Hidden

This film is quite a different experience. Unlike other films we’ve viewed, there is no physical action that moves the events and develops the story. You might disagree with me, but I noticed that what moves and changes is the psychology of the characters. The French family leads a mundane, predictable existence where they work, dine and sleep.When the mysterious tapes suddenly appear in their grocery bags and on their doorsteps, it stirs their emotions and disturbs their relaxed and dull existence.

The tapes trigger an explosion of dialogue more than anything else. Words like “trust, threat, afraid, dream, feel, worry” begin to emerge. The film also includes sessions of psychological thereby. First, in a medium shot, the mother is her son’s patient, she is  presented in her bed as her son enquires about any recollection of Majid and how she “flet” about him. In a second scene, the husband is the wife’s patient, he sets helplessly on a white couch, his back bent and his eyes look downwards, the wife, presented as a tall figure in black standing above him, questions him about the tape, he confesses, with hands tight on his head, that there is a suspect but is not quite sure. The dialogue turns into an interrogation as tension builds between the couple. In the their scene, the husband creates his own therapy like session as he dims the lights, closes the curtains and goes to sleep. Perhaps he hopes to find an answer to his dilemma in his dreams, after all that is where everything stated. The dialogue also contains sentences like “I am not sure, I am scared, I am threatening you, are you okay? I was worried, you lied, tell me the truth.” Which all reinforce its psychological effect.

The tapes are regarded as a catalyst that moves the characters to reconnect with people and things of the past, such as the husband’s visit to his mother, the tapes and dreams are the husband’s reason to visit to his mother. It is clear that he does not visit that often and fails to strike an interesting conversation with her. The tapes are also the reason for his visit to Majid, whom he does not even recognize. They are the reason why his boss called a meeting. Perhaps the tape and the dreams are an outlet for his hidden past and repressed feelings. Thus the film’s title refers to his hidden past not the hidden tape.

1- In more than once scene, the husband fails to be truthful to his wife and continues lying. With that in mind, if the suicide scene was cut out of the film, would you believe him to be innocent?

2- Sound plays a significant part in guiding the audience’s responses and influencing their opinions, how does the lack of sound of music influence your experience of Hidden?

3- what do you make of the possibility of the wife being unfaithful? Does this subplot flaw smoothly with other events that take place in the film?

4- Compare and contrast the mirror scene in Kala with the mirror scene in Hidden. To what end is the mirror employed in each of them?

5- How would you interpret the Majed’s character and the husband’s? Would you agree that they represent France and Algiers?