Review of The Turin Horse (2011) by Walter M — 23 Jul 2013

Bela Tarr is one of the truly edgy filmmakers who have tested and pushed against the limits of "majority cinema", if you will. He does not seem to have regard for his audience, other than to assure, through use of his trademark long takes and his chilling soundscapes, that whoever is watching will be consumed by the desperation and uncertainty that permeate each one of the films I've seen of his.

This is what makes them demanding and unpleasant. The Turin Horse, the filmmaker's declared last film, is no exception. For the course of two and a half hours, we are hunkered down in a destitute home in the middle of desert like farm country.

The only sounds we get are the weeping of the strong winds and the unsettling musical score which seems to be on constant repeat throughout. And that's it. In terms of action we see only a man and his daughter eating, dressing, working and driving gypsies away.

It's tedious and one easily begins questioning the intentions and reasoning behind the film's form. But however uneventful the film is, Bela Tarr remains one of the most interesting cinematic visionaries, and its hard not to admire what seems to be painstaking attention and precision with every last shot.