The strength of the best Iranian films usually lies in transparency and simplicity. Master Iranian moviemakers like Abbas Kiarostami (“Through the Olive Trees”), Dariush Mehrjui (“The Cow”) and Amir Naderi (“The Runner”) often seem to thrive on the rough naturalism and lyricism of the Italian neo-realists.
But, though he can shoot as naturally as his colleagues, Iran’s Mohsen Makhmalbaf, currently the subject of a career retrospective at the Film Center of the School of the Art Institute, is also a formidable bravura visual stylist. That quality shows clearly in at least four of the six films screened this week: three fiction features, one “mockumentary,” a short and a documentary interview with Makhmalbaf.
1990’s “The Time of Love” ((star) (star) (star) 1/2), screening at 8:15 p.m. Sunday, is a near-masterpiece. In this unusual film, shot in Turkey and banned by the Iranian government, Makhmalbaf examines three variations on a single story about adultery and voyeurism — beginning as a deaf old man spots a faithless couple in a graveyard.
The three tales of “Love” share a common setting and cast (though in the middle story, the actors playing the husband and wife-stealer temporarily switch parts.) But otherwise, they’re different in tone and effect, even though the first two parts both end in murder and a trial. The third variation more wistfully imagines a sad, civilized alternative; all three are shot in brilliant color and luminous images.
Which is true? What really happens? Makhmalbaf keeps us dangling until the end. “A Time of Love” lovingly exploits the special properties of cinema, recalling earlier films of subjectivity and variation like Kurosawa’s “Rashomon,” Antonioni’s “Blowup” and Kieslowski’s “Blind Chance.” The other five series films are about the movies.
1993’s “The Actor” ((star) (star) (star) ), which screens at 4 p.m. Sunday, is a strange dark comedy about a comedy actor (Akbar Abdi), who is driven to despair by the increasingly crazy demands of his lunatic wife (Fatemeh Motamed Aria). Their multicolored high-tech home, decorated with Charlie Chaplin posters and furniture that vanishes into the walls, is an amazing sight. And the movie’s bright, desperate comedy creates a bizarre mood of affluent unease.
1995’s “Salaam Cinema” ((star) (star) (star) ), screening at 8 p.m. Saturday, together with Maani Petgar’s 1996 “Cinema Cinema” (9:30 p.m. Saturday’) — a documentary on Makhmalbaf shot while he made “Salaam” — seems influenced by the unorthodox mock-verite style of his Kiarostami. “Salaam” is supposedly a documentary shot while Makhmalbaf casts for a special film to commemorate cinema’s centennial. After a long prologue (a near riot at the casting call), we see a series of group auditions, in which Makhmalbaf takes us to the soul of cinema: the love affair between human subject and camera, with the director as intermediary.
Most visually complex of these films is 1992’s dazzling “Once Upon a Time Cinema” ((star) (star) (star) 1/2), which screens at 6 p.m. Sunday. Like “Salaam,” it’s an ode to the movies, but far more intricate. The central character is a hapless projectionist in 1900 trying to introduce the movies to the court of a tyrannical Shah. The film begins as a stylized black-and-white farce, but gradually grows crazier and more elaborate.
The Shah, despite a harem with 84 wives, falls in love with an actress in one of the films. Chases ensue and the projectionist almost gets beheaded twice. But as this wild story goes on, the film turns into a century-long chronicle of movie high points in Iran and elsewhere (“The Cow, “The Runner” and “2001” are all recalled). A bit like “Arabian Nights” in a cinematheque, this film is like nothing you’ve seen. (“Once” screens with Makhmalbaf’s gorgeous 1992 short, “Images from the Qajar Dynasty,” which contains actual images from early century Iranian films.)
The Film Center is at Columbus Drive and Jackson Boulevard, 312-443-3737.
– The second week of the 13th Annual Chicago Latino Film Festival continues at several venues, with another banquet of recent and classic international films. Mini-reviews ran last week and will appear in the Friday section. Among the highlights: Tomas Alea’s “Guantanamero” (6 p.m. Thursday), “The Last Supper” and “Death of a Bureaucrat” ( 4:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, both at Facets Multimedia) and “Strawberry and Chocolate” (6:30 p.m. Monday), from Cuba.
From Argentina: Santiago Carlos Ove’s “Smooth Talker” (6 p.m. Thursday; 8:15 p.m. Sunday). From Ecuador: Camilo Luzriago’s “Between Marx and a Naked Woman” (6 p.m. Friday; 6:30 p.m. Sunday). From Spain: Julio Medem’s “Earth” (9 p.m. Sunday). From Spain and England: Ken Loach’s “Land and Freedom” (6:15 p.m. Saturday). From Nicaragua: Loach’s “Carla’s Song” ((6 p.m. at Facets). Except where noted, all these films will be shown at Chestnut Station, 850 N. Clark St., 312-338-7301.
Facets Multimedia is at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-281-4114. For group rates and schedules for the Latino fest, call Chicago Latino cinema at 312-431-1330.
– The Music Box’s 11:30 a.m. weekend matinee 3-D series continues with a rare showing of 1953’s “The Charge at Feather River,” with Guy Madison and Vera Miles. The Music Box’s Preston Sturges series has that terrific 1941 screwball comedy, “The Lady Eve” ((star) (star) (star) 1/2), with Henry Fonda (“Snakes are my life!”) pursued by Barbara Stanwyck (“Positively the same dame!”). The midnight show is John Waters’ “Pink Flamingos” ((star) (star) 1/2), with Divine. (“Filth is my life!”)
The Music Box is at 3733 N. Southport Ave., 773-871-6604.
– The second annual Asian American Showcase continues at the Film Center with screenings of three films. At 8 p.m. Thursday: Rea Tajiri’s “Strawberry Fields” ((star) (star) (star) ). At 6 p.m. Friday: Quentin Lee and Justin Lin’s “Shopping for Fangs” ((star) (star) ). At 8 p.m. Friday: Chris Chan Lee’s “Yellow” ((star) (star) ). All the directors will appear with the films.
