Caramel
Caramel was done by director/actress Nadine Labaki. It was acted on May 20th, 2007 during the Cannes Film Festival. It was distributed in over 40 countries and became the most renowned Lebanese film. The film depicts the plight of Lebanese women. The film was submitted to the 80th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film and has received several other awards, for example, Directors’ Fortnight selection 2007 and San Sebastian Film Festival Youth Award 2007. The cast also received the Abu Dhabi Black Pearl awards for Best Actress during the Middle East International film festival 2007 and Nadine Labaki, an award for the filmmaker of the year.
In the film, five women meet regularly at a beauty salon in Beirut. The talk mainly revolves around men, sex, and motherhood. The women are tolerant and supportive of each other since each has her own problems. This film is different from most Lebanese films in that it deals with nowadays social themes. A good example of these films is civil wars dated back in 1975-1990 that are detrimental to the country’s social fabric. In the salon in Beirut, the women talk freely to one another about their struggles without hindrance from their different backgrounds.
The themes of premarital sex, adultery, unmarried conduct, and homosexuality are expounded throughout the film although they are taboo in the Arabic culture. These themes are expressed through the use of space, dialogue, camera angles, and lighting. The theme of premarital sex is brought out through dark lighting and the use of hollow space as the hallway of the hospital which Nisrine goes to get her stitches. The dialogue and her way of answering questions, in brief, her decision to change her name and the use of a foreign language that she is not too conversant with, her mode of dressing, that is, putting on sunglasses to avoid being recognized by people all show the magnitude of her shame.
The theme of the conduct of the unmarried is also addressed in the film. There is an incident where an unmarried couple is sitting in the car at night and is confronted by a policeman. The camera angle plays an important role as it makes the policeman look bigger than he really is implying that he is more powerful than them. He is the symbol of power. The dark and shadowy lighting implies that something fishy is about to happen. Space is used to emphasize this theme as the setting is a deserted place.
Another main theme is that of adultery which is represented by Layale. Whenever there is a horning in the film, her shadow appears as she tries to hide. She is very cautious and takes measures such as looking around whenever she hears the horning, answering her phone calls quietly, and with her head down because of shame. The camera is usually directed to her whenever the horning starts but she avoids eye contact. The background sounds are normally removed especially when she is answering calls.
Finally, the theme of homosexuality is also dealt with. This is seen in Rimaâs attraction towards her client with long hair. To further develop this theme, Rima wears manly attire instead of revealing outfits like the ones worn by her co-workers. She also keeps her hair short and messy. There is very little contribution from her when the other ladies are discussing sex and men. This theme is also evident when the client with long hair shows up and Rima walks over to her and welcomes her. She then takes the client to the washrooms and the cameras focus on the clientâs smiling face as she looks at Rima while she washes her face. Space is used significantly as Rima always closes the curtains to be alone with the client. In this scene, there is less dialogue and much eye contact.
The title refers to a hot-sugar concoction which, although edible is used as hair removal wax. Despite the lovely and smooth nature of the film, there are also incidents that are full of pain and disappointments. There is the sweet component of Caramel which represents the pleasure from all the affairs they are going through and there is pain from waxing which in the movie reflects the consequences and trouble they all go through because of their desire for pleasure. Since waxing is also a form of cleansing, it can represent the cleansing that characters undergo by the end of the play, that is, every woman is cleansed from her affair or settles down as in Nisrine getting married
Through watching the film, I feel like I have been to Beirut because the play shows how people live there. The storyline is understandable to everyone, but I disagree that the movie is predictable. I feel sorry that the elderly couple is not united. This could be a lesson that even, in reality, there are different forms of love that sometimes take precedence over one’s own personal happiness. Another great aspect of the movie is how it depicts people belonging to different religions living harmoniously despite all the sociopolitical issues and conflicts that abound. This is particularly important to me because of what is happening in Egypt, especially the fighting between the Christians and the Muslims. Caramel has some optimism despite the numerous challenges facing women.
