Werckmeister Harmóniák
2000 / 145m - Hungary
Drama, Mystery
3.5*/5.0*
Werckmeister Harmonies poster

Plot: A traveling circus lands in a tiny town in Hungary. They showcase a big whale skeleton and a man referred to as "the prince" with a very sharp tongue. He can rile up anyone, and before they realize it, the villagers form a mob and go on a rampage, destroying everything that comes in their path. The town will never be the same again.

Watches

July 30, 2024

3.5*/5.0*

An old favorite that lost a little of its original shine. I'm not too surprised, as I watched Werckmeister Harmonies very early on in my discovery of arthouse cinema. The stark black-and-white cinematography and the remarkable score are clear pluses here, but the setting was a bit too dire for my taste.

Tarr serves arthouse poverty porn with a layer of fantasy and a nicer finish. While I appreciated the presentation, I've seen better over the years, so it didn't quite drown out the negatives as it used to. The slow pacing and lengthy runtime were a bit of a bother too, but there's still plenty to love here. It just wasn't as overwhelming as I remembered it to be.

October 01, 2005

4.0*/5.0*

[review pending]