The Goat Horn (1972)
"Kozijat rog" (original title)

The film sends us to the 18th century when Bulgaria was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Four hoodlums break into the house of the shepherd Karaivan, raping and killing his wife in full view ... See full summary »

Director:

Metodi Andonov

Writer:

Nikolai Haitov

Stars:

Katya Paskaleva, Anton Gorchev, Milen Penev

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Katya Paskaleva	...	Maria
Anton Gorchev	...	Karaivan
Milen Penev	...	Ovcharyat
Todor Kolev	...	Deli
Kliment Denchev	...	Turchin
Stefan Mavrodiyev	...	Mustafa
Nevena Andonova	...	Maria kato malka
Marin Yanev	...	Nasilnik
Krasimira Petrova	...	Lyubimata na Mustafa
Ivan Obretenov
Andrey Mihaylov
Prodan Nonchev
Iliya Georgiev
Tzanko Petrov
Petar Bozhilov

Storyline

The film sends us to the 18th century when Bulgaria was a part of the Ottoman Empire. Four hoodlums break into the house of the shepherd Karaivan, raping and killing his wife in full view of their little girl, Maria. Karaivan decides to take the law into his own hands and becomes enslaved by his violent wish for revenge. He burns their house with his wife's body inside and abandons the gentle life they had shared, choosing instead to take his daughter to live in a rough hut high in the hills. He raises Maria as a boy, training her to fight so that she can kill in cold blood and help her father avenge her mother's murder. Nine years pass before the two locate and kill three of the four perpetrators. At each body they leave a goat horn as the symbol of their revenge. While on a mission to kill the last one at his rich oriental house, Maria becomes the unwitting witness of a love scene and change comes over her. Now, from time to time she secretly dons a beautiful women dress and exults ...

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Bulgaria

Language:

Bulgarian

Release Date:

5 October 1972 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

The Goat Horn

Company Credits

Production Co:

Boyana Film, Sofia Film Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bulgarian submission for the Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category, in 1973.

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Connections

References The Virgin Spring (1960)

User Reviews

A must-see for any discerning film lover

Even if you can't see a sub-titled version, you won't miss anything; as someone has already mentioned, the dialog in this film is extremely minimal. Instead, the viewer is immersed in the story through the natural sounds of the wild Bulgarian hills, empathic and creative (but never obtrusively 'there') camera-work and the amazingly expressive and authentic performances of the two lead actors.

When this film was released it was seen by three million people in Bulgaria, and the population then was only 8 1/2 million.

It is sad to relate that the director, Metodi Andonov, lived only a few years after the making of this film. With so few examples existing of his craft, The Goat Horn is even more precious.

An absolutely beautiful, unforgettable film.