The Breadwinner-2017

Director Nora Twomey

Voices Saara Chaudry, Ali Rizvi Badshah

Scott’s Review #769

Reviewed June 7, 2018

Grade: B

Certainly, The Breadwinner (2017), a timely and politically charged story, provides relevance and a progressive women’s empowerment message.

This should be championed above all else and is recommended as a worthy watch for that reason alone.

The film itself is dark and not entirely a children’s movie or necessarily family-friendly, but rather a good lesson learned.

Dragging just a bit throughout, this is small compared to the overall story’s importance.

The animated feature is based on the best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis, which focuses on life in dangerous Afghanistan (circa 2001) under constant threat by Taliban rule.

Since women are not allowed to leave the house and any men daring to question the Taliban are either slaughtered, beaten, or arrested, the film is quite heavy compared to typical animated fare.

The Breadwinner’s main character is a likable eleven-year-old girl named Parvana. She lives in metropolitan Kabul, Afghanistan, with her father and sells items on the city streets to support the rest of the family—his wife, daughter, and male toddler.

Parvana’s older brother has died years ago.  Parvana’s father, Nurullah, is a former teacher left crippled by an injury sustained during the war.

When he is arrested, Parvana must disguise herself as a boy and work to support her family as she traverses the city with her best friend, Shauzia.

The animation is lovely and a definite high point of the film. The details look crisp and fresh- from the stark village houses to the vegetable stands and other more metropolitan aspects of the bustling cities, the film looks excellent and professional.

The flawless art direction and visuals aid in the believable nature of the story.

Another high point of The Breadwinner is the story’s substance; it is not fluffed, as is commonly seen in modern animated films.

Throughout the film, I knew that I was watching something of meaning. Parvana faces actual danger; if she is found not to be a young boy but instead a young girl, she could be beaten, raped, or worse.

Unwisely, early in the film, she becomes an enemy of a young, sadistic soldier who continues to resurface and threaten Parvana throughout the film.

More than a handful of frightening scenes occur, evidence that director Nora Twomey’s intentions are not for a family-friendly affair.

Given the subject matter at hand, this is a wise move. Toning down the violence and treachery of the Taliban would make the film feel insincere and dishonest.

Instead, because of the violent deaths and beatings that occur throughout, the film feels genuine and the characters’ emotions real.

If I were to point out a film, the Breadwinner suffers from an erratic approach.

I adore the straightforward aspects of the main story and enjoyed the survival instincts, female empowerment, and Parvana’s innocent friendship with Shauzia. However, the film goes in a different direction a handful of times as Parvana tells stories of a young man’s journey to retrieve seeds stolen from him.

Frankly, this slowed down the main plot, and one has little to do with the other, making them seem disjointed.

With a worthy and meaningful central storyline, how nice to feast one’s eyes on an artistic animated production so marvelously made.

The Breadwinner (2017) is a treat for animated film fans who yearn for something more intelligent than the standard “kid’s film.”

Perhaps not a perfect “A,” but something of quality nonetheless.

Oscar Nominations: Best Animated Feature Film