Sunday, May 23, 2010

Kargaran mashghoole karand (2006)

- 3 Eberts

Men at Work, is an Iranian movie based on a story by Abbas Kiarostami, but directed by Mani Haghighi.
The movie is about four men who come upon a large pillar like rock, standing on the side of a cliff. They are on their way to watch a soccer game but decide that they should push it over the edge first. The movie is mostly dialogue, with very little action.
They tie a donkey to the rock and try to pull it. They cut down a tree, which is against the law, to use as a lever. Another group comes by and tries to succeed where they have failed. The groups join together and tie one of the cars to the rock and try to pull it over. In their attempts one of the men gets injured. His friend then begins ramming the rock with his car, risking his life? Why? For what? Why try to topple something so beautiful, so true, so natural? Is it in our nature just to tear things down? Old technology, new technology - some truths things stand up against the tests of time?
Political allegory, character study, drama, comedy, religious allegory, gender politics .. I don't know. The movie talks about the human condition. Why are we, as a people, in the situation we are now. It's not rational. It makes no sense. Yet here we are.
I found this film very interesting, beautifully filmed and very well done. I don't think Roger has reviewed it.

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