Newton’s Third Law of Motion tells us that to every
action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Newton was referring to the physical
world, but it would seem that something similar is at work in the metaphysical
world as well. For every action we take as individuals, even when it’s a
personal and private action that seems to only affect ourselves, somewhere
someone else receives some reaction to it. Maybe that’s true. I really don’t
know. But the idea that lives are intertwined with neighbors and family, that
decisions have far-reaching implications beyond immediate gratification is the
central theme of Asghar Farhadi’s brilliant family drama A Separation.
