Werckmeister Harmonies
2000 · Movie · 139 min · ★ 7.8 · 95% critics
In a quiet, wintry town, a gentle young man tries to make sense of daily life and the fragile order around him. When a mysterious traveling circus arrives with a giant whale and an unsettling figure, curiosity turns to dread, and the community’s tensions begin to boil over into unrest.
Based on The Melancholy of Resistance
Where to watch
Streaming on The Criterion Channel — or rent from $3.99.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- Werckmeister harmóniák
- Years
- 2000
- Release date
- 2001-02-01
- Language
- HU
- Runtime
- 139 min
- Critic score
- 95/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.8/10 (382 votes)
- Budget
- $1,500,000
About
If you enjoy meditative, challenging stories that build unease through atmosphere and ambiguity, this may click, especially if you liked Satantango or The Turin Horse; Not for you if you need fast pacing, clear answers, or constant action.
Pros: mesmerizing slow-burn mood; haunting music; striking black-and-white images | Cons: extremely slow pace; little dialogue; can feel boring
Themes
- small town
- dancer
- based on novel or book
- darkness
- circus
- faith
- chaos
- whale
- philosophy
- allegory
- delusion
- hungary
- +9 more
Cast & crew
Lars Rudolph
as János Valuska
Peter Fitz
as György Eszter
Hanna Schygulla
as Tünde Eszter
Alfréd Járai
as Lajos Harrer
Gyula Pauer
as Mr. Hagelmayer
János Derzsi
as Man In The Broad-Cloth Coat
Mihály Kormos
as Factotum
Putyi Horváth
as Porter
Éva Almássy Albert
as Aunt Piri
Péter Dobai
as Chief Constable
Directed by Béla Tarr