FIREWORKS WEDNESDAY

Iran, 2006, 102 minutes, Colour.

Directed by Asghar Farhadi.

Fireworks Wednesday is one of the early films by writer-Dir, Asghar Farhadi, Oscar winner twice for Best Foreign Language films, A Separation and The Salesman. It is also noted for his other films, Beautiful City, About Elly, The Past.

In many ways, the Dir has explored the same themes in most of his films. He focuses on relationships, on marriage, on marital discord.

The title refers to the custom of fireworks hailing in the New Year. And all the action takes place on this Fireworks Wednesday, scenes of literal fireworks as well is the emotional fireworks of the husband and wife at the centre of the film.

The frame of the film is the love of a young engaged couple, seeing on a motorbike, joyful at the beginning of the day, planning to meet in the evening. The young woman gets a task of cleaning at an apartment, has the opportunity to try on her wedding dress, goes to work and finds a couple who are clashing, the wife highly emotional and erratic, ordering the young woman around, firing her, redeploying her, arranging her to have beauty parlour treatment in preparation for the marriage.

The husband, an angry man, upset with his wife, their planning for a holiday in Dubai her changing her mind, accusing him of having an affair. We also see him at work in his office, just as angry and irritated, even hitting his wife in the street.

They have a young son, the young woman asked to pick him up from school, the authorities refusing, communicating with the father which brings husband-and-wife together again for further clashes. The father has promised to take the boy to see the fireworks and he asks the young woman to accompany him – and the audience then sees that the man has been having an affair with the neighbour who wants to break it off.

Eventually, the husband does give the young woman lift and she is happily retired reunited with her fiance. The prospects for the husband-and-wife are not so positive.

A highly emotional and telling portrait of marital discord.

1. The title? The explanation of the fireworks custom, Persian custom, New Year? And the fireworks of the marital discord?
2. The Iranians setting, the city, homes and apartments, offices, the streets, the fair, writing bikes in the countryside? The musical score?
3. The focus on the couple, riding the bike, young, the photos, the cloak caught in the wheel, jokes, happiness together, the plan for the marriage, the young woman going to the office, being assigned a job, trying on the wedding dress, her joy?
4. The young woman and her job, the buzzer not working, the neighbour, coming in, the husband, the broken window, his bandaged hand, his frantic talk and behaviour, his wife, dress, her manner, the arguments? His going to work?
5. The wife, giving the old woman jobs, erratic behaviour, the young woman opening the drawer, her being dismissed? Yet called back? The various jobs? The wife helping her with the neighbour, the beauty parlour experience? The young woman continuing to do jobs, the wife lying down but going out, taking her cloak? The return, getting her to pick up the boy from school, the authorities unwilling to entrust him? The phone call to the father, his coming to pick up the boy, taking him home? The prospect of the fireworks? The young woman continually kept back, wanting her cloak? Having to accompany the husband and son to the fireworks, the night, long? The return home, the husband dropping her, meeting up with a boyfriend – and happy prospects after the fireworks day?
6. The portrait of husband and wife, their marriage, the son, the wife and her mental and medical condition, erratic, suspicious, the mobile phone and the calls, the continued arguments, going to the office, in the street with the young woman’s cloak, her husband assaulting her, at home, the attempts at reconciliation?
7. The husband, at work, the plans, the trip to Dubai, the tickets, his wife changing her mind? The young woman giving information about knowing the departure time? The woman next door? The husband and his job, frantic, erratic, assaulting his wife in the street, the apology, taking the boys to the fireworks? The rendezvous with the neighbour? The affair, her wanting to break it off, his reaction? The woman in the street, the bikers throwing the fireworks at her?
8. The boy, the experience of the parents, his mother’s behaviour, his tantrums? Going to the fireworks, the enjoyment?
9. The end of the day, the husband going home, what he had experienced, the wife, what she had experienced?