Review by jromanbaker

What is fate ? The question is asked by children at a certain point in this film, and a simple answer is given. I found this film compulsive viewing. Every detail of very ordinary lives is depicted, and in this village near a forest setting I felt a sense of foreboding. Behind the spare use of dialogue there was the unease felt in too solitary settings, and despite choral practice and homely meetings and work little happens. But when events take a turn by a visit to another village a train of events take place that could not be foreseen or stopped. I will not give the story away, as every viewer has to find their own path into the film. There is practically no music to distract and when fate strikes the shock is terrible, and the end reminded me of the last scene of Alban Berg's ' Wozzeck ' and the building up of scenes reminded me as well of the source of the Opera; Buchner's play. ' Wozzeck ' in its simplicity calls to mind several German films of semi-recent years. ' Harvest ' is one of them. Like ' Sehnsucht ' the surface is calm, the way of life placid. Too placid and the centre cannot hold and it is then whatever we call fate deals its cards and lives are changed forever. Thanks to ARTE I saw this film and it enriched me. I hope many other viewers track it down. To finish I must mention the acting and despite the fact that all the acting was perfect, Andreas Muller gave a performance to be remembered. Rarely has the inscrutability of the quiet male mind been so finely shown.