Capernaum
Composite Score: 82.37
Starring: Zain Al Rafeea, Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Kawsar Al Haddad, Fadi Yousef, Cedra Izzam, Alaa Chouchnieh, Elias Khoury, and Nour El Husseini
Director: Nadine Labaki
Writers: Nadine Labaki, Jihad Hojeily, and Michelle Keserwany
Genres: Drama, Coming of Age
MPAA Rating: R for language and some drug material
Box Office: $64.42 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Capernaum is a 2018 Lebanese coming-of-age drama about an impoverished boy who wants to sue his parents for allowing him to be born. It flashes back and forth between Zain’s suit and the life that he had lived up to the point that he decided to sue his parents. It is a fascinating coming-of-age story that also engages with issues of poverty, human trafficking, and the treatment of women as it seeks to communicate the plight of its young protagonist. Starring a collection of relatively unknown performers, the film delivers an emotional and challenging story with some heart-wrenching performances to go along with it.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Capernaum is a difficult watch. It features children living in poverty as its central storyline, including an 11-year-old girl being married off to an adult man, a child selling drugs to make money, and that same child becoming unintentionally involved in a human trafficking scheme. If you do not come into this film in the right headspace, it could be severely triggering. That being said, the film does seem to embrace an overall positive message, focusing on the resilience of its characters in the face of these hardships and atrocities, so it’s not all doom and gloom.
The film’s message on poverty also seems to be a bit mixed, especially since its protagonist is an unschooled 12-year-old. On the one hand, Zain’s desire that his parents not bring any more children into the world that they live in is seen as incredibly valid, and their lack of remorse following the tragedy of his sister is painted in a rightfully negative light. At the same time, Rahil, the Ethiopian immigrant that Zain takes up with in the film’s second act, is clearly depicted as a very good mother, doing all that she can to provide a livable life for her young son. In this contradiction, it’s hard to tell what the stance of the film is. If it is trying to condemn the systems that put people in poverty, it doesn’t do enough exploring of those systems. If it’s trying to celebrate the perseverant spirit of those living in poverty, why does it condemn Zain’s parents? If it’s trying to blame those in poverty for continuing to have children, why does it celebrate Rahil’s motherhood? There’s a lot of overlap in the film’s potential messages, and it ultimately leaves the audience with strong emotions, but not much in terms of solid substance.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Firstly, the film crafts a fantastic coming-of-age story. Set against the backdrop of the slums and shantytowns of Beirut, it sets up not just a story about a boy growing up through difficulty and hardship but also a story that will resonate with a compassionate audience. Despite his unfamiliar (for most viewers) situation, Zain becomes an empathetic character because of his adherence to his own set of values, standing up for himself to his parents and the world. His opening declaration that he wants to sue his parents “because [he] was born” puts a sense of curiosity and frustration immediately into the minds of the audience, providing a powerful hook, which the rest of the film builds upon. From a story standpoint, the film does a great job, masterfully switching between Zain’s trial and his past life as it shows the audience why he has every right to be upset at being born and why he has every right to continue to live and thrive despite his fury at being born.
Cementing the film’s well-crafted story is its protagonist, Zain, played by young actor Zain Al Rafeea. His performance is the make-or-break point of the film. Without a strong, emotionally moving, and believable performance, the film simply doesn’t make it to where it is today. His ability to approach the world with the wonderment of a child while also addressing adults with the hardness and tenacity of a boy well beyond his age makes his performance perfect for the film. His ability to toe the line between child and adult makes him an ideal coming-of-age protagonist, particularly for this film.
Capernaum’s incredibly well-cast lead fits perfectly into its rich coming-of-age story that engages with the global issue of poverty, making it a beloved film and worthy of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time. Though its emotionality takes precedence over its messaging, its difficult subject matter should not dissuade too many viewers thanks to its insistence upon its characters’ resilience in the face of the longest of odds. This undoubtedly great film is available to stream through Starz or to rent on most streaming services. Check it out if you haven’t.
