Review of Werckmeister Harmonies (2001) by Matt W — 20 Jun 2007

From an earlier discussion:

Well there is of course the idea of an apocalyptic future. The world within the film is grim, dark, and bleak. However, I got a sense of Bela Tarr's view of an unearthly transendence through the image of the whale. It's obvious what the whale represents, and the use of "the gentle giant" as a symbol for hope in an otherwise decaying world was quite brilliant. The last shot of the film is possibly my favorite of all time. The shot of the sunlight beaming through the clouds as the whale lay amoung the rubble almost brought me to tears. Also, the opening scene is another great way that Bela Tar conveys the concept of hope. The descitpion of the eclipse of the sun making everything dark, and then suddenly the sun bursting through the darkness sets up the end very nicely. One more scene I would like to mention that was the most powerful to me, and gave me the biggest feeling of hope was the scene in the hospital. After destroying the hospital and killing most of the patients within it, the town's people pull back a curtain to reveal a feeble and naked old man standing alone. This scene was powerful not only in the image of the old man's innocence, but also in the reaction of the town's people. They walk away. I was touched in this scene, and it's not something that can be described. For me, Bela Tarr is expressing his personal faith in this film. I found comfort in his message.