Review of 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1995) by Al M — 26 Apr 2009

A masterful film that depicts narrative snippets from the lives of diverse people in Austria during the Yugoslavian conflicts of the early 90s who are tragically brought together in a random act of violence.

Part of Haneke's "Emotional Glaciation" trilogy, 71 Fragments explores the dulled lives of postmodern citizenry and the emotional desensitization forced upon them by constant media exposure.

When events such as the situation in Sarajevo, Somalia, and Palestine are equated by the news with Michael Jackson's child abuse scandal, then there is no wonder that many of the characters in the film prove incapable of relating to one another or wander around in abstracted fog.