The title of this film baffled me, as writer-director Mohammad Rasoulof is clearly attacking an evil, namely the excessive fondness Iran's theocratic regime has for executing people. The original Persian title translates as "Satan Doesn't Exist," which no doubt enraged the ayatollahs but emphasizes that the evil comes from people who are indifferent to the suffering of others. The film takes 150 minutes to tell its four stories, each featuring a different man: I was tempted to leave during the first, which seemed to be going on too long and getting nowhere, and featured an actress with an irritating voice, but I'm glad I stayed. That episode reminds us of Hannah Arendt's line about the banality of evil. Heshmat, a big, calm bear of a man, seems perfectly normal. We see him going about his mundane life, a dutiful husband, father and son. At the end of the episode he goes to work at a prison, and in a truly shocking scene, does his duty. Well, he was only obeying orders (sound familiar?) For him it's just an interruption to his breakfast, and it provides a reasonable living for him and his family.
The remaining episodes all show us that young Iranians must do military service, and that can involve executing someone by kicking away the stool. Failure to obey means an extension of their service, and they'll be unable to get a job or a passport until it's completed. Our hero in the second story, Pouya, really is a hero. He can't face killing anyone, so as he's walking a condemned man to the place of execution Pouya escapes, meets up with his girlfriend and heads for the border. Bahram in the final tale had done much the same, and now middle-aged he lives in a remote desert area, off the radar. In the third part, Java has done his duty in order to get three days' leave to see his girlfriend. He's not an evil man, but he's not interested in politics or in thinking, and presumes anyone convicted must be guilty. He reminded me of Trump's "I love the poorly educated": they're the easiest to fool.
Despite some longueurs this is a gripping film, and made me want to see his earlier works , such as "A Man of Integrity" and "Manuscripts Don't Burn." It seems that his earlier films had upset the regime and like Jafar Panahi of "White Balloon" and "Offside" fame he has spent time in prison and is banned making films and from leaving Iran. "Evil" had to be made in secret, but you'd never guess it. The technical standards are high, particularly the cinematography. I just hope no-one else in the cast and crew is punished by the regime.
The remaining episodes all show us that young Iranians must do military service, and that can involve executing someone by kicking away the stool. Failure to obey means an extension of their service, and they'll be unable to get a job or a passport until it's completed. Our hero in the second story, Pouya, really is a hero. He can't face killing anyone, so as he's walking a condemned man to the place of execution Pouya escapes, meets up with his girlfriend and heads for the border. Bahram in the final tale had done much the same, and now middle-aged he lives in a remote desert area, off the radar. In the third part, Java has done his duty in order to get three days' leave to see his girlfriend. He's not an evil man, but he's not interested in politics or in thinking, and presumes anyone convicted must be guilty. He reminded me of Trump's "I love the poorly educated": they're the easiest to fool.
Despite some longueurs this is a gripping film, and made me want to see his earlier works , such as "A Man of Integrity" and "Manuscripts Don't Burn." It seems that his earlier films had upset the regime and like Jafar Panahi of "White Balloon" and "Offside" fame he has spent time in prison and is banned making films and from leaving Iran. "Evil" had to be made in secret, but you'd never guess it. The technical standards are high, particularly the cinematography. I just hope no-one else in the cast and crew is punished by the regime.