Barakat! (2006) User Reviews

Agatha Christie cum Iranian Movie Refinement, from an Algerian Point of View

[maratis · 6/10 · 26 July 2006]

This somewhat boring who's done it tells about the woes of traditionally suffering Algerian womanhood. Beware: This is a well constructed movie. There are subtle but explicit links between the opening and closing sequences. The final surprise makes you accept (and maybe even try and analyze) the slow moving central 80% of the movie. Why men there choose to be afraid of dangerous female sexuality escapes me. The movie doesn't supply any answer. But at all steps one feels the rage of the woman director (who lives in Paris). All the scenes seem to be the outcome of some unpleasant features of daily life in present day Algeria. Especially the second (elderly) heroine, a nurse who had taken part in Algeria's freedom struggle thirty or forty years earlier (it depends on which time setting you place the movie: 1995 or 2005, approximately), is allowed somewhat outspoken criticism of the menfolk there, which sounds quite convincing, and thus makes one reflect whether after all this movie is not more powerful that what one might think at first sight.

Feminist and touching movie

[agriculturepassionfou · 7/10 · 5 August 2022]

I really enjoyed the film where it exposes the reality of the 2 women, their search and the conflict and friendship between them!

I found it interesting when the older one talk about her past experince of Algerian libération war!!

We need more of these films who show people reality.

A really nice insight in a country oversea from mine

[huygens · 10/10 · 25 October 2006]

I really enjoyed watching this movie, it has a slow pace where the director films intensively the expression of the characters making you feel that you can read their minds. The landscape and characters are both splendid, "majestueux" (which I would translate as "elegant with a touch of grace" in English). It was also a nice insight of the problems in Algeria, many still present from the cicatrice of the French colonisation. As a French, I was really interested to have the view from their part. As many times the History we learn at school does not deserve the uppercase 'H' because it is often biased. * warning, occidental point of view here: * And most of all, this film present the fight of women in a country where their place is not comparable to the men's one.