Cinema as a mode of cultural expression is/acts both a product and document of society. Cinema derives its existence from local context of social institutions, events, and most particuliary, a culture. Why cinema can be document of culture? First off all - On the screen we can see people and culture is reflected in their lives and aspirations. Film is an art form that reflects – directly on indirectly historical process of society.
The starting point for discussing cinema in Iran must begin with statement that images are used as elements of ideological struggles.
Along with China, Iran has been lauded as one of the best exporters of cinema in the 1990s. Many critics now rank Iran as one of the most important national cinema. Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke and German filmmaker Werner Herzog, Jean-Luc Godard have praised Iranian cinema as one of the world's most important artistic cinemas. Iranian art cinema focusing on contemporary social problems - first attracted international attention in the late '60s. Since the late 80's up to now Iranian movies are still winnig the top prizes at the many international Film Festivals > Berlin
Iran. officially the Islamic Republic of Iran
The name Iran is the modern Persian form of both ērān and aryān. It comes from the Proto-Iranian term Aryānām - „(Land) of the Aryans” The name Iran has been in use natively since the third century . But, to the western world the country was known as Persia. In 1935, Reza Shah asked the foreign embassies and international community to call the country by the name "Iran". After some scholars protested, his successor, Mohammad Reza announced that both terms could officially be used. Now both terms are common, but "Iran" is used mostly in the modern political context and "Persia" in a cultural and historical context.
It is a country of particular geostrategic significance owing to its location in the Middle East and central Eurasia. Iran is bordered on the north by Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan (wrócic do 1 slajdu). The country is bordered on the east by Afghanistan and Pakistan, on the south by the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by Iraq and on the northwest by Turkey.
Iran is home to one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations.
The first Iranian dynasty formed during the Elamite kingdom in 2800 BC. The Iranian Medes unified Iran into an empire in 625 BC. They were succeeded by the Iranian Achaemenid Empire. Two subsequent Iranian empires are: the Hellenic Seleucid Empire, the Parthians. The Sassanids Empire is the last empire before the Muslim conquest in 651 AD.
Perception of Muslim conquest - "These events have been variously seen in Iran: by some as a blessing, the advent of the true faith (…) ; by others as a humiliating national defeat, the conquest of the country by foreign invaders. Both perceptions are of course valid, depending on one's angle of vision.”
In the time of Iranian post-Islamic dynasties the Persian culture became one of major elements of Muslim civilization. Iran was once again reunified as an independent state at the beginning of 16th century by the Safavid dynasty.
The Safavid promoted Shi'a Islam as the official religion of their empire. I was one of the most important turning points in the history of Islam. Shi'a Islam is the second largest denomination of Islam, after Sunni Islam. The followers of Shia Islam are called Shi'ites or Shias. "Shia" is the short form of the historic phrase Shi’atu Ali meaning "followers of Ali". Shia Islam holds that Muhammad's family, and certain individuals among his descendants, who are known as Imams, have special spiritual and political authority over the community. Shia Muslims further believe that Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the first of these Imams and was the rightful successor to Muhammad. Thus they reject the legitimacy of the first three caliphs.
Visual arts in Persia
One of the earliest examples in visual representations in Iranian history can be traced to the bas-reliefs in Persepolis (c. 500 B. C.). Persepolis was the ritual center of the ancient kingdom of Achaemenids. Ancient Persians called it Parsa, meaning the city of Persians. Persepolis is the Greek translation of the name.
The largest building in Persepolis is the Apadana Hall with 72 columns. figures remain bound by the rules of grammar of visual language.
This style of visual representation became more complex about a thousand years later during the Sassanian reign. A bas-relief in Taq-e-Bostan depicts a complex hunting scene. In these visual representations, movements and actions are articulated in a sophisticated manner. It is even possible to see the progenitor of the cinema close-up: a wounded wild pig escaping from the hunting ground.
Another example of this approach is French animated film based on Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Satrapi with Vincent Paronnaud. The title is a reference to the historic city and ancient past. Satrapi is proud of her country’s roots. In the prologue of her autobiographical commix, Marjane writes “this old and great civilization has been discussed mostly in connection with fundamentalism, fanaticism and terrorism.” She knows that this image is far from reality. In her art she wants show the true image of her country.
It is a good point to talk a bit about ethnic stereotypes and western image of Middle East.
