Review of Werckmeister Harmonies (2001) by Alyssa N — 07 Apr 2008

Don't let my average rating mislead you: there's nothing mediocre about this movie. The music and visuals create one of the most powerful atmospheres I've ever experienced in a film, and some of the imagery is so brutal, so disturbing, or so overwhelming that it affected me for days.

Unfortunately, the strength of this movie is greatly mitigated by an attempt at "artsy" cinematography that just comes across as pretentious. There are faraway shots of a man doing nothing but walk down a street that go on for more than five minutes, no exaggeration, and don't let snobby film critics tell you that's a good thing.

All it does is make certain scenes that add nothing in terms of plot or feeling drag on and on and on. It's up to you whether or not this is still worth watching, but personally, I'm glad I saw it.