Reading Asghar Farhadi's Cinematic Works Based on Gilbert Durand's Mythocriticism


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 28 September 2026

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 PhD Candidate in Art Studies, Faculty of Society and Media, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of French Language and Literature, Faculty of Languages and Literature, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Theoretical and Cultural Sociology, Mobarakeh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mobarakeh, Iran

4 Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Society and Media, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract
Statement of the Problem: In the cinema of Asghar Farhadi, patterns of ethical dilemmas and the collapse of human relationships recur with notable frequency, in which themes such as lying and concealment play a central role. To simultaneously explain the relationship between narrative symbols, the lived experience of the author, and the cultural roots of these themes, a theoretical framework can be employed that examines these dimensions in an integrated manner. Gilbert Durand's mythocriticism method, with its three levels of iconology, psychocriticism, and mythocriticism, provides a suitable framework for this purpose. The present study, by applying this method to the works of Asghar Farhadi, examines the possibility of a new reading of the hidden layers and unconscious structures within his cinematic world.
Objective of the Research: The objective of the present study is to apply Gilbert Durand's mythocriticism method in the analysis of Asghar Farhadi's works.
Research Method: This research is conducted within the interpretivism paradigm using a qualitative approach. Data were collected through library research, and the analysis of the works is based on a descriptive-analytical method employing Gilbert Durand's mythocriticism.
Conclusion: "Lying" is the most significant focal mytheme in Farhadi's cinematic world; a pattern that extends from the individual level to social, intercultural, and media spheres. The alignment of this pattern with the narrative of Rostam and Sohrab reveals that "lying" in Farhadi's cinema reflects a deep-rooted cultural archetype within the Iranian collective unconscious. Therefore, Farhadi's personal myth takes on a meaning beyond individual experience and becomes a transpersonal myth.

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