Ballad Of A White Cow review: A blistering death penalty drama, saved by compassion

3.5/5

STORY: An Iranian widow is determined to live a life of dignity and respect, as she seeks justice for the wrongful execution of her innocent husband.

Watch the trailer here  

REVIEW: “A mistake has been made and we are very sorry about it,” said a court official, informing a widow that her husband was wrongfully murdered by the state.

It isn’t rare that a miscarriage of justice is used as the central theme of a film, but Iran’s Ballad of a White Cow is every bit profound and dignified, without sinking you in overwhelming grief. Mina (Maryam Moghadam, who has also co-directed the film with Behtash Sanaeeha) is heard sobbing profusely behind the closed door of a prison cell, moments before her husband Babak is sent to the gallows. Helpless, broke and under a lot of pressure from her in-laws to hand over the guardianship of her seven-year-old deaf daughter Bita (Avin Poor Raoufi) and the blood money, the widow has no choice but to hold her calm in the face of chaos and adversities.

At work, Mina quickly disappears amid rows of milk cartons, as she struggles to provide the minimum for her daughter at home. Burdened by the guilt that she couldn’t do anything to save the life of her innocent husband, she seeks for a public apology from the judicial system after they inform her about the mistaken identity murder. Her only shoulder to cry on during these tough times is her landlady (Lili Farhadpour), who stays in the neighbouring apartment. But months after the execution, the mother and daughter are asked to vacate the house, because the landlord doesn’t approve of a single woman staying on rent.

One morning, a middle-aged man named Reza (Alireza Sanifar) appears at their doorstep, claiming to be Babak’s acquaintance who owed him money. He signs a generous cheque for a debt that was never there. Nevertheless, this came as a blessing for Mina and Bita, who were struggling to make ends meet. Days later, they shifted to an apartment owned by Reza, paying a meagre sum as rent.

In her quest for justice in an unfair society, Mina finds a quiet corner of comfort in Reza. Her compassion toward Reza after he loses his son comes from a place of honesty and humanity. Reza, on the other hand, is full of remorse and retribution. He has just left his job as a judge and doesn’t intend to go back to the court again.

In the absence of familial support, Babak’s brother (Pouria Rahimi Sam) offers to stand by her until this too suffocates Mina, pushing her into a doldrum of dilemmas. In the 1-hour-45-minute runtime, she is constantly oscillating between seeking justice and the means to do it. “You are still very young. You have to accept your fate and move on,” these are lines that he gets to hear every now and then, to which she responds, saying, “How one dies is important.”

The metaphorical ‘white cow’ appears only twice in this ‘ballad’ that no one wants to sing. Maryam outshines every other character in this suspenseful, heartfelt story of powerlessness, fate and dignity. One can’t help but to empathise with her plight, as she is forced to choose between hope and the right thing to do.

VERDICT: You’ll love the subtle, silent expressions and poignant characterisation in the film. Woven with care, the narrative is moving and never too much. Little Bita’s love for cinema is adorable. Persian cinematic craft at its best, Ballad of a White Cow pleases you with a sincere script and Maryam’s superb acting.

*Reema Gowalla is an independent arts and culture journalist, who mostly writes about theatre and independent cinema, and sometimes also delves into culinary heritage.