Duel is a film completely different from conventional movies in terms of style. Most other Iranian films that have gained international recognition are documentary films focusing on the marginalized people of Iranian society, such as children and women. However, Duel is different from these films and allows foreign viewers a peek into domestic mainstream films. In other words, Duel is a different form of movie that is not yet well known on the international stage. It is based on the war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s. Zeinal, who has wasted his younger days behind bars on charges of treason, becomes a heroic character on the battlefield. After 20 years in prison, he is once again trapped in another form of prison: the war. Zeinal joins a Civil Defense Corps based near traim station in Khoramshahr, in southern Iran, bordering Irag. He is dispatched to snatch a secret document that is sealed up in a train near the border. Although it is a somewhat typical war movie, its battlefield scenes are overwhelmingly realistic. It provides the viewer a completely different perspective than other familiar Western spectacles. (Kim Young-jin)