Prison guards are prisoners themselves, yet they are responsible for their action, in a system that is brutal and oppressive.
Can people abrogate their ethical, humane responsibilities on the ground that they are just following the orders?
Oppressive system break people in more than one way, by denying their rights and forcing, "encouraging" them to conform and oppress others which in turn shatters their humanity!
So who is the evil? The system ( which is made of individuals) or those individuals themselves, with varying degrees of responsibility.
There is always a price we pay for "choices" we make, just as there are reward(s) for those choices. Conformity and making unethical choices, can
provide some type of " security", but may not provide peace of mind or ease the pain and the consequences of those choices.
This is well made movie that explores the role of people in a repressive environment, the choices they make and the consequences of those choices
in romantic love, alienation, separation, pain and guilt feeling. State enforced capital punishment ( provides the context for the story flow. With lovely cinematography, and a deliberate slow motion in some sequences for viewers contemplation. The acting is good, with emotions well reflected in many close ups. The director should be congratulated for being brave, as making such a film in Iran is not just about budgeting and casting and other tasks of film making, but also risking one's live and making a choice about consequences of such film making.
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