A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night [Blu-ray]

This is a film I wanted to watch back in mid-2014, but there were no theater showings nearby and I had to wait until it hit VOD 9 months later. A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night provided multiple reasons for me to desire to see it. For one, it comes directed by a woman, which is still a rarity in the genre despite more and more females in the director’s chair. Also, it is filmed in black and white and the actors speak in the Iranian language. There are several other reasons, like this being a “western vampire tale”, but the biggest reason I wanted to see this is because those that had seen it spoke nothing but praise. After experiencing it for myself, I now see why.Lurking the streets of Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a lonesome vampire who stalks the townspeople finds love.The story begins by introducing us to Arash, a young man who works hard to support himself and care for his junkie father. His father’s lifestyle takes a negative effect on Arash, who suffers at the hands of a drug dealer collecting on his father’s debt. Bad City reeks of everything that is wrong with society, and he is not alone in feeling that way. A vampire has been ridding the city of the degenerates that plague it, and she does so by sinking her teeth into their necks.The first kill hits at the 24 minute mark, and I was honestly very impressed with how scary it was. Ana Lily Amirpour’s execution of this scene is incredible. From the full-frontal cinematography to the performance from the talented Sheila Vand, the tension was high and the effect is a lasting one. When the vampire, credited as The Girl, and Arash finally meet, the chemistry between the two is awe-inspiring. Arash moves the film and The Girl graces it with sincere joy and the occasional feasting. Amirpour’s story is not devoutly horror, as it blends love and other elements, but it is absolutely a horror film. Don’t be fooled. There are several awesome kill sequences, with each of them executed in a fashion that left me shocked in ways I did not expect from such an “artsy” film. Actress Sheila Vand’s performance played a big role in these scares. After seeing her in Ben Affleck’s Argo, it was amazing to see her display such a cruel and terrifying death stare before each kill.Armirpour ensures that this will be a visually engaging piece, shot in black and white while perfectly blending contrast and blacks to give us a vintage look. The musical score plays into this atmosphere, and while at times it bled that Robert Rodriguez Western feel, I honestly did not see this as the Western film it has been marketed as. The sets used were simple but effective, and no, this Iranian-language flick was not filmed in Iran, but in Taft, California.This story is an engaging one, but don’t expect it to be consumed with vampire action. Like I mentioned earlier, we do see a few good kills, but this is equal parts romance as it is horror, and the romance will consume the second act as well as most of the third. The dialogue is minimal, yet that did not negatively affect the interaction between Arash and The Girl. At times I felt like Amirpour’s goal was to sell the film with atmosphere and emotion, and not so much with narrative. One element to consider, aside from love and horror, is the feeling of empowerment displayed from The Girl. Each of her kills serves a purpose. Whether she kills a drug dealer or a rapist, she is ridding Bad City of the scum that plagues it.Overall, A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night is a one-of-a-kind experience that I suggest to those who would appreciate such a film. The direction is incredible, the horror is solid, and this is a slap in the face of those who say horror is dead / all genre films are the same.

Female Iranian director. So incredibly good, the whole movie from beginning to end. Not hollywood formula mode. Refreshing.

I try to find movies like this that put some kind of creative spin on ideas that I have become stale. this was a refreshing film with a new perspective to offer. Go into this looking for an original foreign indie vampire film, leave obsessed with Dancing Girls by Farah.

