The Great Yawn of History Review: A Fresh Voice in Iranian Cinema

Iranian director Aliyar Rasti makes his feature film debut with The Great Yawn of History, bringing his artful eye and thoughtful perspective honed from years directing music videos and shorts. Though not formally trained, Rasti clearly absorbed lessons from revered Iranian auteurs like Abbas Kiarostami and Asghar Farhadi while auditing their courses. He now adeptly picks up the thread of recent Iranian art house cinema in this allegorical road trip story that contemplates faith and purpose.

We follow devout, middle-aged Beitollah, plagued by recurring dreams of a chest filled with gold buried deep in a cave. Beitollah sees this as a sign from God, but his faith bars him from personally claiming any found riches. Desperate, homeless Shoja has no such religious restrictions, making him the perfect agnostic assistant for Beitollah’s quest.

With nothing left tying them to the city, the odd couple set off on a rambling journey across the Iranian countryside in search of the elusive treasure cave. Their thought-provoking exchanges offer insight into Iranian society’s economic and spiritual malaise along the way. Rasti infuses this simple premise with plenty of bone-dry humor and visual invention, announcing an intriguing new directorial voice.

Seeking Buried Treasure

Beitollah is a religious man haunted by a recurring dream of a cave filled with gold, which he interprets as a sign from God. However, his faith prevents him from taking what is not rightfully his. He concocts a plan to hire an “agnostic assistant” without such scruples to retrieve the treasure on his behalf.

Beitollah places ads around Tehran using counterfeit $100 bills to attract desperate job seekers. Most who pocket the cash answer dishonestly when asked if picking up the money is “halal” or “haram” under Islamic law. Only world-weary Shoja answers honestly that taking the money is “haram,” making him the perfect hire.

With no ties left in the city, Beitollah and Shoja set off on their quixotic treasure hunt. They travel through vast open landscapes and eerie rock formations, stopping in rural villages along the way. Their journey takes on a surreal, magical realist air as they visit cave after cave based on Beitollah’s visions, with no success.

In one village, they stay with a lone female farmer after her family has abandoned their rice paddy for the city, alluding to Iran’s unemployment crisis and rural exodus. At a remote inn, the eccentric owner invites himself along on their quest for “the great yawn,” which Shoja increasingly sees as a wild goose chase.

As the cave locations grow more treacherous, Shoja questions whether Beitollah’s “gold coins” ever existed outside his dreams. But a desperate need to believe and fleeting promise of purpose keeps them searching the yawning caverns and tunnels under the unforgiving sun.

Examining Faith and Purpose

On the surface, The Great Yawn of History is a comic allegory about two mismatched men on a treasure hunt. But Rasti uses this quirky premise to probe deeper questions about faith, morality and purpose in contemporary Iran.

The film touches on various societal issues, most prominently the stark lack of economic opportunities facing Iranian youth. We see this in the desperation of job seekers willing to overlook dubious religious implications for a chance at work. Shoja’s homelessness and willingness to abandon everything to follow a superstitious stranger speaks to the same crisis.

As the central oddball duo bumbles through caves, their conversations reveal uncertainties regarding faith and spirituality. Beitollah’s “visions” of buried treasure test the limits of his religious convictions. Shoja claims no belief system, but seems to cling to Beitollah’s plan as his only remaining chance at meaning. Their rapport evolves from paternal disapproval to grudging understanding, hinting that rigid morality gives way to moral flexibility in times of hardship.

Visually, the film’s vast, lonely vistas juxtapose the characters’ inner voids against the yawning magnitude of nature’s indifference. Shadowy framing of their encounters with locals creates a dreamlike atmosphere pointing to ephemeral bounties like faith and purpose. Rasti’s images grow more creative and energetic as the plot escalates, matching the script’s escalating absurdism – almost reminiscent of Waiting for Godot.

As the treasure cave shapes up to be a red herring, Rasti coyly suggests the journey itself and companionship found along the way provide the real “gold” – a poignant theme linking his work to the likes of Abbas Kiarostami and Asghar Farhadi. Like them, Rasti finds insight and humor on meandering paths through the unforgiving, yet awesome Iranian terrain.

Capturing Mood and Landscape

Cinematographer Soroush Alizadeh makes the most of the story’s journey structure with thoughtful visuals that elevate the psychological and emotional impact. His camerawork enhances the absurd humor and melancholy as it traces the characters’ passage across the countryside.

Alizadeh often shoots in wide angles that emphasize Beitollah and Shoja’s smallness against expansive backdrops. This visual metaphor hints at their inner feelings of loneliness, isolation and insignificance. He also frames the two in profile as they walk, the land racing by to give their movement forward momentum and purpose – even as their prospects dim.

The outdoor scenes are washed in hazy sunlight or cloaked in shadow, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and ethereality regarding the quest. Night scenes flicker in gas lamp embers, giving interactions an otherworldly dimension. Alizadeh wields tight shots of the characters’ careworn faces sparingly for heightened impact in capturing their doubts and vulnerabilities.

As the central relationship warms from odd couple comedy toward bittersweet connections, Alizadeh responds with more energetic, creative shots and editing. He matches the script’s escalating quirkiness beat for beat through visual inventiveness, even throwing in the occasional interlude of stunning nature photography for good measure.

While Rasti’s writing probes at profundity, Alizadeh’s handsome compositions and photographic eye lend the film legitimate artistic gravitas fitting for the pantheon of great Iranian cinema. The Great Yawn of History may meander, but is always lovely to look at.

Parting Thoughts

The Great Yawn of History marks an assured and artful debut for Aliyar Rasti. He takes a simple fable about misfits on a treasure hunt and infuses it with insightful social commentary on Iranian society wrapped in vivid visual metaphors. Rasti continues his nation’s esteemed cinematic tradition of using meandering journeys to explore existential themes.

Where the film falters is tying up the ambling plot with meaningful resolution. The ending leaves the quest feeling unfulfilled, despite honing in on worthy messages about companionship and appreciating the journey over material goals. One wishes for some parting scene or image that hammers home the character arcs and themes more potently.

But Rasti shows tremendous promise as a rising voice that could develop on par with acclaimed auteurs like Kiarostami and Farhadi. Backed by Soroush Alizadeh’s beautiful lensing, Rasti offers much to like for fans of Iranian culture and cinema or those who enjoy deadpan, philosophical road trip movies. For a debut feature, it’s remarkably assured and showcases a filmmaker likely to craft even stronger work ahead – earning The Great Yawn of History a solid recommendation.

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