Western (2017 film)
| Western | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Valeska Grisebach |
| Written by | Valeska Grisebach |
| Produced by | Jonas Dornbach Janine Jackowski Maren Ade Valeska Grisebach Michel Merkt |
| Starring | Meinhard Neumann Reinhardt Wetrek Syuleyman Alilov Letifov Veneta Frangova Vyara Borisova |
| Cinematography | Bernhard Keller |
| Edited by | Bettina Böhler |
| Distributed by | Piffl Medien (Germany) Stadtkino Wien Filmverleih (Austria) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 121 minutes |
| Countries | Germany Austria Bulgaria |
| Languages | German Bulgarian |
Western is a 2017 internationally co-produced drama film written, produced, and directed by Valeska Grisebach. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival.[1][2] The film has been well received by critics.
Plot
German construction workers Meinhard and Vincent are contractor to build a hydroelectric plant in the remote Bulgarian countryside near Greece, where they experience a clash of cultures and prejudices with the local villagers.[3]
Cast
- Meinhard Neumann as Meinhard
- Reinhardt Wetrek as Vincent
- Syuleyman Alilov Letifov as Adrian
- Veneta Frangova as Veneta
- Vyara Borisova as Tania
- Waldemar Zang as The Greek
- Detlef Schaich as Helmuth
Production
The film was shot almost entirely with newcomers as actors.[4]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 55 reviews, and an average rating of 8.1/10.[5] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]
Western received praise from critics.[3] Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "The story is a faultlessly observed, broodingly intelligent piece of realism, a dispatch from a sun-baked frontier that could hardly feel more mundane or specific, but which Grisebach somehow suffuses with the beauty and power of myth."[7] In his review for The New York Times, A. O. Scott wrote, "Western is as precise as a dropped pin on a GPS map, which makes its sense of mystery all the more powerful."[8]
References
- ^ "The 2017 Official Selection". Cannes Film Festival. 13 April 2017. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ Winfrey, Graham (13 April 2017). "2017 Cannes Film Festival Announces Lineup: Todd Haynes, Sofia Coppola, 'Twin Peaks' and More". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
- ^ a b Yoshida, Emily (20 February 2018). "Western Is an Empathetic Snapshot of an Obscure Corner of European Life". Vulture. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ van Hoeij, Boyd (18 May 2017). "'Western': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ "Western (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ "Western (2018) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ Chang, Justin (19 April 2018). "Valeska Grisebach's 'Western' is a broodingly intelligent drama of culture clash". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
- ^ Scott, A. O. (15 February 2018). "Review: In 'Western,' German Workers Fan Tensions in a Bulgarian Town". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
External links
- Western at IMDb
- Western at AllMovie
- Western at Metacritic
- Western at Rotten Tomatoes