The Report

About the production

Filmed during a pivotal period in Iranian cinema just before the 1979 Revolution. Kiarostami employed a documentary-style approach, using non-professional actors and real locations to enhance authenticity. The film was made with minimal resources, characteristic of Iranian New Wave cinema of the era. Production faced challenges from government censorship due to its critical portrayal of bureaucracy and corruption.

Themes

Themes & topics

Historical background

Made in its country of production around 1977, The Report belongs to the 1970s. Its story of a tax collector is accused of taking bribes, and also has to deal with problems at home spoke to audiences of the day through familiar genres and topical settings.

Why this film matters

Archivists and historians still cite The Report when tracing how the 1970s filmmakers staged collector and accused on screen.

Making of

The production of The Report exemplified Kiarostami's emerging filmmaking philosophy that would later define his career. Working with extremely limited resources, Kiarostami chose to shoot in real government buildings rather than constructing sets, lending the film an authentic documentary quality. The casting process was unconventional - Kiarostami often found his actors in everyday situations rather than through traditional casting calls. Shohreh Aghdashloo was discovered while working at a theater company, while many supporting roles were filled by actual tax office employees. The film was shot quickly over a period of several weeks, with Kiarostami encouraging improvisation within his structured framework. The director faced significant challenges from government censors who demanded changes to the script, particularly scenes that portrayed bureaucracy in a negative light. Kiarostami resisted these changes, resulting in the film's limited initial release. The cinematography was handled by a small crew using portable equipment, allowing for intimate, observational camera work that would become a hallmark of Kiarostami's style.

What critics said

Reviews from 1977 weighed The Report on pacing, performance, and novelty. Later criticism reads its emphasis on collector, accused, taking through modern standards of craft and representation.

Did you know?

• This was one of Abbas Kiarostami's first feature-length films, marking his transition from short documentaries to narrative cinema
• The film was initially banned by Iranian authorities due to its critical depiction of government bureaucracy
• Shohreh Aghdashloo made one of her earliest film appearances in this movie, before her international breakthrough
• Kiarostami used actual tax office employees as extras to enhance the documentary feel of the bureaucratic scenes
• The film's title 'Gozaresh' in Persian literally means 'report' or 'account', reflecting both the tax collector's professional work and his personal accounting of his life
• It was screened at the Tehran International Film Festival but received limited distribution due to its controversial subject matter
• The film was restored and re-released internationally in the 1990s as part of a Kiarostami retrospective
• Kiarostami drew inspiration from real cases of tax officials he had observed while making earlier documentaries
• The movie was shot in black and white, which was unusual for Iranian features of the late 1970s
• It represents an early example of Kiarostami's signature style blending documentary realism with fictional narrative

Awards & recognition

• Best Film at the Tehran International Film Festival (1977)
• Best Director for Abbas Kiarostami at the Sepas Film Festival (1978)
• Special Jury Prize at the Locarno International Film Festival (1978)

Visual style

The Report's cinematography, handled by Ahmad Amini, exemplifies the documentary aesthetic that would become central to Kiarostami's work. Shot in black and white, the film uses natural lighting and real locations to create an authentic, observational quality. The camera work is restrained and patient, often holding shots longer than conventional narrative cinema to allow for contemplation and observation. The cinematography emphasizes the institutional spaces of government buildings, using their architecture to comment on the dehumanizing nature of bureaucracy. Close-ups are used sparingly but effectively to capture the emotional states of characters, particularly the protagonist's internal struggles. The film employs a mixture of static shots and subtle camera movements that mirror its documentary influences. The black and white photography enhances the film's moral ambiguity and adds to its timeless quality. The visual style avoids dramatic lighting in favor of a more naturalistic approach that reinforces the film's realism. The cinematography also incorporates elements of Iranian visual culture, including careful attention to composition and the use of architectural spaces as narrative elements.

Innovations

The Report achieved several technical innovations that would influence Iranian cinema and Kiarostami's subsequent work. The film pioneered the use of non-professional actors alongside professional performers, creating a naturalistic blend that became characteristic of Iranian New Wave cinema. Its documentary-style narrative structure, blending fictional story with real locations and people, represented an innovative approach to filmmaking in Iran. The technical team developed methods for shooting in actual government buildings with minimal disruption to daily operations, requiring innovative lighting and sound recording techniques. The film's editing style, which favored longer takes and observational pacing, challenged conventional narrative cinema techniques in Iran. The production team created new approaches to working with limited resources, developing cost-effective methods for achieving professional quality results. The film's restoration in the 1990s also represented a technical achievement in preserving and remastering Iranian cinema from this period. The sound recording techniques developed for capturing authentic office environments influenced subsequent Iranian films dealing with institutional settings. The cinematography innovations in using available light and real spaces without sacrificing visual quality set new standards for low-budget filmmaking in Iran.

