The Circle (Dayereh) (2000)

93% of critics liked it
(60 reviews)
75% of users liked it
(2,136 ratings)

Three Iranian women must contend with a repressive political regime that has placed a stranglehold on nearly every aspect of their lives in this hard-hitting social drama. In a nation where a woman cannot buy a bus ticket out of town or accept a car ride from a man, much less have an abortion, it's… More Three Iranian women must contend with a repressive political regime that has placed a stranglehold on nearly every aspect of their lives in this hard-hitting social drama. In a nation where a woman cannot buy a bus ticket out of town or accept a car ride from a man, much less have an abortion, it's not difficult for women to find themselves on the wrong side of the law. Arezou (Maryiam Parvin Almani), Nargess (Nargess Mamizadeh), and Pari (Fereshteh Sadr Orafai) are left to fend for themselves after leaving an Iranian penal institution. Arezou and Nargess want to get out of town, but as they try to buy tickets to another city, find they must resort to prostitution to do it. Pari is in even worse straits; she's discovered she's pregnant, but she can't legally obtain an abortion without a husband's permission. Pari searches for help among former cellmates Monir and Elham, both of whom are now unhappily married, while learning just how many desperate women roam the streets of Iran. As one might expect, Dayereh was highly controversial in Iran and was initially banned by the government, though it received a limited release after winning the Golden Lion at the 2000 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Jafar Panahi
Written By: Kambuzia Partovi
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: May 18, 2001 Limited
On DVD: Dec 18, 2001
Studio: Winstar Cinema

Critic Reviews

Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News
An impressive piece of work, especially considering it was made in a barren artistic climate overseen by a censorious government.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
Just like Tomb Raider, it is fiction. It just unfortunately comes a lot closer than the American film to the truth of how its female characters live.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
A memorable and devastating indictment of the oppression facing many women in Iran.
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
In its brisk way, it's a devastating piece of work, and very brave too.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Profoundly dangerous to the status quo in Iran because it asks us to identify with the plight of women who have done nothing wrong except to be female.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
The world it shows is both mysterious and full of menace -- yet as real as the world outside the theater.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
What few ironies there are, are overpowered by the firm, calm, institutionalized oppression imposed on the women of Panahi's country.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
... like a cry of distress from a princess imprisoned in a tower. But the tower is in a busy world of heartless, self-absorbed men who laugh at the idea of a rescue.
Moira Sullivan, Movie Magazine International
The Circle basically shows that Iran is a police state with severe measures for keeping women in control.
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
Gives some quick, powerful impressions of the Iranian woman's plight, but much less than if it had paused to tell a few stories thoroughly.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

[font=Century Gothic][color=darkorchid]During the opening credits of "The Circle" a 2000 movie from Iran directed by Jafar Panahi(Crimson Gold), we hear the sounds of childbirth. A nurse tells a relative through an opening that "It's a Girl." And the… More
[font=Century Gothic][color=darkorchid]During the opening credits of "The Circle" a 2000 movie from Iran directed by Jafar Panahi(Crimson Gold), we hear the sounds of childbirth. A nurse tells a relative through an opening that "It's a Girl." And the relative is heartbroken to hear the news, even though it would be normal to be overjoyed to receive the news. Welcome to modern day Iran, where special restrictions govern the movement and lives of women - they cannot travel alone or in the company of non-relative men, for example. "The Circle" examines the lives of four women, in a device borrowed from "La Ronde", some of whom are just out of prison.(Even after being released from prison, there is a huge stigma attached.) What they were in prison for is never revealed, but it is greatly hinted at in the final minutes. This is a great movie full of everyday terrors in a society where women exist as no better than prisoners.[/color][/font]
Dimitris S

Undoubtedly,it's one of the top 10 films of 2000.Justification knows no boundaries and female,psychological suffering is excellently displayed on this film.Real drama,nothing fake to cover the truth.Panahi eluding his road to "sacrilegious perdition" contrary to the… More
Undoubtedly,it's one of the top 10 films of 2000.Justification knows no boundaries and female,psychological suffering is excellently displayed on this film.Real drama,nothing fake to cover the truth.Panahi eluding his road to "sacrilegious perdition" contrary to the customs of Iran,we can say with certainty it's a universal journey.A journey disastrous through the looking glass of a handful of women.