The Story
The most shocking film from Iran in recent years
has no sex, little violence, and virtually no profane
language. Marmoulak, or "The Lizard", doesn't need any
of this to accomplish its goal: satirize Iranian
society through a character who's an escaped convict.
Director Kamal Tabrizi's film begins with a daring prison
escape by convicted thief and anti-hero Reza, jailed for life
for being caught one too many times. Injured in a prison brawl
and sent to the infirmary, Reza finds the robes and turban of
a cleric and slips out of jail undetected, fooling prison
authorities, mosque worshipers, teenage revelers -- anyone he
happens to meet on his road to the border and what he hopes is
permanent freedom. A funny thing happens along the way,
though: This tattooed, tough- talking robber named Reza
stumbles into becoming the prayer leader at a small-town
mosque, and every time he tries to leave the town,
circumstances push him back. Some of the movie's most
hilarious scenes happen when Reza has to fake his way through
religious services.
"In the name of God, I'm very happy to be present in this
radiant crowd," he says during his first sermon, whose topic
is 'the different paths' that lead to God. "Imagine you want
to enter a house, OK?" Reza continues to his enraptured
audience. "There are several ways -- you can use the key and
open the door. But if you don't have a key, the other option
is a master key. And if you don't have a master key, you can
use a piece of wire clippers, a screwdriver, or you may climb
the wall and use a rope."
The worshipers assume Reza's story is metaphorical, not
based on his actual experience as a thief. The movie's tension
(and laughter) stem from the idea that Reza's true identity
could be discovered at any moment -- if not by the worshipers
(one of whom Reza lusts after), then by the police who are in
pursuit of him. But what happens next is a moral
transformation - the one aspect of the film that could at
least please the most hardened clerics. After preaching in
prisons and even at weekly Friday prayers where worshippers
become captivated by his simplicity, Reza becomes a respected
religious figure and a man who finds God himself, however,
there is also an underlying criticism of the men of the cloth
who have ruled Iran for the past 25 years.
Upon its release in Iran four months ago, "The Lizard"
became the most popular film in that country. It was also
banned after Tehran's religious authorities realized that they
had made a mistake in authorizing its theatrical release. One
cleric there reportedly said people were mocking him as "The
Lizard" when he walked down the street.
The depth of the movie's satire is debatable. Director
Kamal Tabrizi has said his film ultimately shows that religion
and redemption are possible, and indeed, Parastui's character
changes his views over the course of the film. But along the
way, we see how a phony Iranian mullah is lionized by a public
that treats him the way Americans treat their rock stars. And
we see some of the double standards and contradictions that
exist in Iran (including the huge void between the country's
young people and its ruling clerical class).
By Hollywood standards, "The Lizard" would be considered a
mildly funny film. By Iranian standards, "The Lizard" is
subversive.
