The Stoning of Soraya M.

How do you review a movie like The Stoning of Soraya M? Based on the novel written by French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam, it tells the true story of Soraya, a woman in rural Iran who was stoned to death after being falsely accused of adultery by her husband. A sense of doom hangs over every frame of the film ... the outcome is spelled out in the title and, therefore, is unavoidable, and it's like watching a train heading directly towards you while you have no way to escape.

The movie gives a disturbing glimpse into life under Sharia law, in which men have all the power and women are treated only slightly better than slaves. It's best spelled out when one character complains, "If a man accuses his wife, she must prove her innocence. If a woman accuses her husband, she must prove his guilt."

The film opens when Sahebjam, played by Jim Caviezel (The Passion Of The Christ), breaks down on a rural road and his car is taken into the nearest town. The mayor and local mullah are anxious to keep him occupied while his car is repaired, but he is suspicious of the men, and chooses to spend the time alone. He is soon approached by Zahra, powerfully portrayed by Shohreh Aghdashloo (24, The House of Sand and Fog) who pulls him aside so she can tell the story of the death of her niece, Soraya, who had been killed just one day before.

Soraya is a young mother whose husband, Ghorban-Ali, works as a prison guard at another nearby town. Ghorban has his sights set on the 14-year old daughter of one of his prisoners, and struggles for an excuse to divorce Soraya. The excuse comes when one of Soraya's friend's dies, and she is recruited into cooking and cleaning for the husband and son. Ghorban accuses her of adultery based solely on an incidental touch of the hand and a brief smile between Soraya and the widower.

Zahra tries to warn Soraya of the growing conspiracy around her, but Soraya is happy about the money she is being paid, hoping that she will soon have enough to leave Ghorban on her own terms. But Ghorban is busy blackmailing another man in the village to become a witness to the alleged adultery, which gives him enough evidence to convict Soraya, and have her killed.

So again I ask ... how do you review a film like this? It is powerfully effective at showing a society that almost seems like horror-fiction for those who live in the Western world. The dominance of men over women is egregious, and is taught at a very young age. When Ghorban talks of leaving Soraya, he only seems concerned about taking his sons along with him, leaving her, and their daughters to fend for themselves. You can see the pain in Soraya's eyes when her sons begin to turn against her. When Soraya's friend dies the village leaders immediately ask who will cook and clean for the husband, never once imagining that he might be able to take care of himself. Soraya's trial takes place behind closed doors, not even Soraya herself is allowed to be present ... and how do you prove innocence when the accusation is based on lies and hyperbole?

And then there is the end ... the actual stoning. The event is much more ritualistic and, in turn, horrific in its execution than you might imagine. The condemned are buried up to their waist, or sometimes to their neck, rendering them incapable of escaping the painful strikes of the stones that are first thrown by family and the accusers, then the rest of the mob. It's watchable only knowing this is just a movie, but terrifying to know it's based on real life.

The Stoning of Soraya M. is not an easy film to watch, but it is a story that demands to be told.