I never thought a movie would have me say this but, "I can't believe they made this garbage!" Don't get me wrong, I know that bad movies are a part of the Hollywood ecosystem, but this movie jumps the line into outright racism. At the center of this movie is Sally Field playing the normal Sally Field character: a concerned, spirited woman fighting against some societal obstacle. Normally this would only warrant a "ho-hum." In the context of "Not Without my Daughter." It acts as a vehicle for racism. I don't know if anyone in the entire film has ever seen, been to, or talked to anyone from Iran (or anywhere else in the Middle East), but the portrayal of the Iranian people is disgusting. Any educated person with a knowledge of other cultures can see the prejudice seep from every film cell.
I guess it should come as no surprise. The film was after all written by the real life person who escaped the "Iranian menace" portrayed in the film. The film maker, in the desire to make the story powerful, skimped on accuracy and pushed the alien culture factor to the max. The result, as Roger Ebert noted in his review, was rather tainted. I think that this movie can best be described as a mixture of jingoism, star-exploitation, and "Birth of a Nation" all rolled into one painful package. Shelve this one in the propaganda section, right next to the Goebels collection.
I guess it should come as no surprise. The film was after all written by the real life person who escaped the "Iranian menace" portrayed in the film. The film maker, in the desire to make the story powerful, skimped on accuracy and pushed the alien culture factor to the max. The result, as Roger Ebert noted in his review, was rather tainted. I think that this movie can best be described as a mixture of jingoism, star-exploitation, and "Birth of a Nation" all rolled into one painful package. Shelve this one in the propaganda section, right next to the Goebels collection.