𝑰𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎, 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔, 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓? 𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈?A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a 2014 Persian-language American Western horror film written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour.Residents of a worn-down Iranian city encounter a skateboarding vampire who preys on men who disrespect women.Void of the words ‘Iranian’ and ‘skateboarding’, ‘𝑨 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒔 𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆…’ may well be a gratuitous feature, fighting an uphill battle against the affair the larger masses have with Dracula, the Cullens, and the like. Set in the fictitious ‘Bad City’ Amirpour’s directorial debut sticks to her guns - or fangs, better yet - inspired in part by the very outfit its protagonist dons. Called a chador, Amirpour put one on while on the set for another film, and was reportedly bewildered by how much it likened her to an unlikely set of icons: the fabulous duo of Lestat and Louis from Anne Rice’s 𝑰𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝑽𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆. Though distinguished as the “first Iranian vampire Western” ever it is subsequently interested in making the otherwise polarizing or alianting aspects of its storytelling broadly applicable to a resistant or culturally insensitive audience, with an awareness as to how much the subject of vampires in combination with their innate bloodlust risks being too conventional to say something meaningful.Speaking of, ‘𝑨 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝑾𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒔 𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆…’ was made in Taft, California so as to circumvent censorship-related barriers often reported during Iranian productions, its grime prominently reminiscent of the area Amirpour spent her formative years in prior making films. No matter, its on the nose approach to disparity (It’s fictional setting is called ‘Bad City’, for crying out loud) is juxtaposed with the ironic descriptor in its very title: The nameless girl in question walks in solitude and amongst dangerous conditions, but fears seemingly nothing. Paired with a lack of exposition, ‘𝑨 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍…’s drama is no more rooted in suspense or undue prognostication than traditional elements of horror, notwithstanding its deviation from jaded revenge fantasies and what it propagates as “justice” throughout. Though its logic condones and gives way to fear mongering - the overarching message seems to be that misogyny is everywhere, and sucks the life out of otherwise productive people whilst endangering them - the exclusively retaliative nature of the nameless girl’s violence implies that it exists out of spite or perhaps even necessity, informing larger real-world points to be made about gender disparity and who all is tethered to its will.Perhaps the biggest mistake a viewer can make is thinking they have ‘𝑨 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍…’ motives all figured out: deducing what it offers as a feminist brigade is really just half the battle. Its conclusion, pushed forward by a revelation on a could-be victim’s behalf and subsequent relocation with ‘the girl’, is stained with an almost stark subtlety that is no longer interested in the subject of revenge or strict codes of impartiality that transcend gender-based violence and the like. Wildly appropriate, though confusing, is the chanced vagueness with which said girl chooses her victims, given the fact that one need not be threatening to feel her wrath so much as inclined to litter the world with a sense of entitlement, corruption, squander, and whatever else makes one dead in the court of her own personal opinion. It is worth noting that ‘𝑨 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍…’ is a challenging piece, but not the most self-assured; there is little to suggest a sense of conflict in terms of how the girl’s meals are sourced outside of an interaction she has with a prepubescent boy, much less any thoughts she might have about a person’s aptitude for change if she deems them worthy of disposal in the first place. It just begs the question: If this girl is only killing people that won’t be missed, or perhaps know better than to act how they are, where are the lines she must cross to do so? And, perhaps most importantly, is she the only one drawing them?Very needless to say, ‘𝑨 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍…’ wasn’t made for everyone. Though it teases as a slow burn, it is closer to a frothy indictment of maltreatment against woman that is ubiquitous and often happens with impunity. Given what transpires, and the candid departure of Amirpour ‘s characters, clear adamancy would do this narrative few favors, nor would it serve any points it stands to make about a single woman’s power once intertwined with romantic or self-destructive prospects. No matter, what is mostly clear is that this feature isn’t looking for people to co-sign the actions of anyone portrayed without a second thought, but a testimony to the real damage caused when the fangs of injustice are reacted to with a turned cheek and equally exposed neck.(P.S. A graphic novel written by Amirpour that acts as a companion piece and delves more into both ‘the girls’ demeanor and backstory can be purchased elsewhere on Amazon 😉)

Ana Lily Amirpour’s A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) deserves a spot alongside the most stylish and sexy vampire films of all time. And given that it is a Persian language film, it is one of the most fiercely subversive films I’ve seen in ages.Shot in the stark black and white in the US, but with exclusively Persian speaking actors, the film has a strong and boldly daring self awareness of Iranian standards and codes of conduct. It’s quite jarring seeing such a contemporary film in an Iranian context, since cinema in Iran is a long story of censorship and repression.Really good, really dark, really great soundtrack.

Venia en perfecto estado, aparte la edición viene muy completa, la recomiendo ampliamente.👌🏿

Surprise par ce film de Vampire, le noir et blanc du film est vraiment trop beau, un ovni dans le monde du cinéma, vraiment génial superbe film. J'ai rarement vue un film comme cela, j'en suis encore sur le c..

