There is hardly any film making nation more prolific than Iran where more or less a dozen women cinéastes are active. They are : Rakhshan Bani Etemad, Puran Derakhshandeh, Tahmineh Milani, Marva Nabili, Manijeh Hekmat, Niki Karimi, Mania Akbari, Mona Zandi, Samira Makhmalbaf, Marziyeh Meshkini etc. "The Fifth Reaction" by Tahmineh Milani offers a feminine perspective on Iranian women's problems from a controversial feminist filmmaker. The major difference between this film and those made by other women filmmakers is that while pacifist women filmmakers like Rakhshan Bani Etemad, Puran Derakhshandeh have always made it a point to depict the sad plight of Iranian women coming from economically weaker sections, Tahmineh Milani has preferred to portray the lives of affluent Iranian women. This ideology further lends credibility to the belief that it is not only poor people whose lives should be shown in films as even rich people's lives provide excellent stories for films. Thanks to such a positive stand taken by Tahmineh Milani, this trend is further explored in new films by Niki Karimi and Mania Akbari.Niki Karimi, who fortunately happens to the most recognizable face of Iranian cinema, plays the role of a young widow who is continually troubled by her father-in-law as after his son's demise,he would like to take custody of his grandchildren. This move is fiercely opposed by this young educated widow as all her modern, progressive educated friends lend her a helping hand in order to thwart any move to snatch the young ones from her.The sad thing is that these other women are also troubled by the men in their lives.On watching this film one can discern that the women shown are educated,come from affluent families. I am quite certain that all the viewers will be continually asking the question : Why are they subjugated to such a nasty subhuman treatment ? This is an issue which should have been addressed by the director but unfortunately there is no hint of it in the film. Like many other films of similar kind, "The fifth element" has its share of melodramatic elements too. I reckon this must have been planned keeping the box office aspirations in mind. Lastly, the title of the film will remain a mystery. What is the fifth reaction and even if such a reaction exists, it is a reaction to what ? May be for this reason this film provides ample food for thought.
Review of The Fifth Reaction