Edward Said his famous book “Orientalism” claims that “Orient” is the space which is not merely there. Said argues that man makes its own geography – (…) such locales, regions geographical sectors as “Orient” and “Occident” are man-made. Therefore, the Orient is an idea that has the history and a tradition of thought, imagery According to Said „the Orient” signifies a system of representations framed by political forces. It is a mirror image of what is inferior and alien ("Other") to the West. Said claims that The Orient was almost an European invention, and had been since antiquity a place for romance, exotic beings, haunting memories and landscapes, remarkable experiences. an image of a prototypical Oriental - is culturally backward and unchanging. The oriental woman is both eager to be dominated and strikingly exotic. Speaking about the complex of Oriental ideas Said distinguishes Oriental despotism, Oriental splendor and Oriental sensuality >
These ideas we can find in first movie where the Persian are represented > Intolerance American silent film directed by D. W. Griffith. It is considered one of the great masterpieces of the Silent Era. Film deals with the effects of intolerance in four different historical periods: One of them is The "Babylonian" period (539 BC) . Griffith depicts the fall of Babylon as a result of intolerance arising from a conflict between devotees of different Babylonian gods. The conflict gives good opportunity for Persian king Cyrus the Great for invading the city. Cyrus, was the founder of the Persian Empire under the Achaemenid dynasty.
Griffith did not stick to historical fact. Cyrus, is depicted as a cruel barbarian who wishes to destroy Babylon and it's inhabitants. Yet Cyrus is known by historians as the ruler who established what was to become known as the first declaration of human rights. The Cyrus Cylinder, now at the British Museum, describes how the Persian king liberates the inhabitants of Babylon, notably the Jews, from tyranny. The Cylinder was created following the Persian conquest of Babylon in 539 BC (baked clay).
Oriental despotism, Oriental splendor and Oriental sensuality Actual costs to produce Intolerance are unknown, but they are estimates close to $2 million (approximately $41 million in today dollars), an astronomical sum in 1916. The Babilon episode is taken in monumental sets, people are dressed in lavish period costumes.
The Persian Empire reached it's peak under Darius the Great (550 — 486 BCE),(he was the third emperor of the Achaemenid Empire).But it is his son Xerxes I who is best remembered I hollywood movies. It was his army that invaded Greece and was initially resisted only by a minute Spartan force of three hundred at Thermoplae. "The 300 Spartans" (1962) directed by Rudolph Mate tells the story of Leonidas and his tiny army facing the mighty Persian Empire. Xerxes played by David Farrar in 1962 version of 300 Spartans directed by Rudolph Mate. At least in the 1962 version, Xerxes looked realistic and his clothes also looked realistic.
Another movie which depicts Persia in the fifth century B.C. is "Esther and the King" (1960) by Raul Walsh . The movie is a peculiar picture of the Persian Empire . First of all Xerxes/Ahasuerus (Richard Egan) is fair-haired and clean-shaven, so he is a peculiar picture of a Persian monarch. Ahasuerus as Xerxes is referred to in the Bible. Joan Collins plays as Esther.
Ridley Scott's "The Gladiator", : the costume designers made mistake in historic documentation. Indeed the Emperor Commodus bares two medallions on each shoulder , which represent a winged griffin. Griffin is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. But it wasn’t Roman symbol . this griffin is an Aechamedian (first Persian Dynasty) symbol.
In films from the 60th Xerxes looks human and his costumes were pretty much accurate. His image change a lot in 300 directed by Zack Snyder 2007. This is American film adapted from a graphic novel of the same name by Frank Miller. During the shooting Miller served as a consultant. Film is a fictionalized retelling of the Battle of Thermopylae.( It was filmed mostly with a super-imposition chroma key technique, to help replicate the imagery of the original comic book)
King Leonidas (Gerard Butler) leads 300 Spartans into battle against Persian "god-King" Xerxes and his army of more than one million soldiers. As the battle rages, Queen Gorgo attempts to rally support in Sparta for her husband. The story is framed by a voice-over narrative by the Spartan soldier Dilios. Various fantastical creatures are introduced, placing 300 within the genre of historical fantasy. Critics were divided over its look and style. Some acclaimed it as an original achievement, while others criticized it for its controversial depiction of the ancient Persians.
New version of Xerxes is far from being realistic. Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) is almost naked only – wearing only boots and a cape! Xerxes has chains hanging all over his head, chest and body (representing his tyrannical and sadistic nature). Xerxes also has multiple piercing, needles, clips, ear rings, nose rings and chains hanging all over his face! Critic from The New York Times is joking about that : I didn’ know that the Persian characters were "pioneers in the art of face-piercing" Xerxes looks like a Gothic Hun. They even gave Xerxes long and sharp black nails to make him look more like a beast. Persian costumes never were so historically inaccurate.
Now this is the true Xerxes. Do you see any ear rings, nose rings, tit rings, genital rings, piercing, needles, chains? Herodot, Greek Historians and now Hollywood portrays these wars as Great Victories for Greek Brave Warriors and great defeats for Evil Ugly Persian Tyrants! Greeks become Fathers of Democracy and Western Civilization but Persians become Evil Eastern Barbarian Tyrants.
The reality was that Persian Empire was the first “Federal Empire” in the world. Federalism Achaemenid Style was very primitive, but it was the very first Federal Government in the globe. Internal affairs of the Persian Empire were conducted democratically. Persian States had absolute internal autonomy during the Achaemenid Empire. The Persian invented the meaning of civilization and presented it to the world. 8000 years of Iranian civilization is the mother civilization of the globe.
