Payback is in their grasp, but an Iranian psychological thriller offers no easy answers

by

The film “It Was Just an Accident” begins with a deliberate attempt to mislead the audience, and this isn’t the only time it does so. The first eight minutes immerse us in the seemingly normal life of Rashad (Ebrahim Azizi), an Iranian man driving home at night with his daughter and wife, who is expecting a baby.

The silence is broken by a sudden impact as Rashad’s car hits a dog in the middle of nowhere. Now stranded with a sputtering engine, he limps to the nearest repair shop. However, this film, a Cannes Palme d’Or winner by Jafar Panahi, isn’t really *about* Rashad. He quickly becomes secondary to the true focus of the story, and it’s revealed he might actually be the antagonist – though the path to revenge is rarely simple.

For the past fifteen years, acclaimed writer-director Jafar Panahi has likely spent a lot of time considering justice and revenge. He was imprisoned twice by the Iranian government – falsely accused of opposing the state – and, despite a filmmaking ban, he’s continued to create movies in secret, even playfully defying the restrictions. His first underground film, released in 2011 after being smuggled out on a USB drive, was titled “This Is Not a Film” as a pointed statement. Since then, his work has consistently explored the themes of fear and control brought on by his restricted life – he was also barred from leaving the country for over a decade – through stories filled with paranoia and the weight of oppression.

‘It Was Just an Accident’ explores its central ideas as openly as any of the director’s films made after his imprisonment, though the story doesn’t immediately focus on them. The narrative changes direction when Rashad enters a repair shop and we meet Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), the mechanic. A particular sound – Rashad’s squeaking shoes as he walks – immediately unsettles Vahid, stirring up painful memories and a sense of recognition, even though he hasn’t seen Rashad before. Soon after, Vahid takes Rashad captive.

Movies

His newest film, ‘It Was Just an Accident,’ recently won the Palme d’Or, but it’s just the latest achievement in a 30-year career marked by constant challenges.

Vahid led a blindfolded and terrified Rashad to a grave he’d dug in the desert and threw him in. He revealed he knew Rashad wasn’t his real name—it was Eghbal, nicknamed “Peg Leg” because of the squeaking sound his prosthetic leg made. Eghbal was the government agent who had tortured Vahid years ago. Though Vahid himself had been blindfolded during those brutal interrogations, he could never forget the distinctive squeak of Eghbal’s leg. Now, Vahid intended to kill him.

Even with his prosthetic leg, Rashad strongly denies Vahid’s accusations, pleading for his life. Vahid, struggling with a bad back and kidney problems, appears completely defeated – his time in prison has clearly left lasting scars – and he starts to question his actions. He wonders if he’s made a terrible mistake and captured an innocent man. He knocks Rashad unconscious, locks him in the trunk of his van, and races around town to find others who were also tortured by Peg Leg. These include Golrokh (Hadis Pakbaten), who is getting ready for her wedding and is wearing her wedding dress for photos; Shiva (Mariam Afshari) and Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr), who are no longer together; and Ali (Majid, Panahi’s nephew), Golrokh’s fiancé, who wasn’t imprisoned but wrongly believes he knows everything his future wife suffered.

This group of men is an unlikely and uncomfortable alliance, bound together by a terrible experience they’d rather forget. While they all suspect Rashad is the man who harmed them – known as Peg Leg – none of them are certain, as they never actually saw his face. Hamid insists he recognizes the man’s distinct, unpleasant breath. The others hesitate, unwilling to kill someone based on a feeling. However, Hamid, known for his quick temper, demands immediate retribution.

“It Was Just an Accident,” France’s submission for the international Oscar, is a film that defies easy categorization, shifting between genres like a road movie, thriller, and even a lighthearted comedy. It’s a deeply emotional and suspenseful story, subtly referencing Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” in its simple yet meaningful moments. As he often does, director Jafar Panahi uses a cast primarily composed of non-actors, enhancing the film’s realistic portrayal of lives disrupted by a harsh government.

Movies

Kleber Mendonça Filho’s ‘The Secret Agent’ received both the acting and directing awards. The Jury Prize was shared by two films: ‘Sirât’ and ‘Sound of Falling.’

Panahi skillfully connects everyday stories to broader political and social problems. Like his 2006 film “Offside,” which followed women determined to sneak into a soccer match despite a ban, his new film, “It Was Just an Accident,” makes you question what you’re seeing. The film presents a moral dilemma: is a seemingly gentle man actually a torturer, and whose perspective – anger or reason – should prevail? Ultimately, Panahi transforms the story of a kidnapping into a deeper exploration of how a nation can heal after suffering under a cruel government. While removing the perpetrator won’t change the regime, it might offer a small measure of relief.

“It Was Just an Accident” is skillfully made, feeling both carefully planned and surprisingly natural, especially during tense moments thanks to its use of long, unbroken shots. The film’s central question – whether Rashad is truly who he seems to be – does somewhat limit the emotional impact. While it doesn’t reach the same level of experimental boldness as other works by the director, like “This Is Not a Film” or “No Bears,” the film’s seemingly simple story actually hides a deeper current of anger and sadness about the director’s own experiences and the struggles of many Iranians.

Jafar Panahi’s film, “It Was Just an Accident,” can be understood as his way of processing his own complex emotions following his imprisonment. The characters often express his internal conflicts. As the story unfolds, viewers discover the truth about Rashad, culminating in a hauntingly ambiguous final scene – one that’s as unsettling as a sudden, violent impact. The film suggests that both seeking revenge and moving on from trauma are incredibly complicated processes.

Read More

2025-10-16 22:01