I watched the German version of the film. Although this is not a great film, I think it is quite good,especially considering the obviously small budget and the young actors involved. I was taken in by all four main actors, particularly Ioana Iacob and Alicja Bachleda. The camera loves them. The casting of the two male leads was just fine, too. David Zimmerschied was perfect as a geeky Hitlerjugend. I also cannot follow the criticism that the actors are somehow overly theatrical or that the film is devoid of emotion. Actually, it is quite an emotional film, but the great losses, both personal and cultural, are not shown directly in the film except for the symbolic picture of Felix's house going up in flames right before the end. The personal loss really only comes out as a footnote at the end, when the writer reveals the story's outcome to Gisela's lookalike. This loss is, of course, a very politically sensitive topic. German-speaking artists want to make sure not to overplay the sense of loss or wrongdoing for fear of playing into the hands of people on the extreme right and for fear of offending the peoples who suffered so heavily under the Germans during the war. That is a story for others to tell (see, e.g., I Served the King of England).
The film does jump around at the beginning in a way that may confuse viewers, and the narrative is a bit choppy in places. It would have been a good idea to flash dates or otherwise provide historical context so that we knew exactly when each scene was playing. The soft focus of the flashback was just a tad too romantic, the colors in the film, just a tad too bright. The heavy scent of nostalgia, however, probably is culturally authentic for Germans of a certain age in the former Austro-Hungarian empire. I do agree that some scenes somehow missed reaching their potential. The tension and attraction between Felix and Gisela just never seemed to reach the right temperature. Alfa, on the other hand, was really convincing and sexy as a high-strung noble lass torn between darkness and light.
What is timely about this film is that it is part of a development since the fall of communism to tell the story of the price that Germans and German-speaking minorities paid for Germany's attempt to conquer Europe. (See, e.g., Nobel Prize in Literature given to Herta Müller.) No single film is going to be able to tell the entire story. The Beheaded Rooster focuses on a very limited time and place and still has to leave out lots of details. I wonder how historically accurate it is. Did the Jews in fascist Romania not have to wear gold stars? How far were the Nuremberg Laws implemented? Were there no mass deportations, etc? Nevertheless, what is convincing about the film is the tension among different groups in the society, the fluidity of a situation in which individuals may have had more freedom of action than often is believed, in spite of the threat from above. I recognized myself in the younger characters Felix and Hans. The hunt and capture games in the woods, the blood brotherhood, the betrayal of friendships. These are universal themes. We also experience the political tensions within Felix's family. (Granted, the Nazi aunt is overplayed, but these are not all clichés.) The scene between the father and Felix at the dinner table, when Felix appears to have become a zealot, is good and dramatic. I think the relationship between Felix, his father and his brother is well-played, if understated. Also credible is the gradual realization by Felix that he was wrong about the Nazis. Maybe we should have seen more of the suffering of the oppressed minorities in fascist Romania. Maybe everything is just a touch too colorful or sweet. Who knows? This is Radu Gabrea's and Eginald Schlattner's story, and I really enjoyedit. I look forward to reading the novel.
Let's hear it for a new wave of small-budget European films and the filmmakers who have learned to tell wonderful, slow stories that we want to watch.
The film does jump around at the beginning in a way that may confuse viewers, and the narrative is a bit choppy in places. It would have been a good idea to flash dates or otherwise provide historical context so that we knew exactly when each scene was playing. The soft focus of the flashback was just a tad too romantic, the colors in the film, just a tad too bright. The heavy scent of nostalgia, however, probably is culturally authentic for Germans of a certain age in the former Austro-Hungarian empire. I do agree that some scenes somehow missed reaching their potential. The tension and attraction between Felix and Gisela just never seemed to reach the right temperature. Alfa, on the other hand, was really convincing and sexy as a high-strung noble lass torn between darkness and light.
What is timely about this film is that it is part of a development since the fall of communism to tell the story of the price that Germans and German-speaking minorities paid for Germany's attempt to conquer Europe. (See, e.g., Nobel Prize in Literature given to Herta Müller.) No single film is going to be able to tell the entire story. The Beheaded Rooster focuses on a very limited time and place and still has to leave out lots of details. I wonder how historically accurate it is. Did the Jews in fascist Romania not have to wear gold stars? How far were the Nuremberg Laws implemented? Were there no mass deportations, etc? Nevertheless, what is convincing about the film is the tension among different groups in the society, the fluidity of a situation in which individuals may have had more freedom of action than often is believed, in spite of the threat from above. I recognized myself in the younger characters Felix and Hans. The hunt and capture games in the woods, the blood brotherhood, the betrayal of friendships. These are universal themes. We also experience the political tensions within Felix's family. (Granted, the Nazi aunt is overplayed, but these are not all clichés.) The scene between the father and Felix at the dinner table, when Felix appears to have become a zealot, is good and dramatic. I think the relationship between Felix, his father and his brother is well-played, if understated. Also credible is the gradual realization by Felix that he was wrong about the Nazis. Maybe we should have seen more of the suffering of the oppressed minorities in fascist Romania. Maybe everything is just a touch too colorful or sweet. Who knows? This is Radu Gabrea's and Eginald Schlattner's story, and I really enjoyedit. I look forward to reading the novel.
Let's hear it for a new wave of small-budget European films and the filmmakers who have learned to tell wonderful, slow stories that we want to watch.
