Werckmeister Harmonies [SEP] based on
Werckmeister Harmonies
Werckmeister Harmonies (; ) is a 2000 Hungarian drama mystery film directed by Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky, based on the 1989 novel "The Melancholy of Resistance" by László Krasznahorkai. Shot in black-and-white and composed of thirty-nine languidly paced shots, the film shows János and his older friend György during the communist Hungarian era. It also shows their journey among helpless citizens as a dark circus comes to town casting an eclipse over their lives.
The title refers to the baroque musical theorist
giant, decaying circus whale and its star performer, "The Prince", who makes rousing speeches.
Reception.
"Werckmeister Harmonies" received much critical acclaim. On Metacritic, the film received a weighted average score of 92/100 (based on eight reviews), which translates to "universal acclaim". Based on 39 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes reports a 98% approval rating, with an average score of 8.5/10.
Lawrence van Gelder of "The New York Times" called the film "elusive" and argued