Alternate Best Actor 2016: Shahab Hosseini in The Salesman

Shahab Hosseini did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning CANNES, for portraying Emad in The Salesman. 

Shahab Hosseini is one of director Ashgar Farhadi's most frequent collaborators, before this film Hosseini previously was featured in his film A Separation, a Farhardi's legal thriller in so many words. As with any good collaboration you see a variety of roles for a performer which is the circumstance for Hosseini when you compare his performance here to in A Separation, despite the characters sharing a similar plot connection. In that previous film, Hosseini exuded really traditional male overcompensation, a man defined entirely by his macho anger as he roared in an attempt to get justice for his wife in the film. Well, Hosseini seems almost a different man here as the milquetoast schoolteacher. Hosseini delivers a wonderful natural aggregability in the role. A man who really isn't of any note in a certain sense, but also in actually a good sense. The most traumatic element we see is he and his wife are in need of a new apartment after their old building collapsed, but even with this Emad and his wife Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti), don't present as any great weight upon them. In fact, what we see is the two of them are more focused on the production of Death of a Salesman that both are performing in. Emad is the opposite of the play's Willy Loman, Hosseini exudes a man who has a general comfort with life, and shares a wonderful chemistry with Alidoosti. It isn't anything that is even focused upon rather the love between them is a natural given and the two have an endearing energy as really a proper pair in the best sense. We see the fun of them preparing together for their performance and even as they prepare their new apartment, it is just with a cheery disposition of two loving each other and loving life even with its little pitfalls. Where Willy also struggles with his ideas of what it means to be a man, Emad seems to have no struggle. Even in a moment, where he a woman complains about being near him in a taxi, Hosseini presents just a hint of confusion but acceptance when he must switch places. When one of his students, who was also in the taxi, vocalizes his annoyance with the situation, Emad only counters with an empathetic view towards the woman likely having been a victim of some man in a taxi at some point. Hosseini delivers this moment pitch-perfect as it isn't with some purity of sainthood, but rather just a calm understanding of human nature and an acceptance of both imperfections but also the struggles others have that may at times cause issues for others. 

Their ideal lives though are shaken when Rana, alone at home, is left injured after being attacked by a man looking for the former renter of their new apartment, a prostitute. Initially, Hosseini delivers still just a loving concern and a sense of quiet dismay over the situation. Hosseini doesn't present it as shattering just unpleasant and also a moment of utter concern for his wife. Hosseini presents Emad as certainly bothered by what happened but willing to just help his wife get through it in the best way they are able to. Unfortunately, Rana is traumatized by the incident as she shows her fear of going into the bathroom alone, where her attack took place, and it causes her to freeze when attempting to perform The Salesman again. Here is where the plot thickens and where we come to understand the nature of the film, which is where A Separation a very unique legal thriller, here it becomes an extremely unique revenge thriller. Hosseini naturally builds towards the moment in which Emad is going to essentially try to be the hero, which is not a single step. Rather we see the genuine heartbreak in his eyes as he sees the suffering his wife is going through, and there is nothing easy in his manner towards it. We see the man losing his comfort in life and struggling to just calmly accept what has come. Hosseini brings the right shortness in his delivery when he inquires from a friend who suggested the apartment why he had not told them about who the former renter was. Hosseini delivers anger that isn't like his previous performance, but rather an anger befitting a more subdued man that is Emad. We rather see the realization of the frustrations of the situation, which comes from a very real concern for his wife, however, it is turning Emad away from the more empathetic individual of before. Hosseini makes this situation natural and properly painful by showing that is honestly all coming from a decent place, the care he has for his wife, however it is starting to realize itself in less than ideal ways. 

Hosseini is powerful in just portraying so realistically the wear of the situation, and the weight upon the man as he attempts to deal with the implications of the attack. When dealing with the previously normal moments of life, like preparing to act in the play or teaching, there is a greater intensity. Hosseini's performance exudes such palatable emotions of frustrations of the man who is unable to essentially settle within his life at this point. There is a great extended scene where Emad interrogates a student for having filmed him while sleeping. Hosseini's performance is filled with bitterness towards the student and you just see the shortness of his fuse in every interaction that is stark, but so naturally, the contrast from the gently supportive teacher from before. We see the same when continually snaps at his co-star who not only gave him the apartment that led to the attack but also ended up revealing more about the attack. Hosseini's performance again is fantastic because he makes it such a normal man who is growing in this callousness towards others and ferocious discontent with those around him. And we see the motivation of this so clearly in his moments with Rana that somehow keep getting tainted by the memory of the attack, whether that is dealing with her trauma, or even strange side effects such as suddenly having their stomachs churn when they find out Rana accidentally bought food with money that had been left behind by the attacker. Hosseini's depiction of this is as a man who is suffering very much for his wife and creates the specific sense of the constant reminders that fill him with anger and despair.

What becomes Emad's solace is essentially playing "the man" who is exacting his revenge, and what Hosseini's performance becomes is a brilliant deconstruction of this very idea. We see him as he goes about his revenge procedure of setting a trap for the man by using the truck left behind by the man as bait. In these scenes, there is greater comfort in Hosseini's performance, as he shows a man suddenly in command of his space again and with some actual confidence in himself again. Emad manages to get the man to come, who at first pretends that it was his son-in-law and not him until pressing questions to reveal the truth. Hosseini's great throughout this scene by again in a way presenting the "perfect" front of the man seeking justice in every question and accusatory stare. He has a firm command of the moment and is in control, even if what that means is basically locking up and pestering a sleazy old family man with a heart condition. When Rana shows up, it is not with satisfaction as she is clearly horrified by the idea of revenge, while Hosseini keeps this specific state of the man doing what he thinks to essentially "be a man". When the man seemed almost dead this changes briefly, particularly after the man's loving family shows up, and Hosseini's great in his subtle reactions of holding in his ire and segueing to the man of before as he exhibits genuine concern for another human being. When it seems the man is fine though Emad allows the man to keep his secret, but only if he gets the evidence of his ill deeds from Emad in private. The lead-up to this is perfection from Hosseini as in his eyes there is such a specific sense of fixation of a man proving something to himself to the point of blindness. In the actual confrontation, Hosseini's great by portraying basically "the hero" as he dispenses justice by giving the materials and a slap to go with it. Hosseini's presenting within his own work a sense of catharsis, only for Emad. This is instantly cut off when this leads to a second episode for the old man as he appears to be dying. Leaving only reactions from Rana and Emad as they look on. Hosseini's performance at this moment is outstanding as the whole concept of his revenge is instantly shattered and his expression is such an eloquent realization of a man understanding the actual results of his desire for revenge. Hosseini's performance shows the decent man before seeing that his behavior to be the "heroic man" has left nothing but pain for others and distress for his wife. This is a brilliant subversive portrait of a man trying and failing to be the avenging hero.