Some thoughts of my own:
CONTENT
Torture
Spring: I wonder whether Sa’edi’s
(Gohar Morad’s) screenplay The Cow isn’t an indictment
of a society that unjustly imprisons and tortures its citizens. In the
beginning of the film the three silhouette of the three thieves (Bolouris) tower
over Hassan and his cow, threatening them. In the end, the villagers have
become the “thieves”—the torturers of Hassan.
FORM
Poetics of Cinema
Spring: After watching these two
films made in Iran in the 1960s, I am most taken by the poetry of their
content; they are not films to be watched as romantic dramas, they are films
that comment on the society around them in a very delicate way. The films are
made with a kind of deliberate beautifying of what is painful: as if the
directors were painting make-up on a leper… I very much revere their restraint,
their attention to a deep importance of what is unmistakably the human condition:
why we suffer, how, and who cares.
Your thoughts:
CONTENT
Community
Ally: It’s obvious that Hassan’s cow is important to not
only him, but to the entire town as well, being that it’s the only one they
have. It’s like the cow is a type of economic symbol of Iran, such as oil or
something like that. And the entire town in the movie was afraid of the
Bolouris, which could be a symbol of other countries, who seek to attack and
steal things for their own benefit.”
David: “The Dabashi article made me think of the village as
a microcosm of society and Hassan’s cow as what society values. You are
only as powerful as society values what you have; Hassan lost his sense of
reality because he could no longer offer value to his society. It was as
if Hassan’s cow was worth more than he was, which is probably why he started
acting like the cow once he found out it had died… Although this film is
exaggerated, Hassan could represent any unfortunate person in society
today.”
Keleigh: “Hassan loved his cow more than anything and
everyone in the village knew it. When the cow died everyone knew that Hassan
would be sick with grief so they all got together to come up with a plan for
burying the body and telling Hassan that the cow ran away. They knew
that Hassan would still be upset, but they felt that it would be better to tell
him she ran away than to have him walk into the barn and see his lifeless cow.
This intrigued me because it showed a sense of unity within the village. Hassan
wanted to protect his cow and the people in the village wanted to protect
Hassan from the pain and guilt of losing his cow.”
Katherine:
“the switch from Hassan being the most respected man of the village to being
tied and pulled up a mountain by his supposed friends and neighbors…disturbed
me, as it was the opposite of the community feel from the film’s (and story’s)
beginning. Instead of supporting Hassan together, the entire town used that
unity somewhat against him in the end.”
Hina: “The death of the cow was beneficial in other terms.
It brought the village together with a common goal: to get rid of the body and
prevent Hassan from finding out. The village is all together on the decisions
of what to do. Hassan’s journey into insanity was beneficial as well. It helped
them get rid of a group of thieves. So although Hassan’s world came crashing
down, the village seemed to better with the exception of an insane resident and
no cow to provide milk.”
Kelsey: “[Hassan] valued the others in their community but
not their opinion on how to care for his cow. He was constantly concerned for
his cow due to the Bolouris hanging around… The other man in the community lost
his sheep and was angry but was not emotionally attached the way Hassan was to
his cow. It is clear that he was struggling with some mental or emotional
response rather than just out of anger when this group returned.”
Maggie: “…I noticed how close the community in the film was.
When Hassan’s wife cried out into the street, the people of the town
immediately came to her side. When they discovered Hassan’s cow had died, they
all got together to bury it before he returned. They mourned for the cow together
and all felt connected.”
The
Lie
Anthony: “The villagers went through great lengths to ensure
that Hassan thought the Cow ran away instead of died. Obviously, their efforts
were all for nothing because the news still devastated Hassan. Soon after
Hassan received the news, his slow descent into madness began. Eventually,
Hassan believed that he was the cow, which was just so amazing to me. I say
this because I am sure things like this have happened before and this just
brings to light what can happen to someone that is depressed. I found myself
wondering something, though. Is it
possible that because the villagers lied to Hassan, albeit with good
intentions, Hassan took the news even harder? I believe that this is the
case. Since the villagers told him that the cow ran away, it left may have left
a little glimmer of hope that the cow may return. If he would have just heard
the truth maybe he would have been able to cope with the news better. That
could be completely inaccurate, but that is my perspective. Also, it bothered
me a little that we never really found out how the cow died. Does anyone know
what the cause of that was?”
