THE LOCKSMITH
Iran, 2007, 76 minutes, Colour.
Directed by G. Ramezani.
The Locksmith is a moving film about children suffering abuse from their father. The film focuses on a young boy, in his early teens, with the pressures of his abusive father, dead mother, loving grandmother, critical grandfather – with the extended family all observing what was going on.
No reason is given for the father’s violent outbursts. One can presume that he is still grieving from his wife’s death. However, he is brutal to both son and the little girl who cooks for him and cleans the house.
The grandmother urges the boy to go to the police to sue his father. The film shows the reaction of the police, sceptical at first, taking his side and then arresting the father. However, with the father in jail, the rest of the family are upset, issues of family honour, secrecy, the grandmother wanting her son only to be warned, the little girl wanting her father back, the neighbours all criticising the boy.
The film is very moving in it presentation of the situation, audiences empathising with the boy, the responsibilities that he is given, his dilemmas in how to handle them.
The film ends with moments of encouragement – a rather more optimistic ending with some hope than might have been anticipated. A very useful film for exploration of the themes of violence within families.
1.A satisfying drama, portrait of family, children, abuses of violence, a plea for understanding?
2.The blending of the message with the drama? Emotional response? Insights?
3.The focus on Mohammed, his age, his relationship with his father, the memories of his dead mother, his little sister, the grandparents, the cousins, the neighbours? Empathy for him? Feeling for him?
4.The background of the city, the streets, the home, shop, the police station, the school? Naturalistically presented? Real and authentic? The musical score?
5.The introduction to Mohammed and his grandmother, on the city street? Her urging him to sue his father? Worried whether the police would believe her, believe him? Putting pressures on the boy, his inexperience of such action? His going into the police station, his treatment at the desk and the reaction, his having to wait, the young criminals and glimpsing them, his being handcuffed with them, the mistake? Going in to the sergeant? The sergeant and his talking to the criminal behind him, the boy mixed up and answering? The sergeant and his giving him a lecture about obeying his father? The boy not being believed? Going back to his grandmother? The grandmother’s hopes that the son she loved would be warned rather than jailed and that the children would be safe?
6.Going home, having to lie about their being at school, the abuse that the boy received from his grandfather, his criticisms of him as being hopeless? His talking to his sister, the sister cooking the meal, burning herself, not wanting her father to go to jail? The meal, serving it, her father criticising it for being burnt, throwing it away, beating her? The audience not seeing his beating his son? Seeing his face the next morning?
7.His return to the police station, the sergeant receiving him, their going to the shop, the arrest of the father – and his father trying to chase and throttle his son? The father in jail? The boy’s visit, his father’s criticism, the prisoner giving advice to obeying fathers? The bewilderment of the boy?
8.The little sister, at school, her studying and skills, at home, the cooking, burning herself, her interactions with her brother, not wanting her father to go to prison, her tantrums? The teacher wanting her to bring her father? Hiding her brother during the night, giving him something to eat? Getting him to promise to bring the father?
9.The reactions of the relatives, the uncle and his violence, the cousin and his being cheeky, his mother trying to control him, her reaction? Her having urged the boy to report his father? The grandmother and her fears, not wanting her son to go to prison? The neighbours at the shop and their criticism? The blind man and his kind words, spoken to the boy, thinking they were to his father? The uncle and his threats, the threatening to beat him?
10.The boy coming home, fearing to go in, hiding during the night, his sister’s help? Her going to school?
11.The boy’s going to the jail, seeing the sergeant, explaining that his father was free, the sergeant and his treatment of the other prisoners – especially the mother with the troublesome boy? Finding the shop closed, going to the school, pretending that he had to represent his sister, discovering that the father was with the teacher?
12.A feeling for the children? Their situation, their relationship to their father, the people praising discipline and beating children, the glimpses of other criminals, fathers and sons, the authorities, disbelief, the kindly sergeant? The ultimate hopeful ending?
