A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)

I don't quite know what to make of this film. It was an interesting look into Iranian culture and absolutely beautiful, but the way it told its story bugged me.

There are many films nowadays that feel the need to explain absolutely everything. As a filmmaker myself, one of the largest problems with writing a script is the fine balance of exposition; how much to tell and how much to show. That said I came away from this film knowing almost nothing about the plot. Every piece of information is ambiguous and the end left me with that 'well we have learned nothing here' feeling.

The film centers around an Iranian man in his early 20s and a slightly younger Iranian vampire. They meet by accident as the man heads home after a party and they enter a complex relationship together. Exactly what happens is left open to interpretation and, as such, is hard to explain. The audience is left to fill in the many blank and create their own version of events. Personally I now believe that the film takes place in a universe in which vampires are a normal addition to society because no information is given on the contrary. The amount of questions left an answered was a real put-off for me, but that’s just my taste.

Ambiguity aside, the whole film is stunning to look at. Shot in grayscale with constantly interesting mise-en-scene. Like the title suggests, most of the movie takes place at night which allows for some incredible shots of empty streets where the only light floods down from the street-lamps above. A lot of the shots are disconnected from the narrative, or at the very least symbolic, which allows for some interesting eye candy. The fact that the film was so pretty makes it definitely worth a watch, if you can get past the absence of legible plot.

The other interesting aspect of the film is the insight into Iranian culture. There is heavy drug use throughout but it is never directly addressed or referred upon, suggesting that it is considered normal in that society. Furthermore, there is very little dialogue. None of the characters talk much to each other and the most vocal are also the most negatively portrayed. There are also some very pretty cutaways to Iranian locations and features, such as Nodding Donkeys and rundown streets in the city. All of this gives a unique portrayal of a generally unknown country, although not necessarily and accurate or positive portrayal.

Ultimately it is a beautiful film which gives a unique insight into Iran but suffers, in my opinion, from an ambiguous narrative.