psalimiyan
Pouya Salimiyan Ms. H. Manzo Creative Writing A Girl Walks Home Alone At NightForeign movies get a bad rap; we make excuses to avoid watching them. Excuses like "I don't understand the cultural aspect of the movie so I can't relate to it" or "the true meaning of the movie is lost in translation", or the classic "I don't want to read subtitles." But every once in awhile there is a movie that bears the need to be watched, once in awhile there is a movie that transcends cultural, national, and in this case (the movie being completely in Farsi) lingual barriers. This movie is so transcendent in these aspects, not because it is powered by the full force of two of the most creative and well-developed sources of inspiration, classic Iranian cinema and a snapshot of 1950s Americana, but because it offers commentary on the socio- cultural position of women in Iranian society. The criticism of this lopsided power dynamic is poignant because it is allowed to flourish without the censor of the government. To the outsider watching A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014), the movie seems to be, in the director's (Ana Lily Amirpour's) own words, an "American inspired, Iranian, vampire western." In reality, the movie is so much more. Don't get me wrong, the interplay and intersections with which these genres are blended in this neo-noir masterpiece are so subtle that they seem to take on another life, rather than adhering to their genre archetypes. But the implications of this movie are far more ever reaching. This movie is on the surface about a vampire, a boy, a pimp, a junkie, and a prostitute. The connection between the characters becomes more pronounced as the two story lines, centered on the characters Girl (Sheila Vand) and Arash (Arash Marandi) converge.Girl is a vampire who prowls the streets of "Bad City" in a conservative religious outfit - Chador - that covers her from head to toe, stalking possible victims while looking for prey. In her outward appearance (given the chador) she is, even among those in Iranian society, considered conservative. However, the symbol that is the vampire evokes a powerful and conspicuously sexual connotation. Through the use of this archetype, the creator is shedding light on the lack of gender equality in Iran. In her home, as a contrast to her outward appearance, Girl dances and is virtually indistinguishable from any western woman. This reflects the abstraction of women in Iranian society as people, who like men, are capable of independent thought and action. An opposite view being the prevailing mindset in most but not all of the Iranian society. Making Girl a vampire was the only way for the director and writer (Ana Lily Amirpour) to give a woman any tangible power in Iranian society. The other characters serve only for either her nourishment and satiation or plot advancement. Arash (Arash Marandi,) the only man with a major role who treats women with what Girl considers respect, is allowed to live. The pair becomes romantically involved and eventually, in the story's ending which is more hopeful than anything else, drive off into the black-and-white sunset together and leave the rundown "Bad City" behind them. The movie in and of itself is a directorial and narrative win and is worth watching based on these pillars alone. But, if one were to consider oneself a true lover and believer in the nuance of film, of applied and concerted brilliance, and of insights so slight yet impactful that they escape boundaries set by culture and skip into pure empathic understanding: repeated viewing is recommended. That's at least what I thought was necessary.
tim122
A feast for eyes and ears, it is completely unlike any other vampire movie you have previously seen. It is stylishly shot in high contrast black and white. While not an Iranian film as it was completely filmed in California almost entirely at night. It did however use the Persian language which I think was a first for me. The directing like the acting is seamless and precise. It has got the potential to become a modern classic.
Sidzjo
How scorn works: Ana Lily Amirpour is a female! She has a Middle Eastern background! How striking! Let's patronize with exceedingly low expectations. Cue rave reviews...Don't fall for it.Let's instead show the woman some respect, and be frank. This film is utter garbage.A vampire who kills those who are mean to womankind. She even steals a skateboard from a kid! Are there no limits to her malevolence?Glacially slow. The film is a series of largely disconnected tableaux peppered with shots of an industrial landscape and a nondescript suburbia. The acting is appalling.
