"Young man, do you know what still causes so much pain? It's not the people we lost, or the land. It's to know that we could be so hated. Who are these people, who could hate us so much? How can they still deny their hatred? And so hate us... hate us even more?" Edward SaroyanArarat reflect on one the 20th centuries most unobserved genocides in history, one that took over 1 million lives of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks. What Egoyan does masterfully in his film is using a film within a film as a confessional of his pain and reflections of this part in history. We see this most when the character of Martin Harcourt breaks out of character during filming by an upset Ani played by Arsinee Khanjian when she finds out that parts of the films might not be historically accurate. Egoyan here is asking the audience to sacrifice technical detail for the gravity of the Armenian genocide where Mount Ararat is closer than what might be accurate during the film set. Mount Ararat believed to be the origin of Armenian people is interesting in itself for symbolic reasons. It is so because it is the largest physical peak in Turkey similar to how the Armenian genocide is the biggest physical atrocity to Armenians. This can be shown in the scene where the director's assistant justifies the set backdrop appear closer than what is historically accurate. It brings the pain into focus so people do not forget. It says this is who we are and where we come from.
What is one of the many themes in the film is the subjectivity of truth. Did the Turks relocate the Armenians or were they systemically killed in a planned fashion? Raffi the main protagonist and Ali the Turkish actor playing in the film within a film discuss the Armenian genocide and whether it really was a genocide or not. Ali sensitive to Raffi just wants to be civil but we see his hesitation to fully admit it ever happened. He admits the Armenians were moved but can't bring himself to say they were purposely killed. Being Turkish within an Armenian evironnment of this historical film brings him to question his own beliefs and whether he is betraying his people by associating with such an unfortunate event. It is like damning his own people by admitting guilt. Other instances of this include the purpose of a cause to solidify a a larger truth. That in which Ani says that her husband jumped off a cliff whereas her step-daughter is convinced Ani
pushed her step-father off a cliff. It is hard to believe that Ani would do this but we are not sure. She is strangely intuitive and controlling of her son who may be the only person who can bring her closure. For her he is a confessional to which no sins are admitted. Her job as an art professor makes her interesting in the sense that maybe her interpretations of other peoples' art such as Arshile Gorky has sophisticated her own talent in manipulating the truth of the the death of her husband more bearable and manageable. We want to believe she is innocent like Raffi is when questioned by the customs agent but we are not fully sold.
Raffi strangely enough is the most interesting character in the film because of the complex way everyone seems to use and manipulate him to get emotional revenge on others. Although he is ultimately weak and passive he holds a lot of innocent charm that makes him trustworthy and somewhat endearing. He seeks his own version of the truth by going to Turkey to make sense of his father's death as a political fighter. To make the past events of the genocide clearer and perhaps gain a purpose like what his father had. Unfortunately none of this came true and he is more lost than ever. He has conviction but not enou
gh drive to unravel his issues and the projections other people put on him to alleviate their own emotional burdens. This is shown when his mother has a strange jealousy of his girlfriend and vice-versa of his girlfriend using him to infuriate his mother. She does so because she believes his mother pushed her father off a cliff. He is just a tool who is passive and unclear about what he wants and how to achieve it. The absence of a father figure has obviously emasculated him and not given him that male strength to be assertive and this is shown when he is submissive to both his girlfriend and mother. The girlfriend, Cecilia wants to read his book but he tells her she can't read it because he promised him mother. If he had a male rolemodel he most likely would have just told her he didn't want her to read it and not have to justify why.
Christopher Plummer's character David who is a customs officer is a god-like character not judgemental, patient and never emotional. He is like St. Peter to Raffi's ultimate fate. David never antagonises or pushes Raffi too hard. He lets time and Raffi's own anxiety destroy him. He watches him like an unseeing eye. But his position is reversed as he has to deal with his son's questioning as he drills him about not accepting his lifestyle. Here he buckles under pressure and sees the pain of his son to be accepted. This in turn makes him give Raffi the benefit of the doubt during customs to whether or not Raffi was smuggling heroin. The strongest and most dynamic character is that of Edward Saroyan played by Charles
Aznavour. He is unapologetic in his mission as the director in the film working with Ani and Ali in his artistic choices. When Ali (Elias Koteas) who as a Turk in the film asks him what Edward thought of his opinion about the Armenian Genocide Edward just looks at him unwavering and says, "It doesn't matter what you think." He then buys him some champagne to set aside the harsh feelings. Ani also argues about the historical inaccuracy in the film but Saroyan is a vigilant and civil as possible. He appreciates her opinion but doesn't need it. His mind is decided and he doesn't bend or break for anyone.The depictions of the Armenian genocide within the film include rape, torture and death but the characters themselves are the most tragic. They are heavily flawed, complex individuals who have much shame and turmoil in who they are and how they live. What can be most positively said about this film is that no character is a foil. They all serve equally important roles and complement and expand each other's complex natures even more.
What is best about the film is that it is not over dramatic and heavy handed. It lets you decide for yourself who is ethical and what to believe. Is Raffi innocent? The real tragedy in the movie is when we lose faith in Raffi as he is interrogated by the customs official.The ending like the photograph the mother gives to her son says it all. Never forget who you are and never forget where you came from.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmNw_7NoWms
