To summarize this review: It's not a movie for anyone. It either demands a fanatical devotion to Bela Tarr's style or Nietzsche's life and philosophy. The movie is both relevant and radical but it won't capture anyone.
I'm a huge fan of Werckmeister Harmonies. This movie possesses the same qualities, but the theme is the biggest obstacle, both for the audience and the movie.
As Bela Tarr unravels the mystery of Nietzsche's vanishing, he fantasizes about Nietzsche's meeting with the horse and the horseman that could have caused for his sudden collapse. What sort of universe could they have come from? We see the opposite of God's creation of the world unfold: Instead of six days of creation, we see six days of slow, eerie dismantling of the lives of two people living in an inverted paradise - a dry, desolate, barren land with only a relentless wind, dead leaves and life decaying everywhere. The movie does not try to explain anything in explicit language, but uses masterly b/w cinematography, sporadic musical compositions, and whatever preconceived knowledge the viewer might have of Nietzsche's teachings. There is no god or godly energy, only (as noted by another reviewer) a mechanical struggle for survival. Everything is hopeless, and the destiny of the father and his only daughter is just a silent, anonymous life without joy or pain. Their emotions almost never show, and communication is kept at a secret-like minimum. And it seems like an ironical gesture that right as you look for some sort of rational sense of what's going on, a Nietzsche-like man suddenly appears and explains his thoughts about everything in this, the movie's world. The horseman simply replies: "What rubbish", and you're left with only a slight conception of the massive philosophical teaching that the mystery man just gave. But after that, the movie seems to have more focus.
There are many things about the movie, that I understand better while writing this review, but I don't think everything needs to be said, and I'm sure Bela Tarr lovers will have a good time debating the symbolism and cinematic craft.
After seeing the movie, I feel terrible. I fundamentally disagree with the meaningless struggle that we see portrayed, but I'm grateful to find myself strong enough to not loose hope after such a gloomy experience. A big quality in the movie is the existential challenges it brings about, but I can only wonder why it didn't show even the slightest hint of hope to bring about something more than just a momentum of deep depression, unlike the epic and beautiful Werckmeister Harmonies. Anyways, well done Bela Tarr - I look forward to hear more insights about the theme of the movie.
I'm a huge fan of Werckmeister Harmonies. This movie possesses the same qualities, but the theme is the biggest obstacle, both for the audience and the movie.
As Bela Tarr unravels the mystery of Nietzsche's vanishing, he fantasizes about Nietzsche's meeting with the horse and the horseman that could have caused for his sudden collapse. What sort of universe could they have come from? We see the opposite of God's creation of the world unfold: Instead of six days of creation, we see six days of slow, eerie dismantling of the lives of two people living in an inverted paradise - a dry, desolate, barren land with only a relentless wind, dead leaves and life decaying everywhere. The movie does not try to explain anything in explicit language, but uses masterly b/w cinematography, sporadic musical compositions, and whatever preconceived knowledge the viewer might have of Nietzsche's teachings. There is no god or godly energy, only (as noted by another reviewer) a mechanical struggle for survival. Everything is hopeless, and the destiny of the father and his only daughter is just a silent, anonymous life without joy or pain. Their emotions almost never show, and communication is kept at a secret-like minimum. And it seems like an ironical gesture that right as you look for some sort of rational sense of what's going on, a Nietzsche-like man suddenly appears and explains his thoughts about everything in this, the movie's world. The horseman simply replies: "What rubbish", and you're left with only a slight conception of the massive philosophical teaching that the mystery man just gave. But after that, the movie seems to have more focus.
There are many things about the movie, that I understand better while writing this review, but I don't think everything needs to be said, and I'm sure Bela Tarr lovers will have a good time debating the symbolism and cinematic craft.
After seeing the movie, I feel terrible. I fundamentally disagree with the meaningless struggle that we see portrayed, but I'm grateful to find myself strong enough to not loose hope after such a gloomy experience. A big quality in the movie is the existential challenges it brings about, but I can only wonder why it didn't show even the slightest hint of hope to bring about something more than just a momentum of deep depression, unlike the epic and beautiful Werckmeister Harmonies. Anyways, well done Bela Tarr - I look forward to hear more insights about the theme of the movie.