La Clé des champs

I loved this movie...and I say that agreeing with other reviewers who say it was slow, focused too much on "farming", etc... However, it was acted to PERFECTION by the two main characters. Wow, these two are very talented and I don't know what their careers are like in Germany but it's rare to see such a beautiful performance...very reminiscent of Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in "Brokeback Mountain", albeit not as complex. I always gauge a movie by how it lingers with me, and this film did just that. Kudos to these two actors... Lukas Steltner and Kai Michael Müller...a sweet, sweet movie for men who fall in love with men.

What a terrific film that blurs the boundary between documentary and fiction - the director used nonprofessional actors for all but the two leads. A very moving love story that happens to be between two young men - probably the most touching I've seen in a while, mainly because it is subtle and mostly told through glances and gestures. This is not a film about gay culture - it's about two people living/working in a traditional farming community who are faced with a growing attraction to each other and do end up coming together. Luckily no great drama/punishment ensues a la Brokeback. The leads have amazing chemistry - kudos to the director for the casting. It's probably too slow for most tastes, but for me, it was perfect and if anything too short.

If you like dime-a-dozen action movies, you won't like this beautiful and sensitive film. If you are drawn to the cinematic possibilities for sensitive portrayal of character and struggle, you should like it. The acting is superb, superior to anything Hollywood is capable of. I've watched it several times and have always been amazed at what has been accomplished here.

I watched this movie with a pretty open mind; I had no idea what it was about initially, except that there was a gay romance and that it was set on a farm (as the title suggests). Luckily, I love farms and find them to be interesting but this film really tested the limits of that love. The lengthy shots of cows walking around, getting their ears tagged, and of machinery being used or set-up definitely added to the authenticity of the film but it did little to advance the plot, or my interest.

Speaking of plot, there is basically none. Instead, what they have given us is some rather pointless dialogue involving random interns and teachers, who often show up, deliver their insignificant line and disappear for the rest of the movie.

The lead actors are rather good and there is some brilliant cinematography found in the film (especially when they are in the barn and the light is pouring in through the wooden walls; and the scene with the water bursting from the sprinkler), but overall it fails to deliver a gripping plot or interesting characters with any depth. If you want to see a great character-driven drama, set on a farm with gay characters and a good plot, check out The Mudge Boy, Ander, or Brokeback Mountain - but Harvest will likely disappoint.

It is known and understandable that German character is not a French or Spanish one, being sedate and tardy, but combination of "sensitive" topic and agricultural environment was apparently not the best idea to keep the film going. True, we obtained a rather good overview of rural economy in contemporary Germany, thoughts and goals of interns, etc., but its overall pace remained too slow, and even "brighter" moments were shown in a gray and hectic manner. There are very few creations I know where virtually-nothing-happening can be fascinating (e.g. The Station Agent).

The main characters and performances are rather good, but there are lots of other, documentary-like figures, whose role and meaning is schematic. So are some scenes and events, particularly when a static locality movie become an insipid road movie.

Well, as for the topic in question, I would recommend Freier Fall - much more versatile and concise. Stadt Land Fluss did not impress me much, although I liked the ending - at least 1 additional point for this.