Review of ‘Bashu (The Little Stranger)’

Hi everybody,

        Well today I have another outstanding movie just for you. It is an Iranian movie named “Bashu (The Little Stranger) released in 1989. The film is shot in two dialects. It is one of the few movies where Gilaki dialect is used. The film is about a war orphaned young boy. He reaches another part of the country hidden in the back of a cargo truck. There, in a small village he is adopted by a kind, tough, strong willed women by the name of ‘Naii’. Initially everyone in the village advised Naii not to adopt him but she goes against everybody’s will. However Bashu proves very useful to Naii. In the end Bashu become a son of Naii. That is the story in brief.

        It beautifully portrays the character of Naii as well as Bashu. Naii plays such an important part in the movie. I,initially, feel that the movie should have been named as Naii. But Bashu( the sweet, helpful, dark skinned boy, clever and troubled boy) is the central to the development of the movie. Ultimately, I am happy with the Name, Bashu( The Little Stranger). In the end it doesn’t matter what the name of the movie is. It is such a wonderful movie that you all will enjoy.

        An outstanding movie. The cinematography is simply superb. The movie begins amid violence. Just like the life of Bashu. It gets calmer as the movie progress just as the life of Bashu got pacified. Most of the scenes is shot among the green field, rural location, trees, little rivulet, etc. I can feel a poetic beauty in it.

        Now, the characters of the film are simply stupendous. Naii, the mother of two young child, has been played perfectly well by Susan Taslimi. She has a young boy and a cute little girl. Her son and daughter seem very natural with their childish or childlike act. Bashu acted beyond expectation. Other characters in the film also performed their parts well.

        The film shows a glimpse of the culture of Iran. We could relate to the culture of Iran in this movie. In the movie when Naii felt ill, we see a glimpse of voodoo magic. The traditional harvesting dance performed by the kids. The local council when all the villagers gather at Naii’s place to discuss whether Bashu should be adopted or not. It resembles the functioning of grassroot democracy.

It also shows the universal value like the importance of family in this movie. The power of love has been eulogised. When Naii felt ill, Bashu out of love for her ran for the doctor. Bashu accompanying Naii in her night watch over the field. These are some of the scene which I am stating.

Well, I almost forgot to mention a scene which is very poignant as well as point out the resourcefulness of Naii. When Bashu avoids Naii which has instructed him to take a bath. Naii hid herself among the hay, and caught Bashu, drag him near the river and throw him inside the river. She then washed him. That scene is really one of the most remarkable scenes of the movie.

        The movie is steeped in paranormal event. We see a glimpse of voodoo magic when Naii was ill. The dead mother, father and brother of Bashu appears every now and then.

        There is a poetic beauty in the movie. Like in the beginning there is violence and it end in the eventual adoption of Bashu by everybody in the village. Moreover the apparition of the Bashu’s mother stops appearing in the movie when Naii openly announces that Bashu is her son. These are the things that I find very imaginatic.

        The way the story is shown it is remarkable how the director, Behram Beizai, web his magic. You will feel the professionalism of Behram in the movie.

        I should say it is one of those movies that you should watch even if you are not a regular cinema goer.