Talking to family friend Guy Morgan over the weekend,I found out that he had caught the ending of a wonderful sounding Neo-Noir from Germany on BBC4. Taking a look on BBC iPlayer,I was pleased to find that the title would be kept on for a week,which led to me getting ready to find out how silent things could be.
View on the film:
Making his (feature) film debut,writer/director Baran bo Odar reveals that the best way to make an entrance is not with a bang,but a sinister,silent scream. Opening up Pia's murder in flashbacks,Odar and cinematographer Nikolaus Summerer soak the movie in an evil under the sun Neo-Noir atmosphere,where the sun-kissed fields and neatly cut parks are a cover for the foreboding "ghosts" and blood covered hands which have not faded over the passage of time.
Placing everything on a knife edge, Odar digs into a rich Neo-Noir mood by pulling Pas de Deux great score back,and treading on the stench of death on Friedrich,by brilliantly lingering on Friedrich pass a comfortable point,and also subtly placing a wide "gap" between Friedrich and everyone he meets.
Taken from the pages of Jan Costin Wagner's novel,the screenplay by Odar makes sure to not approach the killers in an apologetic manner,with Odar instead making sure that Friedrich's lingering memories of death are always bubbling just under the surface.
Suspecting a link between the two murders, Odar makes Jahn's search for the links one that brings up no easy answers,from former lead cop Mittich putting a brick wall up against any of Jahn's ideas,to Odar bringing up the silences to deliver a devastating Neo-Noir final note,as Jahn discovers that his fellow cops are more interested in putting a false bow of hope on the Neo- Noir doubts,and not breaking the deadly silence.
View on the film:
Making his (feature) film debut,writer/director Baran bo Odar reveals that the best way to make an entrance is not with a bang,but a sinister,silent scream. Opening up Pia's murder in flashbacks,Odar and cinematographer Nikolaus Summerer soak the movie in an evil under the sun Neo-Noir atmosphere,where the sun-kissed fields and neatly cut parks are a cover for the foreboding "ghosts" and blood covered hands which have not faded over the passage of time.
Placing everything on a knife edge, Odar digs into a rich Neo-Noir mood by pulling Pas de Deux great score back,and treading on the stench of death on Friedrich,by brilliantly lingering on Friedrich pass a comfortable point,and also subtly placing a wide "gap" between Friedrich and everyone he meets.
Taken from the pages of Jan Costin Wagner's novel,the screenplay by Odar makes sure to not approach the killers in an apologetic manner,with Odar instead making sure that Friedrich's lingering memories of death are always bubbling just under the surface.
Suspecting a link between the two murders, Odar makes Jahn's search for the links one that brings up no easy answers,from former lead cop Mittich putting a brick wall up against any of Jahn's ideas,to Odar bringing up the silences to deliver a devastating Neo-Noir final note,as Jahn discovers that his fellow cops are more interested in putting a false bow of hope on the Neo- Noir doubts,and not breaking the deadly silence.