The Stoning of Soraya M.

Plot synopsis:
Stranded in the remote Iranian village of Kuhpayeh by car trouble, a journalist is approached by Zahra, a woman with a harrowing tale to tell about her niece, Soraya, and the bloody circumstances of Soraya's death, by stoning, the previous day. The two sit down as Zahra recounts the story to Freidoune, who records the conversation with his tape recorder. The journalist must escape with his life to tell the story to the rest of the world.
Ali is Soraya's abusive husband who tries to get the village's mullah to convince Soraya to grant him a divorce so that he can marry a 14-year-old girl. Ali is able to convince the mullah by making threats to tell the rest of the village about his past as a convict.
Ali's marriage to the teenager is conditional on Ali's ability to save the girl's father, a doctor who has been sentenced to death for an unspecified crime. The mullah proposes that Soraya becomes his temporary wife, referred to in Iran as 'Sigeh', in exchange for protection and monetary support for Soraya and her two daughters. Zahra barges in and encourages Soraya to refuse the offer. Soraya has two sons whom Ali wants, and who have both turned against her. Some days following the incident, a woman dies. The mullah, the village's mayor, and Ali ask Zahra to persuade Soraya to care for the widower. Zahra suggests that Soraya may do the job if she is paid.
Soraya starts working for the widower, and Ali plans to use the unusual circumstance to spread lies that Soraya is being unfaithful to him so that she will be stoned and he can remarry. Ali also knows if Soraya were dead, he would not have to pay child support. Ali and the mullah start a rumor about Soraya's infidelity so they can charge her with adultery. One day while Zahra is walking in town, she realizes that a rumor has spread that her niece is being unfaithful to her husband.
Ali and the mullah need one more "witness" to Soraya's "infidelity" to be able to formally charge her. They visit the widower at home and, using threats, manipulate the widower into agreeing to back up their story. Soon after, Ali drags Soraya through the streets, beating her and publicly declaring that she has been unfaithful. Zahra intervenes and takes her niece, Ali, and the Mayor of the village to her house to talk privately. They bring the widower to the home and, after he lies and says that they had engaged in adultery, a trial is pursued. Only men, including Soraya's father, are allowed while Soraya is confined with some women in Zahra's house. She is quickly convicted. Zahra tries to flee with her and after realizing she cannot, goes to plead with the mayor for Soraya's life, even offering to switch places with Soraya. The conviction is upheld though, and as they are preparing for the stoning, the Mayor prays to Allah for a sign if they are not doing the right thing.
Before the actual stoning can begin, a traveling carnival van comes through and tries to perform their act. They are shooed away, where they wait by the sidelines as the stoning begins. Soraya's father disowns her as he is given the first stone to throw but he misses her repeatedly. A woman in the crowd pleads to the mayor that the stones missing are a sign Soraya is innocent, but none of the men listen. Ali takes up stones and throws them himself. Her two sons are also forced to throw stones. The widower is given two stones to throw but instead walks away in tears. The crowd finally joins in and Soraya is stoned to death.
Zahra is heard narrating the story to the journalist about her niece. Soon, the widower walks in and informs the journalist that his car is fixed. A short while later, the mullah and the widower are informed by Ali that his marriage to the teenage girl is off, implying that he could not spare her father from execution. Angry about the fact that he had been coerced by Ali and the mullah into lying, the widower admits that he lied. As the journalist attempts to leave with his belongings and collect his vehicle since it has been repaired by the widower, the mullah orders a Revolutionary Guard to stop him at gunpoint. They spill out the belongings of his bag, seize his tape recorder, and destroy all of the tapes. But as the journalist prepares to drive away, Zahra appears out of an alley with the true tape in her hand. Men attempt to run after the car before the journalist is able to drive away. Zahra screams that the God that she loves is great and now the whole world will know of the injustice that has happened.

Tags: insanity, violence, murder, sadist, flashback

Review:
However, the director does show other sides of these characters as well, struggling with their own beliefs and decisions (in private as to not show weakness in public).The film is beautifully filmed as well, with the sweeping shots of the village landscape and the poetic images of chadors moving in the wind.I never come on IMDb to write reviews, but 'The Stoning of Soroya M.' was such an intense and beautiful film that I had to spread the word.
is well-paced overall and does a fantastic job of bringing the audiences into Soraya's helpless situation, as we, just as helplessly, witness the malicious or cowardly decisions of others that will eventually lead to her demise.The film treats Islam with sensitivity and in no way implicates the religion itself in the brutal practice of stoning.
