Katalin Varga (2009)

You won't be disappointed!

Powerful

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

Having already seen and very much enjoyed this director's Berberian Sound Studio and prior to seeing his latest, The Duke Of Burgundy, decided to check out this, his first feature. Glad I did, seems it didn't get a theatrical release in UK, which is a travesty. Great little film, very focused, very intense, with a stunning central performance from Hilda Peter. Problems in her village prompt her to take off with her son and traverse the Carpathians and maybe exorcise her devils. Always very good to look at, this also has what has become a Strickland trademark, amazing score. The tinkling cowbells, echoing across the fields or the creak of the horse and cart carrying them both find their way unobtrusively into the score. Always engrossing, the central sequence where the main character explains graphically what happened to her as their boat slowly spins on a lake is spellbinding and so very effective. Excellent.

Great, atmospheric effort from Strickland. I can only imagine he had some affinity with this part of Romania whether from childhood or other. The soundtrack and some of the slow lingering shots (esp. the scene looking at child, mother and horse not moving from behind, and the forest shot) were very affecting, and reminded me of Tarkovsky (not in a bad way ;)I got to thinking of the inextricable nature of all things, of how everything (as a single glorious 'entity') was so deviously and religiously bound up that to even attempt to extract something from it was tantamount to destructuring the whole (and thus destroying its royalty). That a film can inspire me (it has to be said not single-handedly)to such ends is indicative of a deep metaphysical quality within it.There is a particular sentence that the man utters towards the end of the film that resonates deeply towards this metaphysis. I shan't explicate it, nor even repeat it, but you shall know it when you hear it.Thanks for this Strickland, and all who were involved in and outside it (even the guy who carted the extra film stock when, presumably, you ran out ;) 'Ultimately, there are no parts at all.' Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life.

As others have commented this is a directorial debut and for that alone it deserves high marks. The director shot the film over a 17-day period, which fits with the spare and lean story of a young woman (Katalin Varga) who takes a journey that we learn, as we travel with her, is one of revenge.I thought the story line was very good because it allowed lots of moments that were eerie and verging on horrific as Katalin's memories of her rape surface. For example as she looks into the forest where her son is running, the forest becomes a dark place in which evils hide. The sound and music used in the film are evocative and a big contributor to the atmosphere of prevalent menace.What was most satisfying was the way in which Katalin's revenge plan unravels as her experiences give way to lots of different feelings particularly around her son, who is travelling with her and is the result of the rape. The conversation that Katalin has with Antal, her attacker and her son's father, felt so real filled as it was with brittle feelings of disappointment. This film manages to cleverly underline that what we think and imagine we might do and what we are capable of enacting are two different things. Especially as the monster rapist in Katalin's mind and memories is found to be an ordinary man who is kind and hospitable to strangers in need.There is a surprise ending where the theme of revenge is played out unexpectedly and before that an unforeseen tragedy that visits Antal. Both of which feed the religious theme that is also present throughout; particularly around evil and mercy.The director's next project is a horror that I look forward to for his use of horror elements in Katalin Varga work well with other elements such as folk telling and a thriller about revenge.

The attractiveness of this film lies in its images not the storyline itself. As it is a simple story, a woman seeks revanche towards the man who raped her 11 years ago while bringing their 11-year-old son with her. As a debut feature from UK director and writer Peter Strickland, I have to admit that this mini- budget film is amazing in its own way, for me I enjoy the bleak score hovering all over the film, sometimes it sounds more like a horror feature. Interestingly this is a Romanian film, with the new waves of eastern European films comes on strong recently!Also the exotic feeling captures me all the way, I have no idea where the story took place, ambiguous timeline may suggest that it doesn't matter, it could happen in any period of time. The narrative is sinuous at the beginning, after the woman killed the accomplice of the rapist, everything becomes clear, which also initiates a dramatic turn since then. I don't intend to give away any spoilers. The script truly reflects a shadow religious implications, which is difficult for me to point out exactly what it is as my religious beliefs are still in a budding status. Surely there is some flaws there too, as I try my best not to be a snob perfectionist, I notice that the film is a little bit voluntarily showing off its smug overtones of theatrical retribution. Nevertheless it is a brave film, manages to adopt a conventional story and change it into a remarkable adventure off the beaten track.