Who were the Barbarians and who were the Civilized?
Aristotle used to call Persians “Barbarians“, but the reality was that the remainder 1/3 of the Independent Greeks were small and inferior elements in comparison to the sophisticated and superior Persians and Persian Empire which ruled the world.
Now, Hollywood portrays Xerxes as an egotistic tyrant, Persians as beasts. So in a way Hollywood and the West, demonizes the Persians and the Achaemenid Persian Empire in the same way that they are demonizing today’s Persians and Iran.
Greek Historians’ Lies and Hollywood Lies
Originally and in ancient times, Greek Historians used to create mythical lies about Greco-Persian Wars but now Hollywood has taken over this task! Hollywood even does a better job falsifying the history, thanks to the new technology! Herodot calls the Greeks participated with Persians, as “Puppets” and “Traitors“; however, the reality was that 2/3 of Greeks were either officially citizens of Persian States and Persian Empire! In fact those 1/3 Greeks were the agitators to cause separatism and interfere with the internal affairs of the Persian Empire!
Media speculation about a possible parallel between the Greco-Persian conflict in new version of “300” and current events began in Berlin Film Festival. Snyder replied that, no parallels between the film and the contemporary world were intended. Outside the current political parallels, some critics have raised more general questions about the film's ideological orientation. Roger Moore, relates 300 to Susan Sontag's definition of "fascist art." Alleanza Nazionale, an Italian political party formed from the collapse of the neo-fascist party MSI, has used imagery from the work within candidate propaganda posters titled: "Defend your values, your civilization, your district"
300 also attracted controversy over its portrayal of Persians. Various critics, historians, journalists, and officials noticed that, the film depicted the Persians as a monstrous, barbaric, and demonic horde. King Xerxes was portrayed as androgynous. Critics suggested that this was meant to stand in contrast to the masculinity of the Spartan army. Steven Rea argued that the film is a vehicle for an anachronistic stereotypes of Western stereotypes of Asian and African cultures.
The film's portrayal of ancient Persians caused a particularly strong reaction in Iran. Iranian government including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denounced the film.
Azadeh Moaveni identified important factor which may have contributed to the intense reaction: the common Iranian view of the Achaemenid Empire as "a particularly noble page in their history."Various Iranian officials condemned the film. The Iranian Academy of the Arts submitted a formal complaint against the film to UNESCO, labelling it an attack on the historical identity of Iran. Iranian embassies protested its screening in France and Turkey . The film was banned within Iran as "hurtful American propaganda".
In response to the criticisms, a Warner Bros. spokesman stated that the film 300 "is a work of fiction inspired by the Frank Miller graphic novel and loosely based on a historical event. The studio developed this film with the sole purpose of entertaining audiences; it is not meant to disparage an ethnicity or culture or make any sort of political statement."
But Frank Miller was more honest with his opinion, He made in public the following political statement : nobody seems to be talking about who we're up against, and the sixth century barbarism that they actually represent. These people enslave women and they do not behave by any cultural norms that are sensible to us. I'm speaking into a microphone that never could have been a product of their culture, and I'm living in a city where three thousand of my neighbors were killed by thieves of airplanes they never could have built."
Alternative Vision of Persia?
Terry Jones one of the Members of the Famous Monty Python Band is also a History Enthusiast. In a Documentary for British TV called "The Barbarians", he introduces us to the Ancient Civilizations which fought the Roman Empire. Terry Jones takes a completely fresh approach to Roman history. Not only does it offer us the chance to see the Romans from a non-Roman perspective, it also reveals that most of the people written off by the Romans as uncivilized, savage and barbaric were in fact organized, motivated and intelligent groups of people, with no intentions of overthrowing Rome and plundering its Empire. This is the true story of Roman history as seen by the Persians ...
Price of Persia 2010 – directed by Mike Newell;
The film has the same title as the video game Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, and is primarily based on it.
Action takes places in XI century - set in the mystical lands of Persia. Main hero, Dastan, fugitive prince of Persian Empire fights against dark forces. He wants safeguard an ancient dagger (sztylet) capable of releasing the Sands of Time. Magical dagger is a gift from the gods that can reverse time and allow its possessor to rule the world. Dastan and his foster brothers, are planning an attack on the sacred city of Alamut, which is believed to be selling weapons to Persia's enemies. Dastan leads a successful surprise attack on the city and after a fight he gets hold of a dagger.
Cultural references
Film is loosely based on characters from Shahnameh by Ferdowsi. The name "Dastan" is derived from Rostam Dastan, a hero in the Shahnameh. In the film it was chosen as a name; however, "Dastan" is an adjective in ancient Persian meaning "hero," therefore "Rostam Dastan" means Rostam the Hero. "Tamina" , and "Garsiv" (from Garsivaz) are also names from the Shahnameh. Another character relates to famous legend involving Malik-Shah I, Nizam al-Mulk, and Hassan-i Sabbah in Persian literature