THERE IS NO EVIL/ SHEYTAN VOJUD NADARAD
Iran, 2020, 150 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Mohammad Rasoulof.
A long film but it involves four stories. It won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale, 2020, and also won the prize of the Ecumenical Jury. It is a film well worth seeing.
The title is tantalising. There is certainly plenty of evil in the background – and, at the end of the first story, after about 30 minutes of ordinary domestic life, there is a sudden edit cut which surprises and shocks us – but introduces the theme of the death penalty, the barbaric aspects of executions.
Each story is interesting and well told in itself – and there are some links, especially with the theme of the death penalty.
That first story focuses on an ordinary man, his night shift, coming home, picking up his wife, a teacher who gets irritated with almost everyone, then picking up their little daughter, something of a brat, but their helping the wife’s mother with a meal, cleaning the house, and then they have a trip to the local pizza restaurant. This story settles us into ordinary life in Iran – and then the jolt.
The second story is much more serious, a group of men on military service, stationed in prison, asked to participate in the executions. While some accept this is part of the routine, another one is very law-abiding in his attitudes and accepts what is asked of him as necessary in society. The other young man is rather frantic, not wanting to participate, trying to engineer an escape from the service. There is some tension here as he dangerously makes his way out of the prison.
Then quite a change of atmosphere for the third story, in the rural countryside, but a green countryside, water flowing, a country house, the celebration of a birthday and another young man – on a three day leave from military service, having participated, somewhat reluctantly but accepting it, in an execution. What was to be a happy event turns into a very sad one because of the implications of the execution.
And, finally, for the fourth story, out into the deserts of Iran, mountains and barren countryside. A young woman visits from Germany and an older couple welcome her. But, in the background is a story of secrets and lies, revelations and disappointments, and one of those endings where decisions have to be made, the camera focuses on a car on a desert road, halted. What decision is being made? It is over to us.
In terms of reputation, Iranian films have a solid reputation for dramatising human values. This is certainly one of them.
1. 21st-century Iran? Filmmaking? Storytelling? Memories of the past, interpretations of the present? Critique (and the director forbidden to attend the Berlin Film Festival where it won the Golden Bear)?
2. The perspective on Iran? City life and its detail, the contrast with prison and military service and interiors, the road to escape? The contrast with the fertile countryside, green, water, the mansion? And the final contrast with the desert, the mountains, the house, farm, arid? The cumulative effect? The musical score?
3. The execution theme, the sudden introduction of the theme, the death penalty, facts, hanging, pressing buttons, removing stools under the hanged persons? The acceptance of execution, death penalty, protest, consequences?
4. The first story: the focus on Has known, ordinary middle aged man, the work shift, going to his car, the bag of rice, going home, picking up his wife from school, her continued complaining, the issue of the bank can the salary, her mistakes, her husband’s criticism? Picking up their daughter, cheeky and spoilt, demanding? Going to the mother, at home, caring for her, the groceries, the meal, her health, cleaning the house? Going to the pizza parlour, the daughter tired, carrying her, going home? His working early in the morning, his ship, ordinary, the signals, his pressing the button – and the sudden view of the feet of the hanged men?
5. The second story: the military service, the men, in the prison, the attitude towards the law, the young man who wanted to obey all the rules, the task of execution, military service men not wishing to execute, his becoming more frantic, his escape plan, his girlfriend, the note about the doors, his leaving, going to the office, getting the gun from the guards, putting them in the cupboard, going past security, the continued dangers, getting out, the girlfriend with the car, going into the hills and looking out over the city, freedom?
6. The third of the stories: the celebration of the birthday, the rural setting, pastoral, beekeeping, the green countryside? Javid and his three-day leave (and the revelation that he obtained it because of participating in the execution, especially Keyvan)? Manner, life on the property, her happiness, relationship with her parents, love for Javid? The atmosphere of grief, the musicians arriving in playing, the memorial for Keyvan, everybody speaking so well about him? In education and support? Javid sent his picture, going to the river, upset, nano finding him, his admission what he did, the effect on him, on the?
7. The fourth story: the airport, Darya arriving from Germany, the story of Mansour as her father, her visit, the couple waiting, driving out into the desert, the house, the farm, the threat from the Fox? Her settling in? Discussions and asking questions? Going driving – getting out into the open for her mobile phone calls? The hunt, her refusal to kill the fox? Returning? The man and his health, his past story, doctor, the visitor with the child in his care? His wife, retreating, sculpting? Her telling the truth? The effect on the young woman? A world of lies, re-evaluating her life? Discovery of her father? Anger? His being sick, his wife’s care, support? Her wanting to leave home – and the final scene of the car paused in the desert? The decision?
8. The interlinking of the stories and the theme?
