Grade: 64/100
The struggle for freedom and survival is a classic theme in cinema, but true stories bring a new level of emotional investment when depicting these type of stories.
Jon Stewart’s “Rosewater” is not only an educational representation of the climate in Iran in 2009, but also depicts an incredible story of strength and hope through the eyes of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari.
Bahari was wrongfully imprisoned in Iran following the extremely controversial presidential election of 2009 in Iran. As a Newsweek journalist, Bahari, played by Gael García Bernal, was taken to Evin Prison where he stayed for the next 118 days in solitary confinement, that is when he wasn’t being questioned and tortured by his Iranian “specialist.”
Bahari was accused of being an American spy, employed by Newsweek magazine to give the Iranian people a false view of the political climate as well as the president’s tactics to remain in power.
The film begins as an almost enlightening depiction of the climate and culture in Iran, but later shies away from this theme and solely focuses on Bahari’s imprisonment. While this is not necessarily a negative approach to the plot, Stewart kind of leaves the audience wondering about the result of the election protests.
Though the plot focuses on Bahari’s story, it is important to provide context of the political climate in Iran during his almost four month incarceration. Without this context, the viewer is constantly questioning whether Bahari’s moral strength is really worth it.
In fact, the film seems somewhat rushed along, and the viewer does always get a true sense of Bahari’s struggle in confinement for such a long time. It feels as though this film should have been a little longer, but the entire story is crammed into an hour and 45 minutes.
However, despite a lacking in information about the climate outside of the prison, Bernal gives an extremely powerful performance and depicts Bahari in a natural and realistic fashion.
Bernal perfectly embodies the timid yet intelligent antagonist to the fiendish specialist brought to life by Kim Bodnia, whose only distinguishing feature to Bahari is the smell of his rosewater cologne.
Bodnia embodies the tyrannical interrogator that is often associated with torturous techniques of questioning though the realistic way Stewart displays the character may be unparalleled in modern film.
“Rosewater” gives a true interpretation of one incredible story in an earnest yet hopeful light though viewers will most likely be educated instead of entertained.