The Cyclist

05.16 Tuğba

Somewhat crude when compared to 90s Iranian cinema, and possibly should have been cut even shorter, but still interesting, especially the ending.

Iran'da belli odaklarca kiskirtildigi varsayilan afgan (yabanci ?)dusmanligini konu alan sosyal mesaj icerikli Makmalbaf filmi. Fakirlik ve cehalet de ayrica islenmistir filmde.

An odd film... perhaps no odder than Gabbeh, but unusual in its heightened stylization. There's a number of unsual camera angles (often highlighting a sense of circularity), abrupt edits, out-of-place music, and instances of nearly comic melodrama. It doesn't all gel for me and I can't help but wonder if the film would have worked better in a more realist style. But it's certainly intriguing, and the story with its varied themes of honor, corruption and exploitation is fulfilling and thoughtful.

I appreciate the central metaphor of the film, which is deeply humanist--as this man rides in circles, the inevitable question arises: will he ever be able to work his way out of this endless loop? The multiplicity of people around him that make money off of him only serve to heighten the contrast between the Afghan immigrant and the Iranian people. Makhmalbaf inserts a number of dream-like moments (such as riding through the tunnel) that add to the atmosphere of desperation.