Arranged
Arranged was produced in 2008 when there was tension between Muslim Americans and Americans of other religious convictions. It was directed by Stefan C. Schaefer and Diane Crespo and the major themes include religious animosities like cross-religious friendships and the prejudice of Americans who are ignorant of traditional religious practices. These themes are conveyed through cinematic elements like camera angle, space, and symbolism.
In the film, we are introduced to two young female teachers who are facing the same problem although they are of different cultural and religious backgrounds. Rochel is an Orthodox Jew and Nasira is a Muslim of Syrian origin. Their problem is their imminent arranged marriages through their respective religious and traditional customs. They are faced with common problems such as pressure from their families as well as the rejection of their traditions by the outside world.
The two ladies, therefore, seek comfort from each other in an attempt to overcome these challenges they are facing. Their friendship becomes their source of encouragement as they try to draw strength from each other during this time of arranged marriages for both of them. They strive to overcome all odds and remain happy and strong throughout this period while guarding their deeply religious and cultural convictions without compromising with the modern lifestyle.
This harmonious relationship between the two ladies, Nasira and Rochel, shows that there is a possibility of mutual friendship between Jews and Muslims in particular, and also among other people from any religious or cultural background. The common problems they are facing bring them closer and help them have a shared school of thought. They neither see anything wrong with such traditions and beliefs in the 21st century nor do they see it as a contradiction to the American lifestyle.
They are comfortable and content with this arrangement. They are a perfect example of women who care about their commitment to their families, ancient traditions, and religious beliefs while living in a secular, materialistic, and modern world. The unkind, intolerant, and self-righteous world makes it hard for them to live comfortably, but they choose not to compromise. The film can be termed as a love letter to true freedom whereby everyone is given a right to decide their fate and destiny through freedom of choice.
The film also shows the difficulties and prejudices faced by women who choose to hold on to their cultural and religious beliefs without being carried away by modern trends. Prejudice against such people is especially depicted by the school principalâs prejudice against them. The issue of religious prejudice is also tackled unlike in many films where it is avoided or portrayed negatively. Religion is mostly portrayed as having some negative impacts on the people, for instance being oppressive to women.
The film, however, portrays a different picture from the rest of the films by showing the women who wholeheartedly support their cultural and religious beliefs instead of rebelling against them. The camera angle is used to show the principalâs prejudice against the two women in a certain scene. The camera focuses on their facial expressions when the principal suggests that they should change their lifestyles.
The principal tries to persuade them to be more modern by changing their wardrobe and updating them with modern outfits. She even does the unexpected by offering to fund their shopping expedition. The implication here could be that their cultures are not able to give them the necessary support needed to achieve this. She believes that all human beings would wish to have such a change but are unable to do so.
Another theme that is addressed is that of hostility between Jews and Muslims. Even though the anger is not directly addressed, one can strongly feel the weight of Judeo-Muslim hostility. For example, the invitation of Nasira by Rochel upset her mother because she was charged to work on the school project. She is worried about the reaction a neighbor has concerning her daughter who befriended a Muslim who would probably become her husband. This shows religious prejudices that exist in some regions. Some believe that they respect everyone despite of their religious affiliations, but forget the issues of morals and education. Respect for Judaism and Islam is well represented in the film through space.
In conclusion, the film is wonderful and full of insights. The acting is first-rate, the direction is well-paced and the New York backdrop is beautiful. Although the film slightly deviates from the common trend, in that it uses two characters of different religions, it still manages to stay relevant in this age. This is one of the reasons it appeals to me. It also brings out the issue of religious prejudices but tries to offer hope of an end to such prejudices, through the use of the two girlfriends; Rochel and Nasira, who enjoy a perfect friendship despite their different religious backgrounds.
Works cited
No sources were used, just the two essays that were supposed to be paraphrased. The number of sources required is zero.