Herman (Hussein Hassan, 2009): Iraq

Reviewed by Nicholas Berquist.  Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Hussein Hassan’s Herman is a valiant and courageous movie that unfortunately falls way short of the mark.  It isn’t everyday that a film is released from Iraq.  The country has never been known for its artists, which is something Hassan is trying to change.  His film is daring and controversial because it comes from Iraq and stars a female as the leading character.  This film has a very powerful message but isn’t good enough to gain the attention it needs in order to make a difference in Iraq.

Herman and Adar are two lovers who are first seen splashing and playing in a pool somewhere in the forest.  They are passionate and deeply in love.  We are introduced to the protagonist, Adar, through clever uses of sound.  For instance, when she goes underwater the sound becomes hollow as if the audience was underwater.  This doesn’t happen for Herman.  This scene reminds me of a cleansing of sorts.  Watching these two characters bathe each other and splash each other in this leaf-ridden pool in the middle of nowhere is a foreshadowing of the adventure to come.

Herman must leave the village to buy the necessary items he needs to marry Adar.  While he is away his village is invaded and all the people are taken prisoner.  Adar and her people are moved to an internment camp off in the desert.  Herman returns to find his village burned and everyone missing.  He embarks on a long dangerous journey to reunite with his love.  Meanwhile, Adar discovers she is pregnant with Herman’s child who turns out to be her cousin.  Herman must find Adar before her family does something drastic to remove the shame she has brought upon her family.

The story is riveting, but the telling is less than satisfactory.  At some points the film is predictable and at others it is confusing.  During an early scene, Herman is falling asleep in his tent.  Adar walks over and places her hand on the outside.  Herman puts his hand against hers with the cloth preventing them from touching each other.  This foreshadows their story, symbolizing the fact they will never be or can never be together.

The film becomes confusing through Hassan’s use of flashbacks.  There is nothing cosmetic that changes with the chronology so visually it is difficult to discern a flashback from current action.  Also the flashbacks occur at such odd times it is unclear if what we see is imagined, it happened, or it will happen.  Specifically, when Adar is suffering from morning sickness she has what I assumed were fever dreams.  What they actually were, I cannot tell, and that is exactly my point.  Hassan needed a clearer vision, something to differentiate the scenes and help his audience connect the dots.

There is the slight chance that culturally the film simply doesn’t transcend and that is why as a viewer it feels disconnected.  Perhaps in Iraq that style is very clear.  Unfortunately, Hollywood films are so formulaic we come to expect certain things in the films we see.  Hassan didn’t deliver on my expectations so my experience was hindered as a result.  Hassan is almost there.  His story was fantastic and his characters were believable.  The only thing he needs to work on is his tone and overall composition.  A little cohesiveness goes a very long way.