Asghar Farhadi’s acclaimed film ‘A Hero’ is an Iranian drama film. It centers on Rahim, a middle-aged man who is serving time in prison for failing to repay money acquired from a loan shark. When Rahim is released from jail on a two-day leave, he devises a plan to repay his creditor. However, the situation deteriorates and Rahim finds himself in a tough predicament.

The film examines the genuine nature of a good deed through Rahim’s situation. By the end of the story, Rahim is left with few possibilities for emancipation. If you’re wondering what happens to Rahim and if he succeeds in his goal, here’s everything you need to know about ‘A Hero’s’ ending. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

Synopsis of a Hero’s Plot

‘A Hero’ begins with Rahim leaving prison for a two-day visit with his family in Shiraz. He meets Hossein, his brother-in-law. Rahim instructs Hossein to arrange a meeting with his creditor, Bahram. He announces that he has found a way to repay half of what he owes Bahram. When Hossein phones Bahram, the latter refuses to withdraw the lawsuit against Rahim until he is paid in full. Later, Rahim runs into his girlfriend Farkhondeh, who has discovered a handbag containing seventeen gold coins. The pair intends to sell the coins to raise funds to reimburse Bahram. They appraise the gold coins they purchased from a jewelry store and discover that the price of gold has dropped. Furthermore, even if Bahram accepts Rahim’s proposal, he will still need to find a means to pay a considerable sum per month in order to settle the entire loan.

Rahim begins to have second thoughts about selling the coins after a while. He makes the decision to return the handbag and coins to their rightful owner. He persuades Farkhondeh that it is the proper thing to do. Rahim hunts for the owner of the bag but comes up empty-handed. He creates several advertisements and leaves his prison phone number. When Rahim returns to prison, he receives a phone call from a woman who has misplaced her bag. Rahim directs the woman to the home of his sister, Malileh. The woman accepts the bag and expresses gratitude to Rahim for his kindness. Eventually, word gets around about Rahim’s nice deed. Taheri, Rahim’s prison warden, informs him that a TV channel wants to interview him.

Rahim excludes crucial parts from the account during the interview after a quick talk with Taheri. Rahim earns some notoriety as a result of the interview’s popularity. Rahim’s predicament and good deed earn him respect from society, and he is granted special leave. A local church and charity group are holding a campaign to repay Rahim’s debt at this time. They also arrange for Bahram to withdraw his case against Rahim and offer him a job. Bahram, on the other hand, rejects and begins to poke holes in Rahim’s story. Soon, Rahim’s story begins to unravel, and he is fired from the position he was promised. As the situation worsens, Rahim grows desperate. In the end, regardless of the events that led him down this path, Rahim must pay the repercussions of his actions.

A Hero’s Ending: Will Rahim Be Sentenced Again?

People suspect Rahim of inventing the entire scenario once the holes in his story begin to generate a stir on social media. Furthermore, while Rahim hunts for the woman, it becomes clear that he has been duped. Rahim feels Bahram is the source of his problems and confronts him. The two get into a physical brawl, which Bahram’s daughter catches on camera. The film has the potential to tarnish both the charitable organization and the prison’s reputation. As a result, the charitable organization no longer wishes to assist Rahim and attempts to distance itself from him. Instead, they intend to use the funds gathered for Rahim to assist a woman whose husband is scheduled to be executed.

The prison administration is likewise refusing to assist Rahim. Farkhondeh, on the other hand, persuades the charity organization to credit Rahim with the choice to help the woman. The efforts are futile because the video has been posted online, undermining Rahim’s reputation. Rahim makes one last desperate attempt to avoid returning to prison, enlisting Taheri’s assistance in creating a video of his kid pleading to the public on his father’s behalf. Taheri decides to assist because it will boost the prison’s reputation. Rahim, on the other hand, has come to terms with himself and refuses to let Taheri utilize his son’s film. Taheri finally gives up and deletes the footage. Rahim eventually returns to prison to serve the remainder of his term. Another man is acquitted in the final seconds of the film, as Rahim returns to the prison. The scene gives Rahim a glimmer of optimism that he would be released from prison in the future.

Why did Rahim put a stop to Taheri? Rahim, did you learn from your mistakes?

The entire film is a dissection of Rahim’s good act and questions whether he is truly deserving of being released from jail simply by doing the right thing. Rahim borrowed the money to establish a business but was duped by his partner. He used the money Bahram had set up for his daughter’s dowry. As the story develops, all aspects of Rahim’s ostensibly nice deed are scrutinized. We eventually reach a point when we can only sympathize with Rahim but cannot justify his release from prison. Perhaps Rahim’s ultimate condition is the director’s method of rationalizing the nature of society and how it treats people like Rahim who are victims of their circumstances.

However, at the end, the director alters the narrative flow in a way that transforms the viewer’s perception of Rahim. The entire film follows Rahim’s transformation from a man with a reputation for deception to a respectable person. At various moments, viewers are asked to consider whether society regards Rahim with respect or simply feels sorry for him. Rahim’s fall from grace demonstrates his misunderstandings regarding respect and reputation. In the final minutes, Rahim applies what he has learned from his experiences to prevent Taheri from using his son to win sympathy from the public. Rahim now realizes that he was simply exaggerating his circumstances to explain his mistaken search for glory.

When Rahim recognizes that using his son in this manner is a pathetic act, he battles Taheri and earns some self-respect in the process. Rahim’s decision differs from his earlier actions, in which he inadvertently sought people’s empathy and used it to overcome his situation. Rahim is redeemed by the act, and he returns to jail as a better person in his own views than when he went. Rahim’s journey is a deft reversal of the hero’s journey.

A hero’s journey is typically defined as a protagonist’s journey outside of their comfort zone, where they must pay a price that fundamentally alters them in order to acquire something they seek. Normally, a prison would be regarded a place of discomfort, but for Rahim, it is a pleasant place in comparison to his burdensome life. Rahim’s desire to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of others teaches him new morals and self-esteem. His independence is the price he pays. Finally, Rahim returns to the beginning as a better person, completing his hero’s journey and justifying the film’s title.