[Movie] Werckmeister Harmonies

János Valuska (Lars Rudolph) is a good-natured mailman trying to live a life of simplicity when a mysterious circus--featuring a giant, stuffed whale and an unseen, menacing figure known as "The Prince"--triggers his small Hungarian town's decent into madness.

Werckmeister Harmonies, adapted from The Melancholy of Resistance, is considered a masterpiece of contemporary cinema. The film is characterized by its meditative, black-and-white cinematography, accomplished over 39 long takes (some lasting over 5-6 minutes). It explores philosophical themes of order, chaos, group hysteria, and the breakdown of society.

About the movie:

• Runtime: 2h 25m
• Year: 2000
• Unrated Content advisory
• Starring: Lars Rudolph, Peter Fitz, Hanna Schygulla
• Director: Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky
• Language: Hungarian with English subtitles
• Trailer: Werckmeister Harmonies

This meetup will consist of a live viewing, accompanied by discussion and analysis.

This meetup is part of the series Circuses and Snake Oil.