Anyone who has followed this blog on a regular basis would know that I have a real love for Iranian films, with them often ranking high in my top twenty lists of any year. Whilst I no doubt have my favourite directors from the country in Jafar Panahi and Asghar Farhadi, it normally doesn't matter who directs the films as Iran seems to have a wealth of cinematic talent and for some reason, I just connect to the stories these filmmakers tell. However, one director that I did initially struggle with was Mohammad Rasoulof. Whilst I did like the films he made, none of them ever blew me away or destroyed me emotionally. That is until 2017's “A Man of Integrity”; this was an amazing film that I loved every minute of and that ranked as my second favourite film that I saw of all of that year. Since then I have been waiting with bated breath for Rasoulof's next feature, which has now come in the critically acclaimed “There Is No Evil”.
Rasoulof's latest film is (as per the imdb synopsis) told in “...four stories that are variations on the crucial themes of moral strength and the death penalty that ask to what extent individual freedom can be expressed under a despotic regime and its seemingly inescapable threats.” It certainly sounds like a fun time at the movies, right? But as depressing and as heavy as that plot synopsis sounds, I am happy to say that it is such a beautiful and beautifully sad film to watch, and at even the extended length of two and a half hours, it just flies by in what feels like half of that time. Rasoulof is no doubt a political director, with his film's often very critical of the current regime in Iran and the social injustices that are presented to the people living in that country. Here he is looking at the effects an enforced military stay has on the young men of Iran particularly in regards to being part of executions resulting from the death penalty, and how these men's lives are turned upside down regardless of whether they do the horrific things there are told to do without question, or if they fight against said atrocities. Rasoulof appears to believe that the men are in a no-win situation and often come back as broken souls regardless.
In preparation of this review, I went back and re-read my reviews of “Good Bye” and “Manuscripts Don't Burn”, both previous films from director Mohammad Rasoulof, and in both reviews I complained about how he hammered home his political points in such an unsubtle way that it ultimately turned me off from the film. That has been totally reversed in his last two films, as he is now more concerned with his characters, their lives and portraying them in an honest fashion, while his political points have now been beautifully layered into the narrative. This change in his style has made his films much more engaging (for me at least), and thus the political points he is trying to make are easier to digest as they are explored via character dynamics rather than just being the whole point of the film.
As mentioned above, “There Is No Evil” is told via four vignettes, each dealing with the death penalty in some form or another and how this effects the characters of each story. The first chapter is about a normal middle aged family man. We watch him go about his day doing the most mundane and normal tasks possible such as picking his daughter up from school, going to the bank with his wife, doing the grocery shopping with the family, visiting his elderly mother to help around her house, eating pizza together in a food court, helping in the colouring of his wife's hair, etc. Rasoulof goes to great lengths to explore the tiny details of the mundane, in an attempt to show that this is a normal everyday man. There is nothing special about him or the things he does, but he is a good family man getting by in life. At times, this segment feels like it has little or no point, but it has the most jaw dropping finale that hits likes an giant exclamation mark! I will not ruin the moment, but my mouth was agape and I sat there in stunned silence, in this perfectly executed ending. From this point, I knew that I was in for something special with “There Is No Evil” and that I was going to love this film and be totally moved and broken by it. I also must mention that there is a brilliant scene set at a traffic light, that at the time is very confusing, but once the segment is finished, makes perfect sense and gives the moment an added level of depth.
Rasoulof then has the hard task of following this scene immediately with the beginning of a new storyline with different characters for the second vignette, and while initially you are still in shock from the ending of the previous story, Rasoulof quickly gets you focused on the men in front of you and the dilemma they are facing. Because this film is so great, with each segment quite different from the one that came before it (whilst also still being just as powerful), I do not want to go through each one in fine detail and ruin the film's experience. However I will state that the following two segments deal with the ramifications of the choices two men make in regards to either being part of performing an execution or fighting against it. Both segments are completely different from one another with one being super suspenseful, with an immediacy attached to it that makes it totally compelling to watch, almost like an action film, whilst the other is a beautiful and lyrical story that moves quietly before slowly unravelling. Both men make their choices due to their own personal beliefs and what they believe will improve their lives for the long run, but it is no spoiler to say, both end in tragic circumstances.
The fourth story is potentially the most heartbreaking as it is about an older man, trying to connect with his grown daughter before he dies, however, the girl is unaware that this man is her actual father and that the man she has called father her entire life (whilst living abroad) is actually her uncle. There is a lot of pain and hurt in this segment, which is all the more tragic when the truth of everything is finally revealed. Rasoulof's own daughter, Baran, plays the daughter here in her acting debut. Whilst I am not 100% sure on this (particularly because the characters have different names), this segment might possibly be directly connected to another, and if not, the earlier segment is definitely helpful in explaining elements of this last segment.
From a behind the scenes point of view, “There Is No Evil” has been put together brilliantly and so professionally. The cinematography by Ashkan Ashkani (who has worked with Rasoulof since 2013's “Manuscripts Don't Burn”) is a sight to behold. It is stunningly beautiful, particularly in the final two segments which take place outside of the hustle and bustle of Tehran and in the forests and desert of Iran. From the rain soaked greenery of the forests to the sun drenched vistas of the desert; these are not the usual locations seen in Iranian films and give a new outlook to outsiders of the landscapes of this country. Ashkani works wonders in these big open spaces, but he is equally good when cramped inside a prison drenched in darkness and shadows, filling the space with tension and angst. Another element I loved, and one I rarely focus on in Iranian films, was the music by Amir Molookpour. With each vignette having a different tone, Molookpour's music helps establish this tone and enhances the emotion resonance of certain scenes. It is not wall to wall music, being used only when necessary but it really stood out, not in a show-offy way either, but in just how well the music complimented the images onscreen. As I have alluded to above, Mohammad Rasoulof's direction is superb, and I love the fact that he has become less heavy handed with his political points. His films are now so much richer with these elements pushed more into background and as subtext, and with him focusing more on his characters and their plight.
So are there any negatives to “There Is No Evil”? Not really. I will admit that there were one or two performances that were not the best, but when everything around it is so great, it is much better to focus on these positives rather than some small negative.
“There Is No Evil” is such a fantastic movie from Mohammad Rasoulof and was the deserved winner of the Golden Lion at this year's Berlin Film Festival. It is a film that tackles the tough subject of the death penalty and the tragic consequences an individual faces when forced to participate (or react against) in an execution as part of their mandated military time, but is told in such a beautiful and humanistic manner that what appears to be a heavy topic, becomes easy to ingest, despite how tragic the circumstances turn out to be. I loved this film so much, despite how beautifully sad it all is, and I look forward to watching it again soon.
4.5 Stars.
