andreeeei I borrowed the DVD from a local store, being sure that this is going to be a good movie. I read good reviews of it. Now I'm quite disappointed after seeing it. The movie is good enough until the scene where the woman is telling her rape experience finishes. The story of the rape is the best part. As the camera focused on the characters' faces, Katalin tells her horrific story, disconnected from the suffering that we would expect. That gives the character a lot of power. She is in a position of control, she overcame the bad experience and her main weapon is the truth, because the truth will really ruin the precious relationship of Katalin's aggressor with his wife. The story of the rape is told in such intimate detail, that you may feel various emotions, like empathy, justice being done, concern for any of the characters, each of them may be in a dangerous position. The situation is very much like one from Sadoveanu's novel "Baltagul". After this wonderful artistic moment, the rest of the movie is full of broken links. The man's regret for what he has done is very unrealistic, not that this might not happen in real life, but his state is not supported by the play and the character's story. Then, the suffering for the loss of his wife is too short. The wife, a devoted Christian, commits suicide (that's possible, but not very probable) without many explanations given to us. The man suffers too little after that because he is quite preoccupied with his relation with Katalin and her son. Many other disharmonious details disconnected me from the movie. I also have some personal regrets, that the Romanians in the movie are all mean characters. There's no obvious reason in a movie where 99 percent of the time you have Hungarian language speaking, only three short but significant dialogues are in Romanian. In one of them we have the girls eating sunflower seeds that are not helping the strangers in need without judging or mocking them. Eating sunflowers in public in Romania is associated with low class, specially because it's a Balkan habit mostly associated with gypsies. Speaking of gypsies, I can not get over the idea that the first victim of Katalin is associated with Gypsies and undoubtedly this is part of the construction of an evil character. The other two scenes with Romanians are the ones involving the vengeful criminals, one of them showing a twisted faith in God. Anyway, it could have been a good movie, but amateurish errors and a bit of xenophobia (I suppose) ruined it for me. I may keep in mind as good parts: landscapes, music and the boat scene.

Mike Roman Great, atmospheric effort from Strickland. I can only imagine he had some affinity with this part of Romania whether from childhood or other. The soundtrack and some of the slow lingering shots (esp. the scene looking at child, mother and horse not moving from behind, and the forest shot) were very affecting, and reminded me of Tarkovsky (not in a bad way ;)I got to thinking of the inextricable nature of all things, of how everything (as a single glorious 'entity') was so deviously and religiously bound up that to even attempt to extract something from it was tantamount to destructuring the whole (and thus destroying its royalty). That a film can inspire me (it has to be said not single-handedly)to such ends is indicative of a deep metaphysical quality within it.There is a particular sentence that the man utters towards the end of the film that resonates deeply towards this metaphysis. I shan't explicate it, nor even repeat it, but you shall know it when you hear it.Thanks for this Strickland, and all who were involved in and outside it (even the guy who carted the extra film stock when, presumably, you ran out ;) 'Ultimately, there are no parts at all.' Fritjof Capra, The Web of Life.

PoppyTransfusion As others have commented this is a directorial debut and for that alone it deserves high marks. The director shot the film over a 17-day period, which fits with the spare and lean story of a young woman (Katalin Varga) who takes a journey that we learn, as we travel with her, is one of revenge.I thought the story line was very good because it allowed lots of moments that were eerie and verging on horrific as Katalin's memories of her rape surface. For example as she looks into the forest where her son is running, the forest becomes a dark place in which evils hide. The sound and music used in the film are evocative and a big contributor to the atmosphere of prevalent menace.What was most satisfying was the way in which Katalin's revenge plan unravels as her experiences give way to lots of different feelings particularly around her son, who is travelling with her and is the result of the rape. The conversation that Katalin has with Antal, her attacker and her son's father, felt so real filled as it was with brittle feelings of disappointment. This film manages to cleverly underline that what we think and imagine we might do and what we are capable of enacting are two different things. Especially as the monster rapist in Katalin's mind and memories is found to be an ordinary man who is kind and hospitable to strangers in need.There is a surprise ending where the theme of revenge is played out unexpectedly and before that an unforeseen tragedy that visits Antal. Both of which feed the religious theme that is also present throughout; particularly around evil and mercy.The director's next project is a horror that I look forward to for his use of horror elements in Katalin Varga work well with other elements such as folk telling and a thriller about revenge.

lasttimeisaw The attractiveness of this film lies in its images not the storyline itself. As it is a simple story, a woman seeks revanche towards the man who raped her 11 years ago while bringing their 11-year-old son with her. As a debut feature from UK director and writer Peter Strickland, I have to admit that this mini- budget film is amazing in its own way, for me I enjoy the bleak score hovering all over the film, sometimes it sounds more like a horror feature. Interestingly this is a Romanian film, with the new waves of eastern European films comes on strong recently!Also the exotic feeling captures me all the way, I have no idea where the story took place, ambiguous timeline may suggest that it doesn't matter, it could happen in any period of time. The narrative is sinuous at the beginning, after the woman killed the accomplice of the rapist, everything becomes clear, which also initiates a dramatic turn since then. I don't intend to give away any spoilers. The script truly reflects a shadow religious implications, which is difficult for me to point out exactly what it is as my religious beliefs are still in a budding status. Surely there is some flaws there too, as I try my best not to be a snob perfectionist, I notice that the film is a little bit voluntarily showing off its smug overtones of theatrical retribution. Nevertheless it is a brave film, manages to adopt a conventional story and change it into a remarkable adventure off the beaten track.