Tatami

 One of the central focuses of the film is its persistence of a dialectical structure. It is shot in black and white, there is a single opponent in judo, the older Iranian generation differs from the younger one, etc. The only possible solution, according to the film is similarly binary: either to give into pressures or to fight them entirely. This is precisely the thesis of the film - compromise in protest does not exist. Whether we agree or disagree with this theory is up to our own ethical convictions but the film is unabashedly proud of its somewhat radical nature. 

 One question which I reconsidered as the end credits rolled was why the title of this movie was Tatami? The tatami mat is of cinematographic significance itself; many shots pressed against the floor as well as perfect overviews are dispersed throughout the film. On some level, this film is about space, how it is portrayed, how it is fought over and most vividly, how someone is defeated in it. This notion goes hand in hand with that of the binary, as boundaries (one side versus the other) clearly defined space. Extending this idea to the nature of sport implies that the two competitors in judo are closer to each other than to the situations around them. Despite this poignant thought, I wish the film merely expressed this overpowering binary rather than embraced it. Although judo is sacred to the filmmaker, perhaps its philosophical implications are not perfectly analogous to political conflict.