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Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786305835325 Format: Color, Subtitled, NTSC ISBN: 6305835322 Label: First Run Features Languages: Manufacturer: First Run Features Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: First Run Features Release Date: April 17, 2001 Running Time: 102 minutes Studio: First Run Features Editorial Review: Amazon.com: American audiences used to the fable-like Iranian films of Abbas Kairostami (A Taste of Cherry) and Jafar Panahi (The White Balloon) may be startled by Dariush Mehrjui's devastating modern melodrama, Leila. Set firmly in the urban world of contemporary Tehran, this story of a couple pressured by family and tradition into destroying their happy union is a window into a world uneasily straddling the past and present. Happily married but childless, Leila and Reza are pressured by Reza's mother to keep the family name alive. When Reza refuses to take a second wife (polygamy is still legal in Iran) the mother-in-law goes to work on Leila, beating down her resistance with a mix of pleading, haranguing, and outright lies, until the couple limply gives in. Mehrjui's subdued, subtle approach rolls with the gentle rhythms of a slow-paced society like many of his contemporaries, but underneath the surface calm is a churning sea of emotions: betrayal, abandonment, guilt, and grief. While the story can stand as a metaphor for the power of tradition in a modern world, Mehrjui's heart is with Leila's desperation and sorrow while she flails for support, even while helping choose her husband's bride. Dariush Mehrjui has been described as the godfather of Iranian cinema, and has repeatedly clashed with Iranian censors while pushing the envelope of social issues. This understated but vivid tragedy is witness to his place in cinematic history. --Sean Axmaker Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Puzzled by others' responsesI must admit that I'm a bit surprised by many of the others' reviews--it seems as though many others turned the film off before the very final scene, the last words and glimpse of Leila. That one moment in the film turns the entire film around--and left me with a much richer view of the film than the more obvious interpretation. The devastation of that film is not what "happens" to Leila, which has been seen by some has her "choice," but what happens to the little girl. For in that last scene, ... Read More Rating: - "God Be Willing" ~ Love Versus Legacy, An Iranian RomanceNote: Product Details for this DVD is incorrect, this film is not presented in English. It's Farsi with English subtitles. The '98 film 'Leila' is an artistic, heart wrenching tale examining the power of tradition and family and its long term effects on two loving, caring people. Reza (Ali Mosaffa) and his new wife Leila (Leila Hatami) appear to have the perfect marriage until the fateful day she discovers she is unable to bear children. While her husband is supportive and unconcerned ... Read More Rating: - Loved it, but left me feeling frustratedI just finished watching this movie and although I enjoyed it, I couldn't help feeling anger towards the two main characters. Reza and Leila obviously love each other but neither can stand up to Reza's overbearing mother. The mother is not vicious or tyrannical. She apeals to Leila's sense of duty (along with tears and a string of pearls). Reza has no backbone whatsoever. He even admits to being forced to marry Leila. He is the only son in a house of sisters and the pressure to marry was great. ... Read More Rating:  - affecting"Leila" is an Iranian film that came out in 1996. It's a vital film to watch if you're interested in the status of women in the Middle East. The action takes place entirely in Tehran. The plot concerns the agonies of the titular character, a young woman who discovers shortly after marriage that she is infertile. As the movie grinds on, we witness her eventually caving in to the relentless pressure originating from her officious mother-in-law, whose only desire in the world is to have ... Read More Rating: - Marriage of love; being able to give a birth to a male child;mother-in-law factor;cultureIf you want to watch a film with a true love between a husband and wife, I'd highly recommend this film. A husband is allowing his wife to make her own decisions and create a mutual discussion platform. This must be a very important feature of genuine love between a couple in an UNEXPECTED geography. However, there is often a third person who is not happy with the two's happiness. This third person is sometimes the whole society, sometimes a single person. Let's call it "the third eye." In this ... Read More |
