THE SEED OF THE SACRED FIG

VIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: OCTOBER 13, 2024

RATING: 3.5 out of 5

The Seed of the Sacred Fig is a thrilling political and social psychological thriller that keeps audiences on their toes with an unforgettable story, but it is the social relevance of the film that makes it one of the must see films of the year. 

Even if you don’t love The Seed of the Sacred Fig as a film, there is no denying that it is one of the most important films of the year. Writer and director Mohammad Rasoulof has previously violated Iranian censorship regulations with other films of his, but when The Seed of the Sacred Fig was announced to have its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Rasoulof and the cast and crew became targets of the Iranian government and forbidden from leaving the country and sentenced to prison. While Rasoulof and some of the cast and crew have been able to flee the country, some of the cast has not been lucky enough to escape Iran and knowing that given the exposure of the Iranian government in this film, it is unlikely they will be allowed to legally leave anytime soon. Through Rasoulof’s depiction of the Iranian government’s suppression of protests, unfathomable techniques used to extract information from its citizens, and the treatment of women in society makes for one of the most socially important films of the year. It’s only a bonus that it is all discussed in one riveting thriller featuring great performances from the entire cast.

What makes The Seed of the Sacred Fig such an enticing watch is its ability to shift genres so seamlessly, which makes the almost three hour runtime move quickly. What starts as a social political thriller about the regime of the Iranian government and their control over every aspect of civilian life morphs into a family psychological drama with an explosive ending. Rasoulof touches not only the government's suppression of protests and free speech and their desire to quash any dissenting opinions with haste (captured with real footage of such protests), but the position of women in Iranian society and families. It’s all woven into the narrative of the film’s central family with the patriarch being newly appointed as an investigating judge in the Revolutionary Court. With this new position, the pressures of the government are seen not only on coming to their desired outcomes regardless of what evidence is provided, but also within the family unit and the measures taken by the female members to ensure that they do not bring shame or disrespect upon the family and the government. 

Rasoulof has created a truly daring expose, and one the narratively kicks up to another level once the father’s gun goes missing and a deadly game of cat and mouse begins between the family members as they try to uncover who took the gun that touches upon torture and truth seeking practices of the Iranian government agencies. It all reaches a boiling point in the film’s third act when the film becomes a heart pounding ride until the film’s shocking final moments, even if the film’s last twenty minutes get a bit repetitive and could have cut to the conclusion a little quicker. Given the film’s long runtime that clocks in close to the three hour mark, there are some lulls in the story’s pace that may make it harder for audiences to get invested in the story as the film’s first act slowly puts all the pieces in place, but once it gets going, it becomes a nerve wracking experience right up to the film’s final scene that audiences won’t soon forget. 

Living in Rasoulof’s vision is the cast, and the four leads of the film are all excellent. Setareh Maleki and Mahsa Rostami both give courageous performances that make the entire film as the family’s two daughters, grappling with more modern viewers than those of their parents' generation and the paranoia of their father after his son goes missing. Soheila Golestani is great as the matriarch of the family, trying to hold everything together as her husband begins to spiral and she suspects her daughters are hiding secrets from them. And Missagh Zareh never fails to leave the audience with chills as his character’s erratic behaviour gets uncontrollable in the last two acts of the film, while giving an understanding as to why his character gets to these extremes in the first act. It’s a strong ensemble that works excellently together, never letting the paranoia or madness of Rasoulof’s script for a second slip, ensuring that this is one nail biting watch one from start to finish.

While audiences may vary on how much the enjoy the film, because it is long, rather intense and a little slow at times, The Seed of the Sacred Fig is bound to remain one of the most important films of the year thanks to the daring acts of the filmmaking team behind it and the political predicament they now find themselves in. From the tremendous social commentary on the Iranian government and the protest situation of the country, at times brought to life be real life footage of the protests, Mohammad Rasoulof has crafted a truly thrilling film in The Seed of the Sacred Fig that becomes one unforgettable ride that will sit with viewers long after the credits have finished rolling.