The Hunter

Iranian writer-director Rafi Pitts presents a remarkable drama built on a cycle of tragic violence. Pitts also stars as Ali, a newly-released prisoner who works the night shift as a security guard in a Tehran automobile assembly factory. Ali's life is wrapped up with his wife, their six-year-old daughter, and his passion for hunting. One day, Ali returns home to find his family gone, and after a frustrating visit to a police station he discovers that his wife was killed by a stray bullet fired during a confrontation between police and political protestors; his daughter, who is initially listed as missing, is later discovered at a morgue. Without betraying any emotion, Ali takes his rifle, drives to an overlook above a highway, and fatally shoots two police officers—an act of vengeance that leads to a chase which will bring Ali and his pursuers to an isolated forest. The Hunter offers a surprisingly frank and brutal view of contemporary Tehran, with a distinctively harsh commentary on unchecked police authority. Pitts is a magnetic presence as an actor—his Ali is an enigmatic figure whose behavior constantly catches the viewer off-guard—and he's a smart director, brilliantly pacing this slow-boiling thriller. One of the most provocative recent films to come out of Iran, this is highly recommended. (P. Hall)