THE CHOCOLATE
Iran, 2004, 97 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Afshin Sherkat.
The Chocolate is a drama, more suited to a telemovie than a feature film. It tells the story of a friendship as well as a swindle. The central character is an engineering graduate who has not continued his studies. Involved in accident with a very popular film star, his father persuades him to pretend to be crippled so that the actor can pay for the hospital, the physiotherapy, and look after him. What happens is that the two become friends. Meanwhile the young woman with whom he has been brought up falls in love with him and he with her. However, he is very hesitant about committing himself. Meanwhile, the actor has very few friends and is dominated by his mother. With further complications about the family, wealth and poverty, the brother-in-law of the actor goes berserk and attacks his sister and her child. This culminates in them fleeing to Canada and the brother-in-law pursuing the actor and his friend. During a fight, the friend realises that he must help him and reveals that he is not crippled at all. The friendship continues.
1. Popular drama? Telemovie style?
2. The city settings, the streets and homes, poverty and wealth? Hospitals? The posters with the films of the actor all around the city? The musical score?
3. The title - and no indication of the film about chocolates?
4. The recurring scene of the actor and his telling his life story to the psychiatrist? His background, his mother, sister and brother-in-law? His wealth, films, the posters? Not having any friends? His happiness in caring for the injured man? Visiting him in hospital, taking him into his home? Their growing friendship? His support of the actor? The airport sequence, the brother-in-law and the pursuit of the car, the fight, his friend coming to his rescue and his being disillusioned about him? His seeing the truck hit his friend and fearing that he had been injured again? The laughter - walking down the street and a happy ending?
5. The young man, his work as a delivery man, his friends in the café? Home, in the camps, the old man becoming his father, his wife becoming a surrogate mother? The daughter, their growing up together, his falling in love with her? His imagining his being married, his inability to commit? To continue his studies? The accident and its effect? His father persuading him to pretend his back was injured? His reasons for going along with the trick? In hospital, his arguments with his father, his pretence? The family visits, the actor coming? Going to the actor's home, the physiotherapy, the luxury life? His conscience, wanting to tell people the truth? The girl, her visits, the tension? The actor getting an apartment for her and the man? His finally telling her, her disillusionment with him? The visits of the brother-in-law, his helping out, remaining in the wheelchair? His friendship with the actor, listening to him, their discussion of friends, helping him after his nightmares? The discussion of how many friends each had, the actor not having any except this man? The airport scene, his decision of helping his friend with the fight? Being knocked over again - but not harmed, friendship? And the prospect of marriage?
6. The father, scheming, pressurising the man? The doctors, the visits, his manipulation of the situation, exploiting it for money? His anger when the young man revealed the truth?
7. The women, in the background, their support, the story of the father and his marrying the young woman, her daughter, her concern about the man? Disturbed when she heard the truth? The young woman, in love with him, the visits, getting the apartment, her friendship with the actor, her being hurt at hearing the truth? The actor's sister and her child, the fights in the home, going to the airport, leaving the country? The mother, her concern for her children?
8. A melodramatic story, a glimpse of life in Teheran, the importance of the theme of friendship?
