Would have been good at half the length

Rating: 6/10 (23 November 2009)

A long and slow portrayal of a very conservative and judgemental Austrian village, just before the outbreak of World War One, in which some moderately interesting events happen to some dull and spiteful characters.
The film succeeds in building an atmosphere of bleakness - if you want to know exactly what it feels like to live in a joyless, judgemental, protestant, Germanic society where traditional protocols are enforced by miserable dominant patriarchs then this is your film. If you want to get an impression of how German or Austrian society could have been gripped by the charisma of an obsessively judgemental fascist dictator, then you might think that this gives you some insight.
Certainly, this film leaves an strong impression, although partly this is because watching it was such a miserable experience that I felt like I was actually there. Visually, is where this film excels, although there is a touch of emperor's-new-clothes about the choice of black and white film. There is very little use of artificial light which means that in the inside scenes are dim, but the contrast is beautifully balanced and details are retained. The wide aperture required in these low lighting conditions causes a short depth of field (only a short distance is in focus), which gives these scenes a certain realism and is sometimes used to add emphasis. In the night time scenes, the bold contrasts between light and dark are used creatively in conjunction with the narrative. A lot of the other technical aspects of this film are good too - set and costume design all create a sense of authenticity.
The characters leave a strong impression too. Every one is poker faced. Dialogue is either formal, angry or judgemental. No-one cries or laughs throughout. They feel very realistic but superficial. We see how people are, but we don't see why they are that way. It is obvious to say that growing up in such a place is not going to do wonders for the mental health of the next generation, but I would have found it much more engaging to have had insight into at least one of the characters, or a character that provided perspective. Even the narrator is charmless and dull. Maybe the characters are not realistic after all, because in the world that I frequent, I occasionally come across someone that I don't want to slap around the face.
The plot is meant to be intriguing but it happened too slowly and it happened to characters that I was quite happy to see go off to the First World War trenches. I felt mildly intrigued towards the end, but before all was revealed, the film ended. This was meant to make you think but by this stage all I could think about was getting to the bar.
There is a chance you will find this film very absorbing, haunting and thought provoking, but in my opinion, life is too short (and it is arguably shorter than this film). Do yourself a favour: spend the time you would have spent watching this film down the pub talking to someone that actually IS interesting, and if anyone asks you what the film was like just say "Oh it was a fantastic allegory of the rise of 20th century fascism." Also mention that it was black and white which, naturally, adds 2 points to any film's profundity. Every one's a winner.