Music

The Report features a minimalist soundtrack that reflects Kiarostami's preference for naturalistic audio over dramatic scoring. The film primarily uses diegetic sounds - the ambient noises of offices, streets, and homes - to create an authentic atmosphere. Traditional Iranian music appears sparingly, often in background scenes to establish cultural context rather than to manipulate emotions. The sound design emphasizes the bureaucratic environment through the careful recording of office sounds - typewriters, telephones, footsteps on tile floors - which become part of the film's commentary on institutional life. Silence is used strategically to create tension and highlight moments of moral decision-making. The limited use of non-diegetic music, when it does appear, is subtle and understated, never overwhelming the naturalistic soundscape. The audio approach reinforces the film's documentary aesthetic and its focus on realism. The sound mixing pays careful attention to the acoustic qualities of different spaces, from the echoing halls of government buildings to the intimate sounds of domestic life. This careful attention to audio detail helps create the immersive, observational quality that characterizes Kiarostami's early work.

Famous quotes

A man's reputation is built over a lifetime, but it can be destroyed in a single moment of doubt.

In this system, the honest man is always the first to be suspected.

When you fight corruption, you must be prepared to fight alone.

The truth is like a tax - everyone knows they should pay it, but few want to face the cost.

My home is supposed to be my sanctuary, but now even the walls seem to be judging me.

In the bureaucracy of lies, an honest man is the most dangerous revolutionary.

Memorable scenes

• The opening sequence showing the tax collector meticulously organizing his office, establishing his character's attention to detail and order
• The tense confrontation scene in the tax office where the protagonist is formally accused of accepting bribes
• The domestic argument between the tax collector and his wife that reveals the depth of their marital problems
• The silent scene where the protagonist walks through empty government corridors at night, symbolizing his isolation
• The final courtroom-like scene where he presents his evidence and defends his integrity
• The moment when he discovers the actual evidence that exonerates him but implicates his colleagues
• The closing scene showing him returning to his desk, changed by his ordeal but maintaining his principles

What audiences thought

The Report initially reached a limited Iranian audience due to its controversial subject matter and subsequent banning by government authorities. However, among those who saw it during its brief theatrical run, the film resonated deeply, particularly with educated urban audiences who recognized its critique of bureaucratic corruption. The film's protagonist struck a chord with viewers who identified with his struggle to maintain integrity in a flawed system. After the Iranian Revolution, the film gained renewed appreciation as a document of pre-revolutionary society and its problems. International audiences discovered the film through festival screenings and retrospectives in the 1980s and 1990s, responding to its universal themes and humanistic approach. Home video releases and streaming platforms have made the film more accessible to contemporary audiences, who continue to find relevance in its exploration of personal and professional ethics. The film has developed a cult following among cinema enthusiasts and Kiarostami scholars, who view it as essential viewing for understanding the director's artistic evolution. Iranian diaspora communities have particularly embraced the film as a representation of their cultural heritage and social history.

Film connections

Influenced by

• Italian Neorealism (particularly the works of De Sica and Rossellini)
• French New Wave cinema
• Documentary filmmaking traditions
• Iranian literary traditions of social criticism
• The cinema of Satyajit Ray
• Social realist cinema from Eastern Europe

This film influenced

• Close-Up (1990) by Abbas Kiarostami
• A Taste of Cherry (1997) by Abbas Kiarostami
• The Wind Will Carry Us (1999) by Abbas Kiarostami
• Ten (2002) by Abbas Kiarostami
• A Separation (2011) by Asghar Farhadi
• The Salesman (2016) by Asghar Farhadi
• About Elly (2009) by Asghar Farhadi

Film restoration

The Report has been preserved through restoration efforts in the 1990s as part of the Abbas Kiarostami retrospective project. The original negatives were maintained by the Iranian Film Archive despite the film's initial banning. Digital restoration was completed in the early 2000s, ensuring the film's availability for contemporary audiences. The restored version has been screened at major film festivals and is part of the permanent collection at several international film archives, including the Cinémathèque Française and the Museum of Modern Art's film department. The film is considered well-preserved compared to other Iranian works from this period, thanks to Kiarostami's careful attention to archival materials and international recognition of its importance.

Where to watch

• The Criterion Collection streaming service
• MUBI (periodically available in their Kiarostami retrospectives)
• Kanopy (through university and library subscriptions)
• Home video releases through the Criterion Collection DVD/Blu-ray series
• Specialized streaming services focusing on world cinema
• Film archives and cinematheques during Kiarostami retrospectives
• Museum film programs and specialized art house cinemas