Streaming: Shudder/Prime Video
Warnings:
Violence
Graphic Imagery
Sexual Intercorse
Drug Use
Rating: Not Rated
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a love story about two tortured souls who live in a ghost town called Bad City located in Iran. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a feminist film by default that changes a common narrative from previous films. The film blends different elements of genres like western, neo-noir and even horror. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night debuted at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and it received positive reviews from critics. The film is written and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour for her feature directorial debut. She is an English born Iranian-American director, screenwriter, actress and producer. Besides international recognition for A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Amirpour is known for an episode in the rebooted Twilight Zone, The Bad Batch, and A Little Suicide. She described A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night as, “The first Iranian Vampire, spaghetti western.” For those of you who do not know the term, “spaghetti western,” this is referring to a broad sub-genre of western films that were produced in Europe that emerged in the mid-1960s. Beyond the wonderful direction from Amirpour, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night also has breathtaking cinematography, interesting themes and a kickass musical soundtrack.
Amirpour never intended for this film to be considered feminist, and when asked if the film is feminist she stated, “it can be feminist if that’s what people think.” She also went on to say, “I wonder when Tarantino made Kill Bill, did people say he was being a feminist? It’s weird, I wonder if like, ‘Oh a female and so she’s battling misogyny.” Amirpour made a point that she would rather be considered an artist separate from her womanhood. She also states that she is oftentimes drawn towards outcasts and she notes that she finds the characters from a personal place within herself. Although she approaches the feminist element in A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night with reserve, she does hope that the audience appreciates the film’s representation of a silent character in drag named Rockabilly who is genderqueer. She states that Rockabilly’s presence is the one political thing in the film because it’s not okay to be gay in Iran. This representation is a bold statement supporting self expression and individuality in a place that doesn’t always allow it.
The cinematography is something that carries the film. Amirpour has 30% hearing loss, so she oftentimes depends on a lack of dialogue in her films, thus allowing the cinematography to portray the story. She states that her decision to limit the dialogue makes the audience uncomfortable and they often think there is a lack of narrative as a result of less dialogue. She says that those critical responses are interesting and states that she finds inspiration for this approach from various directors like David Lynch, Francis Ford Coppola, and Sergio Leone. The cinematography was executed by Lyle Vincent who is known for The Bad Batch, Thoroughbreds and The Woman in Black. Vincent had quite a task filming A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night because even though the story is based in Iran, the film was shot in California. The cinematography does a great job convincing the viewers that the characters are in Iran. The film is in black and white which adds to the neo-noir element with exaggerated shadows. The horror element is highlighted with extreme wide shots of the vampire girl following men in the evening. There are a few times in the film when the audience fears for the man’s life when he is walking home alone, this completely flips a common narrative that is seen in many Hollywood films. This aspect of the film is partially why this film should be considered feminist, the film shows a perspective that women understand that men might not.
The music is an additional element that adds to the film in an interesting way. The musical soundtrack was created and compiled by Bei Ru who is an American record producer, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Bei Ru is known for blending airy, syrupy electronic, soul, psych, house & funk influences. Amirpour says that, “every piece of the story, every character, every costume, every bit of music is something that she ‘love[s] to the point of obsession.” Amirpour’s love for film came from pop culture and she experienced a connection through music and movies. When she was 12 years old, her father got her a camcorder and she began imitating commercials and making films. She absolutely loved putting on shows and stated that she was going to become a filmmaker. With her inspiration from pop culture, music and films, she has always been destined to become an artist.
Even though A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night wasn’t necessarily supposed to be a feminist film, it certainly has elements of it that makes it one. From female representation, intersectional depictions, and the fact that a small woman holds all of the power in the film, it creates a story that hasn’t been told before. The different aesthetic elements also add to the individuality of the film, it makes the film visually stimulating, and even sometimes shocking. The cinematography, the thought-provoking styles and themes as well as the music make this film truly a masterful work of art. If you wish to view a film that is out of the ordinary with some political elements, I highly recommend A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.