Greetings again from the darkness. What is true human nature? Is there even such a thing? Are we preprogrammed to do the right thing, or is it our nature to hold grudges, seek revenge, and take advantage of every situation? This superb film from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi explores the topic, and it’s important to know that he was inspired to write the story after being imprisoned for creating propaganda against the regime.
A man is driving his family on a dusty road through the darkness. His pregnant wife (Afssaneh Najmabadi) sits beside him as their young daughter dances to the blasting music in the backseat. When the man hits a stray dog, the daughter becomes upset. Her level-headed mother says, “It was only an accident” … setting the tone for what is to come. When their car breaks down a bit farther down the road, the shop’s owner, Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri) is startled by a familiar and haunting sound – the squeak of the car driver’s prosthetic leg.
Vahid is convinced that squeak belongs to Eghbal, or Peg Leg, as he referred to the prison guard who tortured him. The next day, Vahid kidnaps the man (Ebrahim Azizi) by force and drives him to the desert where he digs a hole in which to bury him. However, the man is convincing in his pleas of “you’ve got the wrong man”, and since Vahid was constantly blindfolded, he has only that haunting squeak as evidence. Rather than risk killing the wrong man, Vahid begins assembling folks who, like himself, were once tortured by Peg Leg. His friend Salar recommends Shiva (Mariam Afshari), a wedding photographer, which leads to bride-to-be Goli (Hadis Pakbaten), the groom-to-be (Madjid Panahi), and an angry and emotional Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmeyr) joining in the quest to decide: mistaken identity or guilty of torture.
This journey of decision-making is bold storytelling filled with some great long takes. Director Panahi filmed this (guerilla style) in Iran, although Postproduction took place in France, which has submitted the film for Best International Feature film. Despite the intensity of the subject matter and the characters, there are surprising moments of (dark) humor … and the crazy twists are what have us questioning so much. At what price does revenge come? Can justice be served, and if so, what would it look like? The details one remembers from being tortured are likely ingrained forever. Filmmaker Panahi sticks the ending in such a way that we leave nearly as haunted as Vahid.
Movie Reviews from the Dark 