REVIEW - WADJDA

Much as, were I to have seen Wadjda with no knowledge of the extraordinary circumstances under which it was made, any film ought to be judged by its content, it is clear, as light of spirit as this film is, that its content is coloured by more than the simple story of a girl who wants to buy a bike. That it is a film about women in Saudi Arabia, never mind women overcoming social, religious and legal barriers, is noteworthy enough. That it is the first film to be made entirely within Saudi, the the first to be made by a Saudi woman is even more so. Why should I not review Wadjda for more than it appears to be, for what it is both on film and on paper? As a societal breakthrough and as a cinematic statement, it is a wondrous achievement. Haifaa al Mansour, who was forced to direct some scenes from the back of a van due to Saudi law, is foremost a humanistic director, and her perceptive emotional eye extends beyond her female characters, although the film is resolutely about Wadjda and her mother. She skilfully intertwines drama and comedy, and sculpts a surprisingly riveting film out of seemingly ordinary materials - much as you feel you know how Wadjda will end, the spiritual strength of the film, and its direct line to any reasonable person's cerebral source of empathy suck you in. If al Mansour is overly didactic with her messages, and if she only intermittently seeks to elevate her style to incorporate a mastering of image (this is a sweet touch when she employs it, though), surely her messages cannot be made enough. It lacks power, perhaps, but it never aims to possess any - instead, it aims for clarity, which it possesses in droves. A nimble, charming and important work of cinema.