Direction: Mohammad Rasoulof
Country: Iran
Four short, if complex, stories centered on the topic of capital-punishment and immersed in moral dilemma is what the Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof (A Man Of Integrity, 2019) offers us in There Is No Evil, his seventh fictional feature and the one that led him to prison and house arrest (just like Jafar Panahi) via the fierce censorship exerted by the authoritarian political regime of Iran.
With pragmatism, Rasoulof doesn’t condemn individuals but rather the political system behind the acts, posing questions about morality, justice and personal liberty.
Cerebral and presented with sang-froid, the first story centers on a husband/father (Ehsan Mirhosseini) in his family routines; the second chapter is thrilling and defiant of the system, focusing on a jailed Iranian soldier (Kaveh Ahangar) who refuses to kill; the third tale is painful and complex as it follows another soldier (Mohammad Valizadegan) who crosses the woods to visit his girlfriend (Mahtab Servati) but is struck by an unexpected surprise; and finally, the fourth story, the most intriguing of them all, is marked by a nice twist as an outcast doctor (Mohammad Seddighimehr) welcomes his Germany-based niece (director’s daughter Baran Rasoulof) as she visits the parched mountainous area where he lives.
The very naturalistic performances enhance the conflicts of conscience and the questions on how to deal with such a complex issue. How can you fight for your freedom and make your choice when your government is criminal and wants you to act according its ways? Although uneven, this is a brave, revelatory film from a smart filmmaker who presents things from the perspective of the executioners, drawing attention to the impact of their acts on themselves and the ones who surround them.