After watching the injustice and betrayal that Soraya, the lead character, suffered in this film I can no longer be silent about the injustice going on in this world today.
I've seen "A Serbian Film", "Antichrist", and the "Human Centipede"....non of which caused me to feel sick to my stomach."The Stoning of Soraya M." crushed me from the inside out.
Unfortunately, it is true, nine out of ten times the so called "Justice" is clouded with greed and lust hence...I would definitely recommend this movie to EVERYONE specially those involved with Human Rights, for all that it is about, its about bending the laws and values of a Religion for personal gains, which to me is probably the biggest sin, bigger than Zinah (womanizing) greater than Shirk.
The title of the movie reveals how this story ends but nothing could have prepared me for the brutality depicted in the inevitable stoning scene.
The world needs to know the reality of life for women in patriarchal societies, and this movie tells just one of the many stories of women who have endured the kind of treatment Soraya did.To sum it up, this film broke my heart.
The world needs to know what Soraya and countless women like her have experienced, because educating ourselves is the only way atrocities like this will end..
Co-starring Jim Caviezel and Mozhan Marno in the title role, the film tells the story of a woman placed in an arranged marriage who's endures abuse only to have her life end tragically.
Aghdashloo who plays Zahra, Soraya's aunt, tells the story to a man who's car breaks down in her village.The film is carried by the performance of Shohreh Agdashloo, who arguably should have won an Oscar for her stunning work in House of Sand and Fog. The narrative, however, is so violent, brutal, and completely chilling, it's actually off-putting to the viewer.
As we watch this woman endure this torment and abuse from her husband and even her children, all before even the stoning occurs, it becomes a bit too much for audiences to handle.This is based on a true story and in many ways, it needed to be told.
A drama set in 1986 Iran and centered on a man, Sahebjam, whose car breaks down in a remote village and enters into a conversation with Zahra, who relays to him the story about her niece, Soraya, whose arranged marriage to an abusive tyrant had a tragic ending in "The Stoning of Soraya M." Unbiased cultural attributes formatted by director Cyrus Nowrasteh portray the harsh reality for women in The Middle East.
well, look at the title.The Stoning Of Soraya M, as told by Soraya's aunt after the event to a journalist, is one of the hardest films to watch that I've seen in many a moon.
We watch as the husband engineers rumours and innuendo against his wife; we watch as the whispers become shouts and as suspicion becomes rage; we watch as almost an entire village turns against a woman that they all seem to know is innocent but whom they nevertheless choose to condemn, almost as if this warped action will prove their worthiness to God.It's a brilliant performance from Mozhan Marno as the accused and condemned Soraya.
A woman, Zahra, tells him the incredible stoning death of her niece, Soraya, whose husband Ali constantly beat her to try to force a divorce in order to marry a 14 year old girl.
Soraya leaves him to work for a widower and her husband creates suspicions regarding infidelity which, if proved under the local laws, written by men, of course, bring charges of adultery which is punishable by stoning to death.A kangaroo court comes together to give a show trial and Soraya is subject to a mockery of justice which is astounding to see.
From the producer of The Passion of The Christ it deals with the true story of Soraya, a young married Iranian woman who's abusive husband is seeking to divorce her and how he manipulates the Sharia law to solve his problems.Soraya's story is told by her aunt in the form of a narrative as French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam stumbles into the small rural village of Kupayeh.
It's important to know that the original book was written by Freidoune Sahebjam and like many Iranians who fled after the Shah was exiled, he loved the Iran of old and could see how under the Ayatollah and the Muslim clerics Iran had lost all of it's ancient culture and civilisation to become a primitive land of brutal, dictatorial, hypocritical tyrants.
