La Contrée des orages

A very good movie concept with very beautiful picture of a Hungarian gay themed movie. It deals as well with violence and shows the religious side and portrays homophobia as true as possible. A very beautiful and very realistic depiction of a love triangle. I enjoyed it only from the start until about 1 hour 32 minutes. The motive is a bit hard to believe and a bit far from the trigger. In order to leave the impression that killing a homosexual is justified by religion, I guess. It's sad that the director chose to play it safe so that it could be released in his own country (even if it had to fall into the horror category).

Overall it's a good movie with a few trigger warning, and at least Bernard's character made the right choice to get out of there.

What the hell? I would've considered giving it a full 10 stars. There are some beautiful shots and sequences and even though it can be a little hard to watch at times, it's a very good film, until the last 100 seconds. I have no idea what the director's and writer's point was? The last 100 seconds need to be erased or something. I was having a great time and now I'm heavily disgusted. If you're planning on watching this, stop watching when 5:05 is left (with credits) or 1:45 is left (without credits) because really, the film ends there. Whatever it was after that, it was inhuman and disturbing and most of all, pointless.

the basic sin of this film could be the well known story. the virtue - the nuances of this well known story. because, against the similarities with Brockeback Mountain, the comparison with many other films about the same theme, it is a film who has its individuality. the fragile success in Germany, the links with the past, the new life and the secret who becomes obvious, the reaction of community to a fundamental sin, the symbols - the old house as one of the most powerful -, the bitter poetry are small but significant pieces who transforms an ordinary story about homophobia in a special pledge for tolerance. and this is the important thing. the silence, the relations, the victim, the image of happiness and error. so, a film who can not be reduced at the basic theme. and this is the great thing - to present, using the right tone, a forbidden love story. the rest is silence.

This is an indy european film so I predicted it would probably either suck or I would probably just not understand it but I was extremely wrong. "Land of Storms" is a very powerful movie without even doing much. There's barely any dialoge and the action is reduced to the minimum, yet it doesn't feel dull or boring at all. In fact it got my attention from start to finish. The ending was very Shakespearean! All in all, I will definetly recommend this movie as it's based on a true story and you see how cruel the world actually is and how love sometimes is destined to die in it.

Szabolcs (András Sütö) plays in a German football team, as does Bernard (Sebastian Urzendowsky). A lost match and an ugly confrontation leads Szabolcs to reconsider his life. He goes back to Hungary for simplicity & to build up an inherited broke down house and to bask in his newly found solitude. He meets Aron, a local who welcomes him by stealing his motorcycle. In a odd turn of events, Szabolc hires Aron (Ádám Varga) to help him rebuild his property. A mutual attraction develops to the detriment of Szabolcs, as Aron's mother and local mates disapprove of their relationship. Violence ensues for both. A sexual friendship of the same sex attraction breeds contempt with the towns people, as Aron's dependent mother denounces her son's lifestyle to the local bullies in an attempt to "correct" his behavior. A confused yet curious Aron expresses his affection for Szabolc with a mix bag of emotions and several eruptive confrontations that will ultimately lead to a very shocking and disturbing finale.

This Hungarian/German co-production may very well be reflective, and a testament of the the state of affairs and societal hostilities that still remain in place in a few rural towns within eastern Europe where the enabling, persecution & disdain for same sex couples seems to remain latent. This mentality shepherded by religious intolerance is what leads the violence and the hostile living conditions for anyone not subscribed to the few who have self appointed themselves as the enforcers of the town's moral code of conduct.

Hungarian director Adam Csaczi's unveiling of the story with its sweeping cinematography, superb direction and acting is poetic, lyrical and subtly mesmerizing.