Robert here. As Nathaniel
looks back at 2001, I feel myself wanting to throw in some praise for the best opening scene of the year.
An eclipse is coming and the drunks at the town bar enlist the help of village idiot Valuska to explain it to them. You see, Valuska understands things. And those things that he doesn't understand he finds fascinating and magical. In the world of director
Béla Tarr, the most spiritual inquisitive man in the area is quite naturally relegated to village idiot status by those around him.
Werckmeister Harmonies is a fantastic movie and if you find the opening to be fascinating and magical, then you should absolutely seek out the rest of the film. Note the number of shots in this scene, which number a whopping two. And try not to note the bad dubbing, which unfortunately is from the original version (Tarr cast actors for look not language and thus had to dub over them).
