Director: Ana Lily Amirpour.
Cast: Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, Marshall Manesh, Mozhan Marno, Dominic Rains, Rome Shadanloo.
Certificate: 15
Running Time: 99 minutes
Synopsis: Arash (Marandi), a lonely gardener struggling to aid his drug addict father (Manesh), falls for a mysterious woman who haunts the streets of Bad City.
Already top contender for most interesting film of the year, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT, has one of those unique descriptions that will make viewers both wary and delighted in equal measure. Described as a black and white, Iranian western with vampires, there is nothing quite like Amirpour’s debut feature length film, but it is also a film that is demonstrating talent and excellence, rather than offering a cohesive whole.
The glorious black and white cinematography brings to life a desolate and confusing wasteland. Much like the original MAD MAX, it is impossible to gauge exactly what period of time we are in, and whether this is our universe or not. The very name of the city, Bad City, is teasingly unsubtle, whereas the rest of the film is a slowly paced meditation on relationships and power. It feels almost post-apocalyptic, with a canyon of bodies portrayed as being quite normal, while streets are often empty and cold. This atmosphere is perfect for a suburban gothic tale such as this.
Meanwhile the characters are typical western archetypes, each of them living a life without much drive or meaning. They are caught in Bad City, and a number of details keep them rooted in the dreaded wasteland. Arash is confined by his father, his father by his addiction, and the titular girl of the title (Vand), has the avoidance of daylight and thirst for blood. The girl plays on her assumed vulnerability to lure her prey, and her actions can be both titillating and ferociously bleak. Such scenes can be chilling, but they soon make way for a kind and considered love affair.
In wonderful feminist fashion, and feminist by the truest nature of the word in that it is equality for boths exes, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT sees everyone as a victim and a hero. Characters are sadly contained within their world, and it takes others to help them break out of it. Nobody is exactly helpless, but instead have become reliant on patterns and procedure. They offer each other something new and exciting, which is gradually revealed in a subtle romance.
With a brilliant look and feel, A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT is sadly mired by a very slow pace. There just isn’t enough to consider while the film takes longer pauses, resulting in a want for something a bit meatier. The silence is uncomfortable, rather than relaxing, which is in contrast to the hypnotic atmosphere the rest of the film gladly displays. Fortunately every performance, the organic direction, and the astonishing score, all leave you wanting more. This is the kind of film where you want to deleve into the previous works of all involved, and wait for what they are all doing next. This is a delightfully weird and wonderful dramatic piece as polarising as its black and white photography. Both calming and unsettling in equal measure, it hypnotises the viewer in a way which is both frustrating and rewarding.
A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT is released in UK cinemas from 22nd May.