„Sad songs hit the spot, don't they?“Ein junges Mädchen streift nachts durch die Straßen der fiktiven iranischen Stadt Bad City. Was niemand ahnt: sie ist ein Vampir und auf der Suche nach Opfern und erleichtert die Stadt um allerhand Gesindel. Als der junge und rebellische Arash ihren Weg kreuzt, wird eine Reihe von Ereignissen los getreten, die ihrer beider Leben verändern wird…Viel mehr lässt sich über den Inhalt des ersten Spielfilms von Ana Lily Amirpour auch kaum sagen, denn A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night definiert sich über viele Dinge, aber am allerwenigsten über seine Handlung oder Erzählstruktur. Zu episodenhaft und nur lose zusammenhängend sind die Ereignisse rund um Arash, seinen drogensüchtigen Vater, dessen Dealer, dem Vampirmädchen und noch einigen anderen Figuren, die sich in Bad City herumtreiben. Das ist aber kein Nachteil, denn das Erzählen von Geschichten im klassischen Sinne spielt hier nur eine sehr untergeordnete Rolle, deutlich wichtiger sind Atmosphäre und Stimmung, wirklich von Bedeutung sind nur all die wunderschönen Bilder und die stilvolle Schwarz/Weiß-Ästhetik, die sich zusammen mit der Musik in einen geradezu hypnotischen Rausch steigern und den Zuschauer unweigerlich vereinnahmen, ihn mit sich reißen und in ihren Bann ziehen. Folglich wird auch dem gesprochenem Wort eher wenig Raum gegeben, aber durch Bilder, Gesten und Blicke wird alles erzählt, was man wissen muss. Schwelgerische Bilder, lange Kameraeinstellungen und sich langsam entfaltende Stimmungen überlagern immer wieder die Handlung und erschaffen eine düstere, melancholische Atmosphäre, der man sich nur schwer entziehen kann. In ihrer Bildsprache bedient sich Amirpour dann auch im großen Fundus der letzten 100 Jahre Film, angefangen beim klassischen Horror über Western hin zum Film Noir, sogar ein Hauch von James Dean und Elemente des deutschen Stummfilms lassen sich da ebenso entdecken wie zahlreiche andere Verweise und Bezüge zu allerlei Formen der Popkultur.Allein das Zimmer des namenlosen Vampirmädchens quillt regelrecht über vor Reminiszenzen an die Popkultur: ein Raum voller Poster, von der Decke hängt eine kleine Discokugel, an der Wand steht ein Plattenspieler und so wie der ist auch sie ein wenig aus der Zeit gefallen, das namenlose Mädchen, das in Jeans und Ringel-Shirt durchs Zimmer tanzt. Namen wie Quentin Tarantino, Jim Jarmusch oder David Lynch kommen einem da in den Sinn, auch die Ästhetik von Coppolas Rumble Fish, aber Amirpour bleibt zu jeder Sekunde selbstständig und kopiert nicht einfach nur blind, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night trägt ganz deutlich ihre eigene Handschrift. Ein wilder Stilmix quer durch die Geschichte des Films, der aber niemals überladen wirkt, sondern vielmehr seltsam sparsam und karg. So zelebriert sie die beinahe schon morbide, manchmal geradezu endzeitlich wirkende Atmosphäre, Bad City ist mehr Geisterstadt als Ort des Lebens, ihre Bewohner scheinen alle verkommen und kaputt zu sein, niemand scheint etwas Gutes im Sinn zu haben, und das namenlose Vampirmädchen streift nachts durch die finsteren Straßen, im wehenden Tschador, auf einem Skateboard, das nicht ihr gehört. Begegnet sie erst Arash, dann entspinnt sich eine ganz feine und zarte, sacht erzählte Romanze zwischen den beiden, die zwar zusammen sein wollen, es aber nicht können, die sehr wohl wissen und spüren, dass es unmöglich eine gemeinsame Zukunft für sie geben kann, ihnen bleibt nur der Moment. Ultimativ gewiss wird dieses Dilemma in einer wunderschönen, sehr langen, zeitlupenartigen Szene, wenn die beiden bei ihr zu Hause sind, sie den Song Death der Band White Lies auflegt und sie sich ganz, ganz langsam näher kommen. Dieser Moment ist unfassbar schön, intensiv und berührend, spannend und vor allem sehr knisternd, ein Moment, in dem sich Sehnsucht und Verlangen nach einem anderen Menschen spürbar verdichten und die Welt still zu stehen scheint. Worte braucht es hier für keine, Blicke, Gesten und die Musik reichen völlig aus.A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night ist ein geradezu betörend schönes Stück Film geworden, eher lose und fragmentarisch erzählt, beinahe schon episodenhaft, aber weder das geschriebene, noch das gesprochene Wort stehen hier ebenso wenig im Vordergrund wie die Handlung. Es sind vielmehr all die schwelgerischen Bilder, die langen Einstellungen, Blicke, Gesten und immer auch der fantastische Soundtrack, die Ana Lily Amirpours Spielfilmdebüt ausmachen, wie sich all das in seinem ganz eigenen Reigen aus rauschartigen Bildern und hypnotischer Musik in einen traumartigen Sog steigert. Der Film zitiert sich munter durch die Geschichte von Film und Popkultur im allgemeinen, bleibt aber jederzeit vollkommen selbstständig und auf seine Art einzigartig. In jedem Fall ein sehr lohnenswertes, wunderschönes und zuweilen magisches Erlebnis, aber zweifellos auch ein Film, mit dem nicht jeder etwas wird anfangen können.

Premessa n1: questa edizione è in lingua originale (il Parsi) con sottotitoli francesi. Su Amazon.co.uk, c'è coi sottotitoli in inglese. ma NON PERDETELO, non importa.Premessa n. 2: io sono persa per i vampiri.In Italia, si sa, la distribuzione cinematografica è quel che è, e tanti film non escono, o magari escono una sera a Romao a Milano ma se abiti in provincia, te li scordi. Tutti gli anni a dicembre leggo sulla stampa inglese o americana i classici elenchi dei migliori film dell'anno, così so quanti ne ho persi. Poi per fortuna c'è Amazon, e si recupera.La ragazza che cammina verso casa da sola la sera in una imprecisata città iraniana è un vampiro. E' misteriosa e diretta allo stesso tempo. E' spietata con chi è crudele, ma sa avere pietà, e ha bisogno di amici. Lo stile è stato paragonato a Jarmush giovane (Stranger than paradise) ma che è più surreale che folle (vedere una ragazza che fa skateboard la notte col chador che svolazza, sapendo che è un vampiro è fantastico - se poi incontra un tizio vestito da Dracula reduce da una festa in maschera diventa irresistibile) questo film mostra la presa, la potenza della figura del vampiro, che in una società governata in base a una religione torna ad avere pienamente il significato originario, quello di parlare per metafore dei rapporti umani.