Arranged Marriage (1996)

Director:

Mike Marvin

Writer:

Naomi L. Selfman (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Erotica | Lesbianism | Lesbian Scene | Lesbian Sex

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Michael O'Connor	...	Richard
Michael George	...	Eric
Diana Frank	...	Francine
Lisa Comshaw	...	Mona
Lorissa McComas	...	Michelle
Delphine Pacific	...	Gisella
Shari Eckert	...	Savannah
Angel Dickenson	...	Girl #3
Christiva Turner	...	Red Zelda
Jennifer Thomas	...	Blondie
Diana Cuevas	...	Lisette
Alexandre Dupuis	...	Trainer (as Alex Dupuis)
Laurie Howell	...	Newswoman (as Laurie Howell)
Terry Rose	...	Flower Vendor
Lafayette Parish	...	Gallery Owner

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality and some language.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:R | USA:R

Company:

Maui Heat Productions

Soundtrack:

MYSTERY

cinematic view point

well, if you are interested in social issues, its definitely recommended to see this movie, 8-10 if you are interested in cinema issues, here is my comments only about the first two scenes ( ... are words in English i struggled to make it @_*)

Naomi L. Selfman, the writer of Arranged Marriage, criticized some issues that exist in religions or in the people who follow that religion. Arranged marriage was a good topic to mention since it still exist today in our life specially that people start being more liberal. He mentioned this problem in Islam and Judaism societies. Although some might criticize this idea of focusing on these two religions, he probably sees as lots of people do that Islam and Judaism are two of the most religions that considered being conservative. He explained that himself by introducing another issue which is the discrimination between the Muslims and Jewish in the world wide today. Selfman's focuses on some main important ideas didn't detain him from paying attention to the cinematographic elements that really gives a pretty cool image to the practical situation in our life.

The first scene of the movie is great directed because it showed the whole problem, the point of the movie, in less than a minute. Mixed of sounds, costuming, and other cinematographic elements are involved within this clip. The image shot was on a Muslim guy then immediately a Jew and ended this scene by adding the train ……….. The Muslim and the Jew are presented to show that there is something going on between them. Showing the Muslim guy having a Palestinian flag then showing the Jew wearing his ….. gives a hint to the political problem in Palestine/Israel and its relation to a problem will be presented in this movie. After showing the two men in different places, helpfully as appeared, he showed a mess background, walls with ….. that also gives a hint to something not …… Just few seconds before showing the train, Selfman shows houses tightly bonded together which indicate to the relation issue in living and could also refer to the relation in general, communicating. Then showing the bus running fast in higher level explains the problem that still running and really taking high, hard, dispute between Muslims and Jewish. The classic music interrupted this scene and space presented in addition to the costuming of both Jew and Muslim cloths and the camera angles that shot the train and the binding houses pretty give an amazing clip and start for this movie.

The next clip that took place at the school presented the second problem that the name of the movie hints, Arranged Marriage. A dialogs and camera shots played a big role in presenting the problem clearly. The director presented the clip and a good space which were a school in New York City, multicultural school. The teacher said " the building of the ground is based in the first few weeks". The instructor was lecturing about how to build a relation between teachers and students so its important base to keep on. Just after she finished what she was lecturing another dialog took place when three American girls discussed their relation with their boyfriends while Rachel and Fiaza glancing at them with mix of amazed and …... That scene starting by the instructor speech, introduces the problem of arranged marriage, although some people are fine with it, that if a relation between an instructor and students need couple of weeks as basics to be confident, what about the lifetime relation, marriage. While the American girls dialog explains some obstacles that some, as presented, Muslims and Jews struggle with that prevent them from getting to know somebody before marriage. One of the girls talked about her relation with her boyfriend and how she had fun as she said with him before marriage and then she is about to get married. Well, she said fun but as it seemed from they way how she talks, saying that "this weekend will be the last time we have fun before getting married, indicate to a sexual relationship. Therefore, although no religion permits sexual relations before legal marriage; however as seems that Fiaza and Rachel believe that they would rather to not have a relation rather than falling in love and by the way doing what is not permitted. Furthermore, although at the end of the movie Rachel fall in love with a guy who she didn't know before, she got married just like the same way as an arranged married which shows how in some religious societies, people push themselves to follow their religions perfectly even when individuals themselves doesn't like it. That was clear when Rachel left her home because of the force and pressure her parents put on her to marry as the way Orthodox believe.

Through out this movie, I found very interesting cinematographic elements that supported the theme and bonded parallel with it until the end. Am pretty sure if I will mention those cinematographic elements and try to explain them, it will be not less than ten pages. Young who were grew up on discrimination such Rachel brothers, the idea that sticks on people mind such what happened in the children center and more good examples throw out the movie. Anyway, this movie theme was well presented and directed and gave many suggestions to solve the discrimination problems. Love, respect and peace.