The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008); drama film review

Poster artwork for the drama film The Stoning of Soraya M.

Imperceptible Innocence by Linh

The Stoning of Soraya M. is the film adaptation based on a true story from the book by French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam.  It is the story of a young Iranian mother of four children named Soraya who suffered emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her husband Ali. Soraya is accused of adultery and receives a sentence to be stoned to death by all the men in the village. The final scenes are partly hopeful, but they mostly leave the viewer feeling helpless and present challenges to Western democracies that observe the unjust and unfair treatment of women in Middle Eastern countries.

SAVING SORAYA:  Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo) does all she can to help Soraya but to no avail in the film The Stoning of Soraya M. Image: MPower Pictures.

The film opens with young and handsome journalist Freidoune Sahebjam, whose car breaks down and he seeks assistance from local mechanic Hashem. While he waits for his car to be fixed, he encounters Soraya’s aunt named Zahra. Zahra narrates the story to the audience while telling the sad tale of Soraya’s fate to Freidoune Sahebjam, in a long flashback sequence.

SORAYA'S STORYTELLER: Journalist Freidoune Sahebjam (Jim Caviezel) receives help with his car from local maintenance/mechanic Hashem (Parviz Sayyad) in the film The Stoning of Soraya M. Image: MPower Pictures.

Zahra does all she can to protect and assist her niece when she discovers Ali has been unfaithful to Soraya, with plans to marry a fourteen year old girl. Ali wants to divorce Soraya, but she is reluctant until she can be certain she is financially secure to raise her children alone. In the meantime, Soraya’s friend Mehri has passed away leaving behind her husband Hashem and young son Moshen. The men of the village, including Ali, decide to allow Soraya to work for Hashem as a maid, and Zahra stipulates that Soraya receives wages as part of the arrangement.  Ali begins to grow suspicious of Soraya and Hashem, thinking they are having an affair. He suspects them but has no proof, and enlists the corrupt mullah Hassan to help him in a plot to get rid of Soraya instead of going through with the divorce.

CALLOUS CONDUCT: Mayor Ebrahim (David Diaan) is not convinced by Mullah Hassan's (Ali Pourtash) claims about Soraya's infidelity in the film The Stoning of Soraya M. Image: MPower Pictures. 

The film then takes on a conspiracy and crime plotline where the innocent Soraya and her aunt Zahra attempt to prove her innocence under the religious Sharia laws (where men do not need to prove their innocence, but women must prove their innocence and their husband's guilt). Ali and Hassan coerce and threaten Hashem, forcing him into lying to the Mayor Ebrahim, who sentences Soraya to be stoned to death.

SUPPORTING SORAYA: Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo) feels helpless as Soraya (Mozhan Marnò) faces imminent death in the film The Stoning of Soraya M. Images: MPower Pictures.

The cast is brilliant, led by Oscar-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo as the luminous and headstrong heroine Zahra, whose outspokenness and courage has earned respect and admiration for herself and her family in the village; Los Angeles native Mozhan Marnò as the ill-fated Soraya is captivating with her large, lovely eyes hiding sadness and conveying silent conviction; and Navid Negahban is convincingly hateful as the villainous husband Ali.

WRONGFUL WRATH: Soraya (Mozhan Marnò) is led to the stoning ground as the crowds jeer at her in the film The Stoning of Soraya M. Image: MPower Pictures.

The Stoning of Soraya M. is an exceptional and riveting film with excellent performances. This is one of millions of stories about the barbaric and horrendous acts Muslim women face, whose perpetrators go mostly unpunished as a result of discriminatory and sexist religious laws in an entrenched patriarchal culture. Despite the harsh and cruel reality of Soraya’s story, there are passionate voices of humanity and compassion that will, as journalist Freidoune Sahebjam did, expose such unjust experiences to the rest of the world.

FINAL FAREWELL: Soraya (Mozhan Marnò) makes a final impassioned plea to declare her innocence and shows disgust at the mob mentality that led to her persecution in the film The Stoning of Soraya M. Image: MPower Pictures.

Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh

Writers: Betsy Giffen Nowrasteh (screenplay), Cyrus Nowrasteh (screenplay), Freidoune Sahebjam (author of book La Femme Lapidée)

Cast: Shohreh Aghdashloo, Jim Caviezel, Mozhan Marnò, Navid Negahban, Ali Pourtash, David Diaan, Vida Ghahremani, Parviz Sayyad, Vachik Mangassarian, David Fariborz Davoodian, Bita Sheibani, Maggie Parto, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Yousef Shweihat

Producers: Diane Hendricks, Thomas J. Papa, Rider Base, Stephen McEveety, John Shepherd, David Segel, Tina Segel, Ken Ferguson, Deborah Aquila, Todd Burns, Stephen A. Marinaccio II

Original Music Composer: John Debney

Cinematographer: Joel Ransom

Film Editors: Geoffrey Rowland, David Handman

Production: Judy Rhee (Production Designer), Bradley Schmidt (Art Director), Rana Abboot (Set Decorator)

Costume Designer: Jane Anderson

Languages: Farsi with English subtitles, French and English

Running Time: 1 hour and 55 minutes

WICKED WITNESS: Ali (Navid Negahban) takes a final look at Soraya before her bloodied body is taken away in the film The Stoning of Soraya M. Image: MPower Pictures.