The Prominent "Contradictory" Image

Since the 1990 s,with the continuous exploration of realistic subjects by Iranian filmmakers,there has been a huge breakthrough in the screen representation of female images.The women in Iranian films have gradually stepped out of the "aphasia" state in the past.They not only examine their own situation,but also have distinct individual opinions and independent consciousness,and even challenge traditional values.Women have been pushed from the backstage to the foreground,becoming one of the most important images in contemporary Iranian films.It is worth noting that since the 1990 s,women in Iranian films have been full of contradictions.This paper takes the contradictory female protagonists in Iranian films after the1990 s as the research object.Starting from the three contradictory relations of narration,this paper analyzes how contemporary Iranian filmmakers depict the contradictory female images and explores how the contradictory images relate to Iranian women and Iranian national identity.This paper is divided into five parts.The introduction part introduces the background of this study,summarizes the research status at home and abroad,and combs the relevant theories.Chapter I discusses the female images portrayed mainly by inner conflicts.These films often focus on a female protagonist,showing the contradictory relationship between her subjective desires and restrictive factors,such as Samira Makhmalbaf’s At Five In The Afternoon(2003),Tahmineh Milani’s The Fifth Reaction(2003),Ida Panahandeh’s Nahid(2015),Behnam Behzadi’s Varoonegi(2016).Chapter II exlpores the female images portrayed mainly by interpersonal conflicts.These films tend to focus on gender conflicts and show the plight of women in modern marriage and family,such as Mehdi Fakhimzadeh’s Hamsar(1994),Dariush Mehrjui’s Leila(1997),Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation(2012)and The Salesman(2016).Chapter III discusses the female images portrayed mainly by social contradictions.These films often use group portraits to reflect the Iranian women in social embarrassment or show their challenge to traditional values,such as Jafar Panahi’s The Circle(2000)and Offside(2006),Rakhshan Bani-Etemad’s Tales(2014),Abbas Kiarostami’s 10 on Ten(2004).The conclusion part examines the uniqueness,limitations and revelatory features of the female characters in contemporary Iranian films from the perspective of the new Asian film.