The Goat Horn (1972)

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Bulgaria under Ottoman rule. A group of four Turks attack a woman shepherd, brutally raping and killing her. Her widow vows revenge, and brings up the surviving daughter, Maria, like a man, teaching her the use of weapons and personal defense, and preparing for the day the killers will pay for their deed. Nine years later, Maria has become a beautiful, if quite savage and unpolished, woman. She and their brutish father go after the killers of her mother one by one, leaving a goat's horn behind their bodies. But before the duo can kill all the murderers, she falls in love with a handsome shepherd living near their house. The father can not accept this relationship, and the consequences will be terrible for all. Shot in black and white, and with very little dialogue, this revenge drama is a brutal, primeval masterpiece that ought to better known. While there is surely a nationalist undertone (Bulgarians should fight against the oppression of the Turks is a prominent message), this is a great film of its own.

Even if you can't see a sub-titled version, you won't miss anything; as someone has already mentioned, the dialog in this film is extremely minimal. Instead, the viewer is immersed in the story through the natural sounds of the wild Bulgarian hills, empathic and creative (but never obtrusively 'there') camera-work and the amazingly expressive and authentic performances of the two lead actors.When this film was released it was seen by three million people in Bulgaria, and the population then was only 8 1/2 million. It is sad to relate that the director, Metodi Andonov, lived only a few years after the making of this film. With so few examples existing of his craft, The Goat Horn is even more precious.An absolutely beautiful, unforgettable film.

One of outstanding Bulgarian films, One of the best screen versions of a short stories by Nikolai Haitov. This film is at once a parable and tragedy revealing by mean of lean dialogue and great dramatic tension the cruel history of Karaivan and his daughter Maria. The filmmakers - screenwriter Nikolai Haitov, director Metodi Andonov, cinematographer Dimo Kolarov, production designer Konstantin Dzhidrov,theme song written and performed by Mariya Neykova and at last, but not at least - the main actors Anton Gorcheb and Katya Paskaleva - denounce violence against human nature and defend the right to personal freedom. Katya Paskaleva played brilliantly two main female characters - this one of the mother and second one of Maria. After this film she became a great Bulgarian movie star.

I could never imagine some months ago,that a Bulgarian movie I saw a night that I didn't have something more interesting to do,would make me admire it so much,so that I could definitely say that it is a masterpiece of the European cinema ever made. No special effects,no impressive decoration.Just a plain composition but also a genius one. The wife of a farmer is being raped and murdered by a gang,in front of the eyes of her little daughter. The farmer hungry for revenge brings the girl up as a boy, and when she is old enough they kill one by one the killers. This movie is a hymn to simplicity.No dialogs when it is not necessary,full of primitive feelings with perfect harmony between actors and natural location.Excellent!!!!!!!!