The Extras - Assignment Example

“The Extras” as a Depiction of the Syrians’ Life “The Extras” (1993) is a film directed by Nabil Maleh. It depicts the social and political peculiarities of the Syrians’ life on the example of love relationship between two young people, that is, Salem, a worker of a gas station who studies law and is an extra in a local theatre, and Nada, a young widow. They know each other for eight months during which they meet at parks, or elsewhere, being on eyes of people and hiding from them.

And now at the apartment of Salem’s friend Adel the loving couple is at first in private. Alongside with man’s somewhat strange visions, his feelings are tender; his attitude to Nada is respectful. Still this single case of their alone communication with its final interruption of people pretending to be from police, which have come for the blind neighbor without a warrant, lowers both Salem and Nada from heaven to the earth. Now they again realize the whole desperateness of their state with their hollow tries to free from the cage of inequality.

Film’s title “The Extras” itself probably speaks for director’s intention to underline the subordinate role of ordinary people who have no money so cannot be powerful and make decisions for the benefit of the same citizens. The obvious reason for such a title is in the situation of Syria in the nineties when the representatives of the Arab socialist autocracy held the reins of power. So, with the help of drama and tragicomedy Nabil Maleh establishes several acute for his country themes, such as: a subject of humiliated state of ordinary Arabs and their social vulnerability to the repression of autocratic rulers, being depicted on the example of the blind neighbor musician and through Nada’s reflections about people who are forced to be silent, and the theme of love relations between Muslims (the case of Salem and Nada, Adel and his fiancée).

In fact, the film also deals with Syrian identity, which is realized through the striving of main characters for freedom and democracy within their lives and the present of their country. Moreover, the social inequality is a crucial point of the film, which is shown not only through the unjust acts of police and inability of Salem-lawyer to help the oppressed neighbor, but also through various theatre parts of Salem as an extra. This is a particular point of social situation in Syria, which appears to be under critics of the film.

Poverty and injustice are another two peculiarities of Syrian socio-political situation of the nineties, which keep pace with each other, and their legality is the key reason for depression of ordinary powerless people. So they are at a critical point of Maleh’s film as well. In this respect, there is some symbolism within the apartment, namely: a tie which was looked for by Adel is a symbol of high living, while the unlocked door is the notion of social vulnerability of ordinary Arabs. As for the woman-man relations, they are represented in somewhat new or rather disclosing nature, as they give the image of the notions traditionally hidden from general watching.

Women in the persons of Nada and Adel’s fiancée are shown as somewhat modern ones but still virtuous and honorable with the constant respect for men. There is a moment in the film, which I like most of all due to its great impression made on me. It is a scene when Salem rests in hands of Nada, and she expresses her thoughts about the trapped state of Syrians who can end their lives without a word for they are oppressed. It is a highly tragic moment which embodies the whole strength of Nabil Maleh’s message to his fellow citizens.