The Lizard

                                                                                       

Marmulak (The Lizard) by Kamal Tabrizi

Due to the film’s perceived attacks towards clerics, the film was banned
from theatres in Iran after only being on screen for one month.

Overviews:
In 1501, the establishment of the Safavid dynasty made Shi-ism became the official
religion of Iran. During this time, clerics developed a hierarchical role.
“…evolve to demand obedience from the believers, and, ultimately, the right to
rule.” (Shirazi 3)
Another factor that contributed to the growth of the clerical power was the victory of
the osulis or mjtahedi school of ulema over the akhbari school by the early nineteenth
century.

Information:

This comedy film was directed by Kamal Tabrizi and was produced by Manouchehr
Mohammadi. The main character of the movie was Reza Marmoulak who was played by
Parvis Parastui. The movie was released in 2004 in the Persian language.

Plot:

The film is directed by Kamal Tabrizi and was released in 2004. The main character of
the movie is Reza Marmoulak who is a thief known as “The Lizard. Reza was arrested
and charged with armed robbery in the beginning of the movie, which he did not commit.
Reza was sentenced to life in prison. While in prison, Reza tried to commit suicide
where he steals medicine from the infirmary. He did not go through with the act and
his cellmate tried stopping him but instead the medicine bottle broke which cut open his
arm. Reza is sent to the hospital to recover where he meets a cleric and they both became
friends. Before Reza was discharged back into prison, he steals the cleric’s clothing, and
impersonating him in order to escape. Reza contacted his friends and tried to contact
man who will give him a fake passport to cross the border. Reza tried to hide is identity
and continued to disguise himself as a mullah. Reza stayed at this village where he was
given the opportunity to run the mosque. As he tried tracking down the person to given
him a new identity to escape, he was mistaken by two young boys from the village that he
was visiting the homes of poor people and giving them charity. Everyone in the village
immediately idolized him. Reza started to change little by little and started to transition
himself as a mullah. He was motivated by the quote “There is no one in this world who
doesn’t have a path to reach God.” Reza became a changed man due to all the actions
that was going on. Every time Reza was being selfish; Reza kept on seeing this little boy,
which represented his guilty conscience. At the end of the film, Reza was tracked down

and he goes off with the warden. Reza gave the little boy the mullah gown and told him
that the clothes change people. The warden who tells his associate handcuffs won’t be
necessary and was brought back to prison Tehran.

Key Elements:

• The film bold references criticize the current approach to religion and its
enforcement within society.
• The movie was never meant to criticize the religion but to criticize the role that
some of the clerics have currently undertaken in society. (Shirazi 14)
• The Lizard also criticizes the forced religious morals within Iranian.
society. This is depicted through the prison warden who wants to send his
prisoners to heaven even if by force, as well as Gholam‘ali’s father who constantly
pressuring his son to memorize the Qur’an.



In this scene, Reza who is dressed as a mullah had a difficulty hailing a cab. Eventually
he was able to get a ride but the cab driver took advantage of the fact he was a mullah and
got away driving in the wrong direction and avoided a ticket.



Author:

Kamal Tabrizi was born in 1959 and graduated from the Art University in Tehran. After
a series of short films and working with cultural sections of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Broadcast Television, he made his first featured film The Passage in 1989.

Before "The Lizard" opened in the movie theatres, there was a special preview for
the clergy. Everyone was so curious about the film that many brought their families
along. Women and children were sat on one side of the theatre and the mullahs on
the other. During the funniest parts of the film, loud laughter could be heard on the
family side, while there was bitter silence on the clergy side.

"This just shows how far the clergy have distanced themselves from society," says

Questions:

Did the warden relent and find his own path? If so, how?

Work Cited:

"Should One Be Allowed to Laugh at Mullahs?" Qantara.de. Web. 12 Oct. 2009.
<http://en.qantara.de/Should-One-Be-Allowed-to-Laugh-at-
Mullahs/9336c9440i1p678/index.html>.

Pak-Shiraz, Nacim. "Filmic Discourses on the Role of the Clergy in Iran." British
Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 34.3 (2007): 331-49. Print.