Kathy Nicolo, an emotionally broken young girl, is evicted from her own house. Matters get worse when her house is wrongfully auctioned off to a former Imperial Iranian Army colonel, Massoud Amir Behrani. Kathy makes multiple failed attempts to get Behrani to relinquish the house. ..
Kathy starts an affair with Lester, a police officer who feels sympathetic toward her. Bad situations turn tragic as Lester decides to act on Kathy’s behalf to get her house back.
What is Behrani’s Standpoint
Kathy is a woman of principles and values. She seems to be able to help Behrani even if he wants to because he’s himself living on the edge. Since Behrani is a former colonel, he and his family are used to pride, reverence, and a life of fulfilment. However, as he had to flee Iran, his days of glory are left behind. Therefore, he builds up a façade to convince his family he is an important businesswoman. In reality, however, he works several menial jobs to maintain the façade of wealth and dignity.
Behrani buys Kathy’s house for a quarter of its price and plans to renovate it to resell it for a profit. Though not as much as Kathy, Behrani also needs the house. ..
How does Lester get involved?
Lester was one of the cops who evicted Kathy from her house. Lester’s sympathy for Kathy turns into love and he abandons his wife and children. Lester knows he is Kathy’s only hope, so he does everything within his capacity to get her house back. He even goes beyond his duty. In one instance, he visits Behrani and threatens to get him deported from the US if he doesn’t let go of the house. While Lester doesn’t use any racial slurs, the film subtly hints he might be a xenophobe.
What’s Behrani’s reaction?
Behrani is an army man and knows the ropes well. He tells Kathy he would sell the house if she is willing to pay the price he has set for it. ..
Behrani reports the incident to Internal Affairs who reprimand Lester and warn him to take his badge if he repeats such an attitude. The Iranian man is strong and determined - he wouldn’t get down on his knees for anything. However, he has one weakness - his family. ..
What leads to the tragedy?
Kathy unsuccessfully attempts to commit suicide with Lester’s firearm. Behrani spots her outside his house and brings her inside as she is drunk and unconscious. Lester barges in as Behrani and his wife try to take Kathy to the bedroom. Misunderstanding the sight, Lester locks the entire Behrani family in the bathroom at gunpoint. ..
To save his family, Behrani gets ready to sell the house and promises to give Kathy the money if she agrees to transfer the home ownership back to him. Without wasting any moment, Lester shepherds Behrani and his son, Esmail, to the country office. Uneasy to see his father being mistreated, Esmail pulls out Lester’s gun and points it at him. A cop who pops up at the scene misinterprets the situation and shoots Esmail.
The tragic, tragic end
The House of Sand and Fog is one of the most intense and unbelievable endings we have ever seen. Esmail dies in the hospital – an incident which takes away from Behrani – depriving him of every single reason to live. The next scene takes us to Behrani’s home where he kills his wife by poisoning her tea. He reckoned the death caused by poisoning would be easier for his wife than the death caused by grief. ..
In a grotesque scene, Behrani wraps a transparent plastic bag over his face, tapes it, and asphyxiates himself while holding his dead wife’s hand.
Who’s to Blame?
Lester is in jail. Kathy remains homeless. And, all the Behranis are dead. Lester’s anger and impatience led to the death of Behrani and Kathy’s homelessness.
The title of the movie is “House of Sand and Fog.” The house is not the actual culprit in the movie. The tiny bad traits are enough to lead to intense devastation. ..