Clearly then, the producers knew they were making a film that would anger the Iranian Mullahs and Islamic fundamentalist.The Stoning of Soraya M is a powerful, compelling film, one which makes you feel angry but one that should not be missed and left wing do-gooders should understand it is the same Sharia law which some Muslims wish to bring into practice in the UK and other Christian countries which allows this kind of evil to take place in God's name.I loved this film in the same way that i loved Schindler's list or The Passion, if to say "loved" is the correct word, i fear not.
i wont say about the story (a true one) but this movie is a gem ..everything about this movies is at its best ...not only people but the entire scene the extras the road the stones the birds, the sky ...the man just staring inside the camera everything blends in the movie so well that you become a part of soraya's world and feel her tragedy.i wont say about the acting as i never felt any one was acting it was so real that i felt helpless as if i could have done something to save her but i didn't ...its a must watch for people who like serious cinema not only for the message it conveys but also because its one of those finest movies you just stumble upon and then you are completely surprised by the magnificent piece of work...i just cant do justice to the movie by writing you have to see it ..feel it and when it finishes i promise you ....your heart will be full of pain n your eyes will be moist ...i just wish that the world was a better place to live in ...!!!.
It is why so many commentators and reviewers read this film as if it was a documentary rather than a fictionalized narrative adapted from a book that was supposedly based on a second-hand account of an incident which reportedly occurred some 20 years ago.'Stoning' has always been a controversial practice in Iran, even when it was introduced in Iran through its Islamic penal code in 1983.
A gruesome story is being delivered through a great cinematography, amazing cast of talent, and, an in-your-face style.June 20th 2009, LA Film Festival, the opening night for the movie unintentionally co-insides with the unrest and turmoil that has started in Iran.
The movie is seeking to deliver a scream about a gruesome injustice from a remote village in Iran, which undeniably can be related to what is going on in the whole country right now.The combination of old veteran and new generation Iranian actors, the list of talent in this movie is amazing and perhaps challenging for the director Cyrus Nowrasteh at times!
Every human being with a consciousness has to see this movie.The movie is based on a true story about a woman being stoned to death by her own village.
Women are being stoned to death even in this day because people refuse to open their eyes and feel compassion to those who are without their human rights.
was recently pre-screened in San Francisco.Earlier this week, I was reading about the history of Iran on Wikipedia when several clicks later, I found myself on a page dealing with the stoning of women, mentioning the film about Soraya.The filmmaker is honest and sensible in the telling of the tale, with atrocities to be found in the subtleties throughout the film.This is a film in subtitles, with French and English spoken intermittently.
just as a little example,in the movie it's said Soraya should bring 4 witnesses in order to prove her innocence!blah blah!in Iran like any other place I know,it's to the complainant (and in criminal cases the court also) to prove somebody's guiltiness.
the weakness points of this movie are almost uncountable!did you notice all of the men are bad?you can't at least find one good man there.on the other hand Soraya is flawless in this ugly world and Zahra(Shohreh Aghdashloo who has played her weakest role ever) is the brave woman who's trying to help her.what's the point of all of these feminism?
She then tells him of the tale of her niece,Soraya M (played by Mozhan Marno),who was the victim of a murder by the men in her village,led by her swinish bastard of a husband,Ali (played to the max by David Negahban),who wanted to divorce her to marry a WAY younger woman (she was only 14---I am not making this up).
Based on a true story of an actual stoning in rural isolated Iran, Soraya M.
I think all the waiting just made it all the more worth the watch for me.This is a movie about a woman who is stoned after being accused of adultery.
Knowing that this shocking act of brutality is still being carried out in 2016 makes this film even harder to watch.The film is nearly 2 hours long, covering the story behind Soraya's killing and giving the audience a insight into life as a woman under strict Islamic law.
It is a real eye-opener.'The Stoning of Soraya M', as you would expect, is a brutal and shocking film, but one that I think everybody should see..
A heinous husband (if we may use this term to describe such a villain, such a bastard...) who set up a devilish plot to get rid of his wife (who bored him four children, stood aside to him 20 years and should be very beloved) to marry a 14 years old girl, who could be his daughter, helped in this atrocious plan by corrupted Muslim priest and Mayor; and made this to a creature as Soraya, so lovely, so sweet, so caring, with a beautiful soul and feelings, with so sad and tender eyes, who deserves only to be loved and cared of...
Some may even shed a tear or two thinking that they have served their purpose towards these poor countries.The story of 'The Stoning of Soraya M.' is told through this miserable screenplay does far from justice in addressing the real issues.
Having a strong, true story like this paired with moderate acting and directing could have resulted a great and powerful movie, something like Iranian directors so impressively produce since decade.
Instead of choosing this way of movie making, the director uses every possible tool to "strengthen" the drama, like theatrical setting of the actors, hyper- dramatic etc as if he would think that just the tragedy of stoning an innocent woman wouldn't be enough for the audience.
