While
watching the film "The Cow" I was shocked to see how it opened up
with a scene of a mentally ill man being, in a sense, tortured. At first, I was
not sure why the opening scene of this was as such, but by the end of the film,
it was clear that this was a preview of the way the members of Hassan's town
respond to the mentally ill. When we first meet Hassan and his cow, it is clear
to see that there is a great love between the pair. What it reminded me of was
the relationship between that of a man and his beloved dog. Hassan is not the
only one who respects his cow however, it is a cherished animal among the whole
town. Being that his cow is the only cow in the village, she is a vital part of
the village's value. In the article it explains that in short story of
"The Cow" that while Hassan is with his cow in the shed feeding it,
he is constantly praying that he will be able to care for her. What to us as
film viewers appears as a man quietly talking to his cow is truly a depiction
of a man praying for the protection of a loved one. The article also points out
that the man and his cow are in a sense, one in the same soul; kindred spirits
if you will. The cow provides Hassan and the village value, and without the
cow, Hassan has lost his own sense of self-value. When the cow dies, the
members of the village go out of their way to protect Hassan from the
devastation they know will take over him. This leads me to question whether the
villagers have already guessed that there was more to Hassan's relationship with
his cow than just a love for the animal. When Hassan is made aware of the death
of the cow, he steadily falls into a depression that consumes his life. As
mentioned in the article, without the cow, Hassan must now assume the soul of
his cow. In doing so, Hassan becomes delusional in thinking that he is the cow.
Increasingly as his depressions and delusions worsen, his state of mind also
deteriorates. Going back to the beginning of the film and seeing the way they
treat the mentally ill man, it is no surprise how Hassan is treated. Despite
that other members of the village try to get Hassan help in another village,
the way they go about it is highly inhumane by today's standards. Tying him up
as if he is truly a cow and dragging him through town is not
something that will aid the process of his healing. As it would turn out, the
trip alone causes far too much strain on Hassan’s mental state, broken down as
it is and he dies en route. I think this film does a miraculous job at
highlighting the way mental illness was viewed at the time of its production
and brings to life the reality of how detrimental depression is to the mind.
I agree with your analysis of the film though I was also disturbed by another aspect of the society Hassan lives in. Hassan's wife is never given a name and he clearly holds his cow in much higher esteem than her. Also, when the wife discovers the cow is dead she isn't concerned with what she and Hassan will do next; she knows that Hassan loves his cow and is only worried about his reaction. She knows that Hassan isn't concerned about providing for her.
ReplyDeleteI too agree with your analysis, and I was just as disturbed by the opening sequence. I was also disturbed by the scene where the villagers go so far as to tie up the mentally ill man underground to keep him from spilling the beans about the cow to Hassan. I think Mehrjui included it as a sort of reminder of how the villagers act towards people who make their lives difficult, which adds to the foreshadowing of how they'll treat Hassan during and after his transformation. I also think one could argue that this film is still applicable in highlighting many societies that outcast specific groups of people, based on religion, sexual orientation, illnesses, ethnicity, etc.
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