Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)

Original title

Werckmeister harmóniák

Directed by

Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky

Genre

drama film

Country

Germany, France, Hungary

Runtime

2h 25m

Rated

12

Rating

7.8 of 10 from 384 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In a small Hungarian town during the communist era, a gentle man named János and his uncle György navigate life as a mysterious circus arrives. The circus brings a giant whale and an unsettling presence that stirs fear and chaos among the townspeople.

slow-burnbleakcerebralhypnoticmelancholicunsettlingphilosophicallanguid

What happens

Werckmeister Harmonies (pronounced [verkˈmaɪ̯stɐ]; Hungarian: Werckmeister harmóniák) is a 2000 Hungarian drama film directed by Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky, based on the 1989 novel The Melancholy of Resistance by László Krasznahorkai. Shot in black-and-white and composed of thirty-nine languidly paced shots, the film portrays the life of János and his uncle György during the communist era in Hungary. It also recounts their journey among helpless citizens as a sinister visiting circus casts a shadow over everyone's lives. The title refers to the 17th century Baroque musical theorist Andreas Werckmeister. György Eszter, a major character in the film, delivers a monologue asserting that Werckmeister's harmonic principles are responsible for aesthetic and philosophical problems in all subsequent music, and should be replaced by a new theory of tuning and harmony. The film was screened in the Directors' Fortnight section in 53rd Cannes Film Festival in 2000. Werckmeister Harmonies opened to wide acclaim from critics, and has come to be regarded by many as one of the best films of the 21st century. In the Sight and Sound 2022 decennial critics poll, Werckmeister Harmonies ranks 243rd. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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