This is a very powerful film and a very important story about the position of women in Islamic society and the antiquated medieval punishments that still hold strong in Asian countries.
I continue supporting this film and inviting all the people to watch movies like these, movie that really can change the world.The movie is now in Florida and has been really well accepted between the audience..
The film very rightly describes the role of mullahs in Muslim society and their lust for women and interpreting laws according to their wills.I congratulate the director, writer, actors and all the crew of the movie for helping the public to know the brutality of a man made law misinterpreted as Allah law.
The Stoning of Soraya M was one of those films that enables a viewer to be removed far enough away from a core conflict to see the limitations that exist in any justice system officiated by ordinary men.The director did a great job of managing the viewers perspective by pushing their minds away with terror and pulling them back inward with curiosity.Death penalty debates will definitely recognize the theme of this film whenever discussed and intensify their argument over the core themes as they attempt to depose their opponents.The acting and directing in this film was excellent and the script was also excellent.I think most will agree that viewers like this film because the theme centers itself on survival..
even if in case of conclusion that might jump,ordinary it leads to regarding of woman right in Iran and simply going forth to a human right statement.well not bad till now but constantly it is futile.no matter how hard these people try to make fool from religious people or holly men,i don't accept this proforma.i have been seen them in 24 years of my life.thanks god there's no Jew dominance in here.to deny the facts and declare some other nonsense.i have to say that if you are making a movie about some period of a history very specifically about a country,the siege of your basis must be comprising you impartiality.but when you're partial,you have to hoax the people and Jew Hollywood does the same job.
She has a story to tell of the injustice going on in the town that the world should know about; as the movie titles states, the stoning of Soraya.One of the first things you are struck by is the remoteness of this village.
If you've ever watched a low budget soap opera, you've seen the same parlor tricks.I think stories like this really need to be told, and it's too bad that this movie did it so terribly..
Predictably, the film depicts the events leading up to the stoning of Soraya M., a young Iranian woman living in a small rural village.
Resolute determination is one of the few emotions Soraya ever portrays throughout the film, and the stoning is that much more disturbing because it happens to and is perpetrated by characters that were never human to begin with.
Clichéd elements, like Ali announcing the day after the stoning that he's not going to marry the fourteen-year-old girl after all, or Zahra celebrating the journalist's escape from the town with the record of the story by throwing her arms into the air and looking up to the sky (that camera) yelling "Now the whole world will know!" The attempts were always prodding the audience without deftness or delicacy.
It took me many years until I was able to stomach seeing "Schindler's List" again and the same is very true with "The Story of Soraya M.".In the end I think that what the movie comes down to is, if I am allowed to oversimplify, that it is about power, those who have it and wield it and those who don't and are subjected to it....
While travelling  through Iran, Sahebjam (played by James Caviezel in the film) arrived  at a small village when his car broke down and learned of the terrible  story of Soraya Manutchehri through her aunt, as she revealed to him  how the lies and the corruption of powerful men in the village led to  the brutal murder of her niece.
I wouldn't be ruining anything by saying that Soraya is stoned to death  towards the end of the film.
Although the reason why Soraya was sentenced to death seems a bit cliché, it makes you wonder that these false accusations exists especially against women since this film was based on a true story as was told in the internationally best-selling book of the same name.
Engulfing myself in this movie though, almost forgetting what was to come (and hoping it wouldn't)...by the time it did, it hit like a passenger train wreck, full of people who I adore.My heart went out, not only to the women that this story speaks so strongly to, but also to our own here in the US, who face abuse from their significant others.
There was something about this movie, though I've seen many, that by the time that "everyone knows it's coming" scene actually comes, I realized more than any other, the effect that abuse, period, has on children who are torn between two people who are supposed to do right by them, and who they are meant to love.
Like Freidoune, the audience is taken into a shocking revelation of the story of Soraya M, before and after her stoning.
I know this film tries politically to condemn the awful act of stoning but it ends up in giving a wrong picture of Iranian people.
It tries to make a scene just like movies from medieval times when priests burned women while crowds cheered happily but it is not what is really happening in Iran right now.
Yes, I understand that this really does happen, and that I should expect this in a movie with this title, but we just couldn't watch the whole, long stoning scene..
At the end, the movie talks about the problem of the stoning of women.