Treatment of the
Mentally Ill
Caitlin: “The mentally delayed man who was shown throughout
the film was treated rather poorly. When asked if he would tell Hassan about
the death of his cow, the man obviously did not understand what was going on
(based on his contradictory answers). The villagers decide to tie the man up so
he cannot ‘spill the beans’ to Hassan. Such horrendous treatment of a mentally
ill man is appalling by today’s standards. Sadly, this was not too
far off from how society treated the mentally ill even up to the 1970s. Many
people suffering with illness were locked away from society…. When Hassan finds
out that his cow has ‘run away’ he begins to distance himself from the
villagers. What the villagers think is a moment of distress is actually the beginnings
of a mental breakdown. When a severe mental breakdown occurs the sufferer can have
symptoms that include delusions (strong irrational
beliefs), hallucinations (seeing, hearing or feeling something that isn't
actually there), depression as well as many other possible symptoms. Hassan’s
delusions included that he was becoming a cow. In society today we would
handle this by temporarily institutionalizing him, the use of
psychotherapy and the use several types of medications to make the
delusions go away (many people who have suffered from psychotically breaks
have unregulated levels of hormones/chemicals which can sometimes be causing
the issues. Example: schizophrenia has been linked to an unusually high level
of dopamine). The villagers decided that the best way to handle Hassan’s
mental illness was to tie him up with rope and attempt to take him to a nearby
town for assistance. The tying of Hassan is previously reflected with the
tying of Hassan’s dead cow, he is becoming his cow and will soon receive the
same fate. Hassan’s descent into madness besides being theatrical
also serves another purpose. His madness lends itself to show the
poor treatment of the mentally ill. Rather than being treated like a man like
he was in the beginning, by the end he is treated like an animal. He is
treated the same way that many people with mental illness have been treated, as
sub-humans as not having worth, as being no better than an animal. The death of
Hassan's cow was too much for the villagers to handle, so they tried to take
control of the situation the best way they knew how. The same happens when the
villagers try to handle the problems brought about by Hassan. Hassan is beaten
by the villagers because his mental illness was too much for them to handle. He
eventually gets away from them, but dies soon after.”
Laura: “The uncompassionate attitude of the village is
displayed in the opening scene when a mentally challenged man is being tortured
by the children and Saffar’s son, a young man who has come back from the city.
This scene is later replicated when Hassan loses his grasp on reality but the
lack of empathy and compassion amongst the humans only contributed to
illustrating how significant Hassan’s relationship is with his cow…. Unlike
Dabashi I didn’t find solace in this intense bond between Hassan and the cow,
because of the flagrant disregard that was shown towards human begins
throughout the film. Perhaps that was the point. Perhaps Mehrjui
meant to force the audience to confront the lack of human consideration by
showing how much a man can love an animal and if anything that human beings
tend to treat each other like beasts.”
Gabby: “…I was shocked to see how it opened up with a scene
of a mentally ill man being, in a sense, tortured…. 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 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.”
Chris: “…people believe that [Hassan] goes insane after the
cow dies, however I feel that he was always insane. Even when the cow was there
he was talking to himself and the cow and doing very strange things. Perhaps
the cow was anchoring him to be human, but with its death he felt no need to pretend
anymore and just became ‘The Cow.’ All in all this film was very good. It was
able to show a man who had everything (because he had the only cow) to him
having nothing.”
Maggie: “I am sure when and
where this film was made, cows were (or are still) sacred to those who own
them. In Hassan’s case, however, he made that cow his entire life. His whole
existence and happiness was because of that cow. This shows signs of obsession
and depression, which are very serious mental illnesses.”
Bond with Cow/Metempsychosis?
Anthony: “Hassan clearly was infatuated with the cow. It
even seemed a little over the line. However, many people act that way with
their dogs or cats so it is not that strange in the grand scheme of things.”
Heather: “Hassan and the cow had a bond that he did not have
with any other being. Even though Hassan was becoming mentally unstable, he
still felt a connection with his cow. Maybe he did not want to come to the
realization that it was dead.”
