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“He killed a dog,” Nilufar replies. “God had nothing to do with it.” This sequence, which opens the film, is more than just the inciting incident for Panahi’s darkly humorous revenge thriller. And “It Was Just an Accident” is more than just the latest film from the acclaimed Iranian filmmaker. When it won the Palme D’Or at Cannes earlier this year, Panahi was present at the festival for the first time since 2003. In October, at the New York Film Festival, the director, who was originally subject to a 20-year ban on moviemaking, as well as a travel ban, by the Iranian government, was met with a standing ovation before his talk with Martin Scorsese. “It Was Just an Accident” is the first film Panahi has legally made in Iran since 2006, and it’s the first one he hasn’t appeared in since his 2010 arrest and filmmaking ban. You would think that the man who went to jail for his art (and had his subsequent films smuggled out of Iran to be shown) would have something to say about the government that banned him. Panahi pulls no punches here; this is an angry film about the lives of people ruined by state-sanctioned violence and torture. One of those people is Vahid (Vahid Mobasseri), a warehouse worker who first comes in contact with Eghbal when he seeks help getting his car started. As Vahid’s co-worker assists, Vahid has a panic attack. Something about Eghbal triggers him so badly that he impulsively follows the man home. The next morning, he pursues the tow truck taking Eghbal’s car to an auto shop in town. Panahi lays out these scenes with Hitchcockian skill. Before we can question Vahid’s motives, he hits Eghbal with his van, beats him unconscious and kidnaps him off the street in broad daylight. (Notice the stray dogs roaming the street during the attack; it’s as if they’re seeking retribution for the death of one of their own.) The screen cuts to black, and the next shot we see is Vahid digging a grave in the middle of nowhere, with the intent of burying Eghbal alive. We soon discover that Vahid thinks Eghbal is the same government official who tortured him, and many others, when he was arrested and jailed. Since he was always blindfolded, Vahid never saw the man, who was nicknamed “Peg Leg” because of his squeaky artificial limb. But Eghbal sounds like him and, more importantly, has an artificial limb that makes the same unforgettable noise. Eghbal denies that he’s “Peg Leg,” to the point where Vahid starts to doubt his original certainty. With the help of a former prisoner, he assembles a motley crew of fellow victims, asking each if they believe Eghbal is their tormenter. Vahid’s van is soon filled with Shiva (Maryam Afshari), a wedding photographer, Golrokh (Hadis Pakbaten), the bride she was photographing, and an angry worker they know named Hamid (Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr). Each person wavers between certainty and doubt, which complicates matters. But Hamid doesn’t care if Eghbal is the genuine article or not, making him a loose cannon blinded by vengeance. The day unfolds as Vahid figures out what he should do, discussing the moral implications of murdering someone regardless of their innocence or guilt. The only crime these people seem to have committed was speaking out against the regime. Their punishment included Golrokh’s rape by Peg Leg and severe beatings that caused organ failure. If Eghbal is indeed their man, how are they going to get away with murdering him? Panahi sprinkles all sorts of twists throughout “It Was Just an Accident,” including using a subplot involving Nilufar and her pregnant mother as a wrench thrown into Vahid’s plans. The director also populates the film with side characters, from hospital workers to cops, each of whom expects money for their services. These scenes play as almost absurdist asides that don’t dilute the tension. I’ve enjoyed all of Panahi’s films, including “No Bears,” “Taxi,” and “This is not a Film,” but this one did not resonate with me as much as his earlier works. I found it too repetitious at times, and Hamid’s constant raving, though understandable, wore thin. Despite those flaws, this is still a good film — and an important one worth seeing. The timeliness of it forces you to look around at what’s happening here right now, and ask yourself if Vahid’s world is where we’re heading. Panahi offers no easy answers, and the ending of this film will make you wonder whether the correct action is to do the right thing, or to succumb to your most vengeful instincts. If nothing else, Nilufar’s assessment that “God had nothing to do with it” will remain in your mind long after the credits roll. We all have free will. ★★★ IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT Written and directed by Jafar Panahi. Starring Ebrahim Azizi, Vahid Mobasseri, Maryam Afshari, Hadis Pakbaten, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr, Afssaneh Najmabadi, Delmaz Najafi. At Coolidge Corner, AMC Boston Common, Dedham Community Theatre. 105 min. In Persian. PG-13 (violence, profanity) Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
