| Katalin Varga | |
 A revenge film with a difference, Katalin Varga creates a dreamlike haze as it accompanies the eponymous leading lady through the Transylvanian countryside as she seeks revenge on the one who caused her to lose her home and her husband, but worst of all, also destroyed the life of her beloved young son Orban.The story behind this film is as exceptional as the film itself. Director Peter Strickland shot this with inheritance money totalling just £30,000. He had a crew of just 11 people who he took to Transylvania, where he met up with actors he'd previously met and grown to trust, and proceeded to direct a Hungarian language film entirely in English. After the shoot, with all of its improvisations, intuition and hurdles to overcome, he was snowed under with costs for the post-production and it was a further two years before the film was completed. It seems fitting, therefore, that the subject of the film is a journey as epic as that of Katalin Varga. It all begins when she is one day confronted by her husband, he claims that he has shamed her, and implies she has been unfaithful. Despite their mutual love, his hand is forced by local traditions of honour and he is forced to cast Katalin and her young son Orban out of their home. Under the thinly-veiled pretence of seeing her mother, Katalin then takes Orban on a journey to wreak vengeance on those who caused her loss. The themes are quite simple, and are laid out in a traditional way, but the real beauty of this film comes in two things: the lofty cinematography and the humanity of those it portrays. The look of the film is very much informed by the vibrant countryside of Romania, and the lives of those who inhabit it. Caught between two sides of Europe, and still developing into a modern European nation, Romania is rife with contrasts. Here this is embodied in the mercurial shots of the countryside, contrasted against sudden, vivid realities such as fireside dances and focussed verbal exchanges. It males for compelling viewing and pushes the story into an ethereal level above its more conventional cousins in the genre. But most praiseworthy of all is the characterisation. Whilst Katalin is driven by revenge, she is also motivated by love for her son, whilst she hates that she has been cast out by her husband, she wishes she was still with him. And this emotional nuance extends into the people she meets on her journey, before coming to a head in the final scene which, far from the usual stand-off in revenge films, is a beautiful character portrait that questions conventional morality and challenges anyone who harbours a burning grudge to prove their conclusions so reasonable in the harsh light of day. That said, the ending is not soft. The conclusions, though not simple and not wholly judgemental, are harsh. This is a film that will haunt you, and ask you questions long after you leave the cinema, and it deserves much praise for that. Rating: **** Starring: Hilda Péter, Roberto Giacomello, Attila Kozma, Norbert Tankó Director: Peter Strickland Run time: 108 mins Certificate: UK 15 Release date: 9th October 2009 Review by Michael Edwards If you like this, check our our interview with director Peter Strickland. You might also be interested in The Last Thakur, another vengeance film that's out of the ordinary. |
