LIZARD

Iran, 2004, 115 minutes, Colour.
Parviz Parastouie.
Directed by Kamal Tabrizi.

Lizard is a very surprising comedy to come from Iran or any other Muslim country. It is as if the writer and director had seen Sister Act, Tony Curtis in The Great Impostor and The Life of Brian.

Its theme is religion, the existence of God, the nature of prayer, the trust in Providence, the role of the mullah, the interpretation of the Koran, the importance of the letter of the law compared with works of mercy and charity. However, this is all put in the context of a comedy.

The focus is on a hardened criminal who is sentenced to jail for life with the director of the prison saying he would reform him. In fact, the prisoner is somewhat reformed by the end of the film but mainly because he has the opportunity to escape dressed as a mullah and to experience what mullahs find in Iranian society, as regards respect and disrespect. Primarily, of course, it is respect and he is soon being asked for all kind of advice, to preach. His trying to get a forged passport at night in secret becomes the occasion for everybody to interpret that he does works of mercy on the quiet. He soon gets a reputation of being a great preacher, even a healer.

The central actor looks the part of the criminal in the early part of the film but, growing a beard, looks very impressive as the mullah. There is all kinds of satire at the expense of formal religion, especially with two young men, one continually asking questions and taking notes, the other very earnest but finding the temptations of the world rather overpowering. The new mullah is rather more liberal in his interpretation of standards as well as of the compassion of God.

This is a surprising film to be release in 2004 in Iran, especially with religion and the state so intertwined and the authority of the mullah almost absolute. A film, comically questioning the authority, is quite controversial in this context.

1. A pleasing comedy? Serious issues with the comic tone? The satire on religion in general, on aspects of Islam, the religious role of authorities and mullahs in Iranian society?

2. The locations: prisons, trains, the town, homes and streets, mosques, police stations? Authentic atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The title, the central character, his symbolic tattoo? The fact that he could climb walls for crime, for liberating the bird entangled in the barbed wire, to save the woman from the physically abusive husband?

4. The plausibility of the plot: the world of criminals, the director and his reform aims and methods, life and the routine of prison, the escape of the Lizard dressed as a mullah, people's response to him, positive and negative, his attempts to cross the border, his being caught, the police and their final decisions about him?

5. Religion and Islam, the formality of religious practice, yet the criminals and others with no real belief in God, going through the motions? Islam and its place in the state of Iran, the authority of the mullahs? Respect, their being followed unquestioningly? The response of the taxi driver, the train guard, the women passengers, the police passengers, the group at the mosque? The forms of prayer, preaching, taking notes and interpreting the Koran? Religion and the works of mercy, visiting the poor, the possibility for repentance? The high reputation of an outstanding mullah? True religion, authentic religion, not formulae (**or was it formally?) or strict impositions? The changing image of God throughout the film?

6. The Lizard, the opening, the shooting, his being caught? The director and his severity, the challenge to reform the Lizard? His being often in solitude? In the yard, the dare to climb the fence and free the bird, his achieving it, his ability to climb walls? Being put into solitude? (**solitary?) The fight in the dining hall and the victim being sent to solitary? His taking the pills, contemplating suicide, the prisoner stopping him? Cutting his arm with the bottle, hospitalised, talking with the mullah in the next bed, talking about religion? The doctor saying that he had to leave the hospital?

7. The mullah, did he intend that the Lizard should escape, leaving his robes as he went to the shower? The effect of his doing this in transforming the Lizard's life?

8. His dressing as the mullah, leaving down the corridor, people reverencing him, the taxis not stopping for him, the car driver who did, taking a shortcut, the police holding him up but in deference to the mullah, letting him off? Getting a special seat in the train, the respect of the guard, the request for the ladies to sit in the carriage, his flirtatious attitude, the girl's mother coming in, listening to the story of the abuse and the divorce, the permission for the police to travel in the same carriage, their discussions with him, the invitation to prayer, at the station, his improvising, mumbling, praying, the guard and the gathering at the station, the group expecting him, his going with the group? The old men in the group, the two earnest young men? Prayer, the young man taking notes all the time and asking questions and learning that there was a right time to ask questions, the other young man and his earnestness in trying to live a good life?

9. The changing image of God, the Lizard not believing in God, just going through the motions of Islamic prayer? His finding it easy to use the forms, beginning everything in the name of God, having to lead prayer, references to the Koran?

10. His going to the woman to get his passport, finding her son in prison, her carrying on? His having to go to the forger, her doing excellent work, getting the gift in his name as one of the poor, her sudden repentance, destroying everything, the police taking her away? His going back to the mother after visiting the son in prison and getting the information, getting the pass, going to the border, being asked to wait two or three hours because it was closed, his going back as a mullah?

11. The police and their tracking him down, the criminal connections that he made, the phone calls, the informer listening in at the restaurant and hearing the information about the forgeries, the arrival in the town, the director seeing the mullah, testing him about the TV show, not applauding his speech, catching him and taking him - and then letting him go because the other criminal had the gun, and he had found God and had been reformed as the director wanted?

12. His being followed by the young men as he visited the forger, their interpreting that he was visiting the poor, their doing works of mercy, his distributing money to those in need, the little boy watching him all the time, the food, his growing reputation, even as a healer? The man bashing his wife, the Lizard climbing the wall, hitting the man, the man's conversion, finally sending the wife back to him?

13. The politician, the photo opportunities, getting him to go to the prison and to preach, his preaching to the prisoners, the value of his homily - indicating his new way of life, the music swelling to give it solemnity? Yet the ironic touches?

14. The changing mullahs - and the humorous jokes about the mullah on television discussing the movies, talking about Pulp Fiction, the Lizard and his trying to talk to the young men about Brother Tarantino and the nature of Pulp Fiction?

15. The different characters, the young woman and her listening to the mullah, her divorce, her brutal husband, her mother and the explanations? The mother of the son in prison, hysterics, ultimately giving him the pass because she thought he might have been an agent the first time? The forger, her skills, her sudden repentance, taken off by the police?

16. The prisoners, the man not wanting the Lizard to commit suicide? The guard with the thick glasses and his telling him off, authoritarian? Not seeing him leave in the robes? The director and his serious aims? The son who was in prison and laughing about the mullah's disguise, the group of followers, the old man and the serious discussions, the two young men, the taking notes, the young man confessing the temptations and his troubles with Faith, the advice that the mullah gave him, the politician and his exploiting the mullah?

17. The nature of the preaching, the principles of the Koran, yet a live and let live attitude, a more kindlier understanding of God?

18. A film like this made in Iran, 2004, the political disputes, the role of the mullahs, the Islamic republic?

19. A film that could travel all over the world - in the Sister Act vein?