Western

Directed by Valeska Grisebach

Cultural difference, masculine bravado, and national pride lead to high tensions in the latest work from Valeska Grisebach (Longing), about a group of German construction workers labouring in the Bulgarian countryside. Co-produced Maren Ade (Toni Erdmann) and beautifully shot by Bernard Keller, Western achieves an astute naturalism, largely through the casting of non-actors and Grisebach’s technique of embedding herself in the Bulgarian countryside for a long pre-production period. Evoking the western genre as typified by the films of John Ford, Western intelligently deals with the fear of the Other.

★★★★★ “One of the films of the year has arrived – maybe the best of the year – a work of unmatched subtlety, complexity and artistry.  Valeska Grisebach’s striking drama constantly subverts genre expectations. Grisebach has not, in fact, made many movies,  but on the strength of this one, she deserves to be considered a major film-maker.” Guardian

★★★★★ “Mesmerising psychological drama. Grisebach has an observational grasp of the male psyche that fairly takes the breath away” The Telegraph

★★★★★ “Packed with moments of beauty worthy of classic westerns. Unassuming yet striking” Little White Lies

★★★★ “Pointed, carefully-paced dissection of the male ego. Measured but compelling.” Time Out

 

Duration:
119 minutes

Languages:
Bulgarian, English and German

Subtitles:
Partial English

Country of origin:
Austria, Belgium and Germany

Year of production:
2017