Kaveh Mousavi’s Top 10 Iranian Films

5. The Impasse (1971) – Amir Naderi

This is the second appearance of Naderi on this list. This pre-revolutionary film is completely different from his post-revolutionary films: its actors are big stars of the day, and the story takes place in Tehran. Like most films on this list, it’s a dark social drama. Its story concerns a gambling debt going wrong and ending in murder, and the protagonist is escaping the victim’s brothers who want to avenge him. Through this story, we see the ugly side of Tehran, ravished by poverty.

In itself the film is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that has aged very well and can entertain any audience. The film is extremely pessimistic and dark in the way it portrays the social realities of its time. While before the revolution there were many so-called “thug films” among popular films, whose protagonists are small time criminals functioning on a masculine ideology of knives and jealousy toward women, Naderi’s film stands out as it doesn’t glorify its protagonist and shows how empty the notion of “honor” is in the culture of Iran.

The movie is definitely a masterpiece:  well-made, breathtaking, and innovative for its time.