westonatthetaps

Long may the recent lean towards genre-blending in films continue. Following Emilia Pérez comes this hybrid western / musical / fantasy / horror / drama / comedy piece. Even the music is of stark contrast, from the blues of the deep American south to Irish folk. Clearly, it requires bottle on the part of the director, Ryan Coogler, whose previous work is much more structured.

The first third of the film is spent introducing the characters is of a slower pace of what is to come, which is expected, but makes it that more enjoyable when it does come.

For me, two scenes stand-out and will be quite unforgettable, the vampire Rocky Road episode, and the very last sequence, in the blues bar.

As time passes, it's now a day since I've seen it, I appreciate more by the hour. It will certainly be amongst my films of the year. That final scene gives a different perspective on what's gone before, and almost immediately makes you want to watch it again.

Your potential movie-watcher is likely to arrive at this expecting something different than it is; billed as a 'zombie horror' and written by John Ajvide Lindquist (it was his follow up novel to Let The Right One In). This is something quite different however.

A bit more light is shed by being aware that this is Norway's entry to the Oscar for the Best International Film. Rather, it is a fairly slow-moving and tragic drama, though it does involve the dead reawakening. The measured pace is symbolic of the mood of the characters as they grieve. The film is, in effect, a triptych, concerning three families who have just lost loved ones. The cinematography is the highlight, and it is a fine achievement and a first break through feature for its director, Thea Hvistendahl.

Its IMDb score is understandable as so many will stumble on this expecting something quite different; zombie films have jump scares and often dark humour, this is meditative and thought provoking, though it would have benefitted from a few lighter moments.

Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, German and Austrian respectively, have collaborated again, and this time to produce their best effort yet.

Set in the forests of Austria in the 18th century the story centres around a young newly married woman who is frustrated that she cannot bear a child for her husband.

The opening of the film though provides a suggestion of what may lie ahead, when a similarly young woman is executed by decapitation for the murder of her baby.

The beauty of this relatively long piece of folk horror is in trying to figure out exactly what is going on. The murder of babies may seem distasteful, but it does play a crucial part once the film's theme is established. But to inform on that would be a spoiler.

Suffice to say, that the film's title, 'Des Teufels Bad', is a German expression that refers to a perilous circumstance likely to lead to catastrophe.

Those who seek to watch this purely for its shock value and its horror content are likely to be disappointed. Rather, this is a beautifully filmed tragic historical drama that is based on actual events. It just so happens to have moments of violence and gore. The landscape is pictured as being gloomy, repetitive and remote; life is about survival and the routine of fishing and farming is monotonous; represented by the length of the film, and many of its scenes where not very much happens. However, tension does build, and the finale is particularly rewarding.

Be sure to watch the closing credits where an explanation of events is clarified.