Keleigh: “I do believe that the author’s psychological views
resonate with the film, namely when Mehrjui states, ‘Hassan and his cow are one
soul in two bodies’ and that once the cow dies ‘Hassan becomes both himself and
his cow- two souls in one body’ (Mehrjui 125). For me, this put Hassan’s
actions at the end of the film into perspective.”
Hina: “I personally don’t believe in such a thing, but it is
an interesting concept. And it makes sense how the cow’s soul was transferred
to Hassan which would explain his sudden change. However, wouldn’t that mean
that he would have two souls and why would the cow’s soul be the dominant one?
It doesn’t really make much sense how his attachment to his cow, his strange
affectionate relationship was powerful enough to change his entire life. I don’t
even know if you could call it love because the cow provided him with milk and
he might have felt special having the only cow in the village. The film didn’t
do much in that aspect to show how strong the relationship of the two was. It
felt like more like he had an obsession with an object, that he wanted to
maintain.”
Gabby: When we first meet Hassan and his cow, it is clear…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.”
Jessica: “For Hassan it seems the cow was his whole life,
some would argue his whole being, as he basically becomes the creature he loved
(121). This idea of transmigration is something that has been around for
centuries in the Islam religion and present in Persian stories and culture.”
Freud, etc…
Loni: “The reading really helped to tie some of the loose
ends of the movie together. I found the information about Freud’s ‘Heimlich’
and ‘Unheimlich’ ideas and the effects of Saedi’s relationships with his
parents especially interesting…. Saedi…thought that his mother was his sister
and his actual sister, whom he never met, died before he was born. His
grandmother died while he was young and his father left the family. At the end
of the reading it is argued that Saedi had a love for his mother that was
incestuous and a hatred toward his father that was parricidal. The cow
reflected Saedi’s life because he created the character Hassan who had a love
for the cow that was ‘as much incestuous as his death wish is parricidal.’ In
the scene where Hasaan is feeding his cow his love for it is very strong. It
can be compared to the ‘incestuous’ love that one might have for their mother.
He is hysterical with joy over the cow. Once the cow dies Hasaan is depressed
and becomes more like a cow himself. These actions are said to be parricidal.
He has given up on life and is purposefully destroying himself which ultimately
destroys his father (his father’s lineage).”
Jessica: “Dabashi writes that Saedi was revolutionary in his
thinking about anxiety, stress, and psychosis. As a psychiatrist and
sociologist, his travels enabled him to scientifically analyze people and then
portray it ingeniously. He came up with many fictional pieces of work that were
meant to show that man has a reality that is commonly known, .i.e., agreeing
this book is in fact a book, and then a man simultaneously has his own reality
that gives meaning to the book unique to himself, but that he still just calls
reality.”
Caitlin: “The Cow is based on the short stories
entitled The Mourners of Bayal by
Gholam-Hossein Saedi. Saedi’s classical training in
psychiatry influenced his writing of The Mourners of Bayal, he
was able to through his writings, show the psychological issues a small village
in Iran may face. The characters suffer with irrational fears that
are devastating. They try to use ritual and religious elements to control
the struggles they face, sadly the villagers do not realize that what they are
doing is using a false sense of control to handle their struggles.”
Lack of Affection for
Wife
Hina: “The cow showed little to any reaction, or emotion [to
Hassan’s affection.]… I understand how easy it is to get attached to something,
but to completely lose it when the object of obsession is gone makes no sense.
Nothing in this world is forever after all. His attachment was too deep-seated.
It also seemed like the cow was the only thing in his life that gave him
meaning…. He didn’t even seem to hold any affection for his wife, which made me
think that their marriage was probably arranged and was just an obligation he
could not refuse.”
Laura: “Another aspect that made me feel uncomfortable was
the lack of any sort of relationship between Hassan and his wife. His wife clearly
knows that her husband values a cow much more than he values her; this fact definitely
made an impact on me.”
