Review of 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1995) by Nathan F — 22 May 2009

Part of Michael Haneke's 'glaciation trilogy,' 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance is a painstakingly constructed film that moves at glacial pace. Showing brief interludes of seemingly unconnected lives, the film can prove irritating early on--many will find it slow and pointless.

But by sticking with it, Haneke's study proves more about disconnectedness than interconnectedness--the stunning climax is a portrayal of the capriciousness of chance; the film alternates between periods of interminable slowness (from a man watching a TV to a man slowly bleeding out) and the abrupt, constellatory images that wind between them.

A rewarding film that, by its close, suggests a world and life that is precious, voluminous and endangered; a film to start discussions.