Hinterland 2021
Distributed by Film Movement
Produced by Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu, Bady Minck, Sabine Moser, and Oliver Neumann
Directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky
Streaming, 99 mins
College - General Adult
Experimental Film; Violence; War
Date Entered: 02/07/2023
Reviewed by Ray Boucher, Lecturer of Theater and Film (SUNY Buffalo State, SUNY Geneseo, GCC, NCCC) and actorStefan Ruzowitzky's Expressionistic murder mystery, Hinterland, set in post WWI Austria is visually stunning. It is the story of a recently released prisoner of war from a Russian camp, who, through the story, we learn has dealt with hardship and the burden of leadership. Returning home, he reluctantly is drawn back to his former job as a well-regarded police officer when a series of gruesome murders of his former campmates rock Vienna.
As a murder mystery, Hinterland is fairly compelling, with strong performances throughout by Murathan Muslu, Liv Lisa Fries, Marc Limpach, and Max von der Groeben. In a small way, it examines the trauma and loss of war to both those who fight in it and those who are left behind, as well as the disregard of for soldiers during peacetime. The larger themes take second place to the thriller plotline, however, and there really is no deep examination of the lingering effects of war. What makes the film stand out most are the CG generated sets that may divide viewers --some will find them a visual treat while others may view them as gratuitously cartoonish and disorienting. In either case, the film is an excellent example of Expressionistic scene design.
Awards:Audience Award-Best Film, Locarno Int'l Film Festival
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