Bestiality
Jessica:
“Because my mind always seems to go to ‘dirty’ thoughts, I kept wondering why
anyone would prefer a cow to the company of their wife. I fully realize that
because I was raised on American films where everything, especially children’s
films (often with animals) is sexualized. So, while Hassan giggling madly while
feeding and bathing his cow, getting jealous when others (the village children)
try to touch his cow, might seem ‘platonic,’ I just can’t help wonder if Hassan’s
love had an underlying bestiality aspect to it, especially since his love drove
him to insanity as he jumped down a cliff.”
Cow’s Death
Keleigh: “Perhaps Hassan felt as though he had a significant
purpose when the cow was alive. It was the only cow in the village and the
people benefitted. Once the cow dies, Hassan felt that he did not have anything
else to offer. His prized cow gave him power.”
Hina: “It was odd how they tried to help Hassan for what
seemed like a few days, or at least a week and then suddenly they couldn't deal
with him anymore. The way in which they got rid of him reminded me of how they
got rid of the cow. Tied up and dragged away, Hassan and the cow both became
obsolete tools. Can a person even be considered obsolete? Hassan would
have died eventually if he continued his journey, so why get rid of him? It’s
not like they had to take care of him, he wasn’t their responsibility.”
FORM
Opening
Laura: “Even the opening credits inform the audience
that what they are about to see will not be a typical film. Shapes appear that
resemble a man and a cow, but these shapes are fluid. They are not strict
outlines of a man or animal; they are like watching a mirage in the distance and
never quite come into focus. This choice for the opening credits made much
more sense to me once I realized the character Hassan had such a close
relationship with his cow and when he eventually goes mad and mentally transforms
into his prized animal.”
Silent Cow Burial
Heather: “it was one of the scenes with the most editing.
The cow was dropped in the hole, almost in slow motion. Everything goes quiet
and if I remember correctly, the camera focuses on the cow’s head, and the
screen turns white. This scene in a way told the viewer that the cow was much
more important than it was once thought to be.”
Ally: “As far as the film production goes, I thought the
camerawork was very effective. There was a scene where the cow died and the
town was throwing it into a hole and all sound ceased in that moment. The
close-up camera view of the cow and the complete silence kind of sealed its
death…”
Lack of Dialogue
Keleigh: “One of the things I found memorable about the form
of the film was that there was not a lot of dialogue spoken. There were many
scenes of people in the village or of Hassan with his cow when there was no
dialogue or no subtitles. It seemed as if the director felt so confident in the
actions and emotions of his actors that he felt that words were unnecessary.
For the most part, I would agree. When Hassan was washing his cow in the
beginning and later when he was in the barn feeding her, there was no dialogue
and yet no one would doubt the love Hassan had for his cow because it was clear
in his actions and emotions.”
Not Flashy
Jessica: “…black and white film. As a 23 year old movie
lover, I have been brain-washed to expect flashiness in my films, and for the
film makers to basically slap you in the face with the theme. With that being
sad, I much prefer the ambiguousness of ‘The Cow’…”
Slow Moving
Kelsey: “I was slightly bored by it and the constant
mumbling to the cow even annoyed me at times… The film moved slowly and the
plot was so simple... I feel like it took a while before anything happened.”
Close ups, Emotional
Cues, and Setting
Kelsey: “[The director was] able to zoom in to let you know
that there was something important the audience needed to notice. They also
showed the facial expressions of each person as they went through various
emotions at a close angle… They also kept bringing the scene back to common
locations. An example would be the window the men received drinks from. It makes
the audience aware that that was a common place for the men to gather and
discuss news. This makes the audience feel familiar with the setting in the
movie.”
Music
Ally: “The music also gave an element of suspense. The
short, quick notes lead me to believe that something important was about to
happen.”
Camera as Villager’s
Eye
Ally: “Dabashi discusses in his article that the camera
itself acts as member of the village, Bayal. ‘[Mehrjui’s] camera becomes a
local inhabitant of the village, dwelling inside one of those cave-like
cubicles, loitering around the village pool, and then sitting for a cup of tea
with Islam and his buddies.’ And I thought that we the viewers, might too act
as inhabitants of the village for a short period of time, because we can only
see Bayal through the camera’s lens. So the views of the camera can absolutely
affect the way we see the village and the Bayalis.”
Mesmerizing
Anthony: “This was probably one of the most interesting and
mesmerizing things that I have ever watched.”
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