Synopsis
In Iran, capital punishment is
carried out according to Islamic law, which gives the family of the
victim ownership of the offender's life. Bay Break, based on a
compilation of true stories and shot inside of Tehran's cerntury-ol
prison, revolves around the imminent execution of Mansour, a man
found guilty of murder. WHen the family of the victim repeatedly
fails to show up on the appointed day, the execution is postponed
again and again. Stuck inside the purgatory of his own mind, he
waits as time passes on without him caught between life and death,
retribution and forgiveness.
The film is riveting as Mansour
gets angry at his boss and picks up a big rock. The offscreen action
results in a murder. Through flashbacks, we learn the backstory that
Mansour moved his family to Tehran from their little village in
northern Iran. The boss apparently breaks a promise and tells
Mansour not to call and insultingly calls him "a villager," similar
to a being called a hick or a hillbilly in the U.S. Hossein Yari
does a masterful job in the lead role. We see in flashback his
courtship with his wife and their tender loving relationship. When
his wife gives birth, he brings the baby a pair of slippers. The
intense regret he feels for the murder and its potential sacrifice
of his life is prolonged when the family of the murdered victim who
must be present cancels three times. Each time the execution is
stayed. The film was shot inside Tehran's century-old prison and
gives an interesting perspective on a very different justice system.
The film is touching and has a great emotional wallop. |
