The Film Sabah Created by Ruba Nadda - Movie Review Example

Professor Name Institution, course number Date Sabah The film “Sabah” created by Ruba Nadda and presented in 2005 made a great impression on the audience. At first glance, it seems that the film is a typical romantic love story, but if we look deeper, its content provides the viewer with the number of questions, which arise after watching of the film. The classical content of the film was transformed into the modern history of the eternal contradictions between two cultures. It touches most of the important spheres of human life: family, love, culture, personal desires and so forth. The aim of this work is to analyze the film and reveal the religious themes, which are portrayed in it. The plot represents the life of a woman Sabah, who is deeply devoted to her family and traditions. She cares for her mother and lives a lonely life, strictly obeying the Muslim traditions. The main role was played by Arsinee Khanjian, who was very persuasive in her character. The film belongs to a romantic comedy, which represents serious contradictions between different cultures. It reflects the life of a woman, who had never wanted to get married. The reasons, which prevented the main heroine from creation of the family, are unknown to the viewer. Moreover the movie characterizes her as a good daughter, who cares for her close people. However, the whole personality of Sabah reflects her internal contradictions, which are revealed through her appearance. She wears a dull clothes and her head is always covered. Sabah is the typical heroine, who accepts the stability and flatness of her life without any complains. However, when she meets Stephan, the man of her life, everything changes. The scene of their meeting is quite unpredictable, which contradicts with the way of life of the main heroine. Stephan and Sabah meet at the public swimming-pool. Stephan is a Canadian, who does not correspond to any Muslim description of a man. This meeting gradually changes Sabah’s image of an ideal Muslim woman. The more she communicates with Stephan the opener she becomes. Sabah changes her regular style into more casual one, taking from Stephan the features of Western spirit. Her clothes become opener as well as her character. Stephan and Sabah felt in love with each other. The thing is that this love greatly contradicts with the religious customs of her family. Sabah faces the choice between her family and the beloved person. This choice is quite typical for Muslim women, because they are born with restricted rights, which greatly different from the Western opportunities of women to choose their partners and build their fate in the way they want it. Sabah’s brother represents the culminate image of the story. Being a dictator with difficult character, he puts Sabah under the question of choice between Stephan and her family. Definitely, the main heroine chooses love. The film is full of customs and religious contradictions between two cultures. Leaving her family, Sabah leaves her religion as well. She changed her style of clothing, uses red lipstick and does not cover her head any more. Sabah becomes completely involved in relationships with Stephan and accepts the modern rhythm of his life. At the end, the conflict is settled and represents the picture of a big and happy family. However, the film contains a lot of funny moments. For example, when Sabah’s niece tries to avoid marriage. These moments make the love story not as tragic as it seems at first sight. The film covers many religious themes. First of all, it represents the restricted position of women in the society. The tradition of pre-arranged marriage made thousands of Western women feel sympathy for Muslim female representatives. The film shows the great domination of men under women. The rights of Muslim men in terms of religion and society are not so restricted. They can do everything they want. They hold business, get married, travel, choose their own style of life, while women always exist in the dependant position, either from the decision of their family, or their husbands. Most of their time, Muslim women do things, which they did not choose to do. Looking at the relationships between Sabah and Stephan most of Muslims will be disappointed. It is prohibited for Muslim women to marry men of other religious views. That is why, the attitude of Sabah’s family to Stephan and their tight is negative. Each religion has its own peculiarities and it is difficult to live with a person who does not share you style of life. Western relationships are more built on the basis of partnership and mutual support, while Muslim’s one base on the principle of subordination. That is why, during the film we can see that when Sabah stays in her family she is one person, but when she spends time with Stephan she changes completely both mentally and physically. The film represents mostly the negative features of Muslim religious traditions, but the author had no purpose to create the wrong picture of Eastern religion. The thing is that the peculiarities of Muslim religion have been developed since ancient times. Muslims men and women live inside of this culture for all their life. Consequently, “Sabah” is a unique representation of assimilation of two cultures. Most of Muslim women respect greatly their religion and traditions. They live happily, without the second thoughts about the question of their uniqueness and dissimilarity to Western religion. Most of Muslim women prefer to live their regular style of life, while the position of Western countries in relation to marriage and publicity seems unfamiliar and strange for them. Western culture considers some issues of Muslim states as wrong and restricting. Muslim states, it their turn, reflect the negative attitude in terms of frivolity and expedience of Western women. Sabah’s brother Majid does not represent a typical Muslim man, but is more shown as a religious fanatic. He constantly tries to arrange the lives of all his sisters in terms of Muslim traditions, but fails. None of women in the family works outside the house. After the death of their father, Majid takes the role of patriarch in the family. He tries to make a total control over all members of it. The character of Sabah is an image of Muslim woman, who seeks for her own way in life, overcoming cultural prohibitions, which is not acceptable for “good Muslim woman”. Watching at the main heroine, we understand that she is not similar to other people of her nation. Her internal struggle for freedom is revealed through the scene, when after her birthday, Sabah buys a swimming suit and goes to the pool. The religious expression takes place in the scene, when Sabah’s mother comes to Stephen’s shop and sees that he works over the wooden crosses. By means of this picture, the author wanted to highlight the culmination of the situation, based on religious contradictions of two sides. Sabah’s mother wants only happiness for her daughter and puts up with the situation. The differentiation of moral and spiritual spheres in Islam is very uncertain, which is associated with a weak sense of depravity and imperfection, and requires an inner transformation. The highest value and purpose of human life in Islam is belonging to "the world of Islam," in order to achieve salvation and heavenly bliss. The relationship of Islam and Christianity continues to be complex and contradictory. That is why Sabah’s family is so worried about her relationships with Stephan. Muslims view the family as an institution prescribed by God. The primarily appointment of Muslim women is to be a wife and mother, lead the household, raise children and care for their religious and moral education. Modesty and faith are inextricably linked. Each religion has a special character. The character of Islam is modesty. That is why, during the film, the main character underwent considerable changes. Concluding this article, it is necessary to state that religion plays a dominant role in the relationships between people. However, in the film “Sabah”, we can observe that any difficulties can be overcome by the strength of love. The film is definitely one of the best pictures, which reveals the contradictory character of the person and the surrounding world. It makes us think over the values of life we live in. However, each person makes his own choice. The audience of the film faced the happy end, which provides inspiration for those, who faced the similar situation. Works Cited Durst-Andersen, P., Lange, E. F. Mentality and thoughts: North, South, East and West. Denmark: Copenhagen Business School Press, 2010. Print Mullins, E. Y. The axioms of religion. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1908. Print Read More