Das Unheil

A local priest is organizing the return to town of the original church bells sold off during the war. The preparations call for both a rock- and a brass band, a mens choir and little children dressed up as bells to visit him at home. Meanwhile is son Hille is trying to study for his exams. Also causing a lot of distractions is elder sister Sibylle (the redheaded sheep of the family), leading to many confusing flashbacks involving their ill tempered father. On top of this the whole town seems to be going crazy: striking garbage men spoil an adulterous woman's fun, while nearly all the animals at the local pet shop die over night. Does it have something to do with the water or are the nearby factories to blame?

Shot documentary style with incredibly long and elaborate shots that would make even Brian De Palma jealous, we are constantly looking over peoples shoulders or even at their backs. Most scenes feature disconnected background noises like workmen in the street, alarms going off or church bells ringing (especially when our whiny narrator Hille interacts with girls – talk about being obvious). It succeeds in giving the viewer a feeling of unease (the titular Unheil) and makes us expect something awful to happen at any moment. But the uneventful finale serves up more questions than answers. For aspiring steady camera operators and analyzing art house lovers only.

4 our of 10 (for the camera work)