to his home and reunited with his daughter and wife. 

They talked with one smuggler who arranged for them to escape Iran.