I had to watch this movie twice in order to understand it, but then I liked it. Franz the copyist reminded me of Michael Douglas's character in Falling Down. He is a man easily irritated by very small things and becoming considerably violent therefore. Director Michael Kreihsl is very creative in finding such small irritators (like the engine of a bus that disturbs Franz when he sits on a chair in the middle of the street), and these things are not as absurd as they might sound. They exist in our lives but we tend to ignore them. As it is also a film about art, you may sometimes unexpectedly recognize paintings of famous Dutch painters `re-staged'.
Julia Filimonow is a very tense actress who provides the biggest minus of the film. Many other actresses, who are young and pretty as well, could have done better in this role.
Ulrich Tukur does not get utterly absorbed in his character either. He didn't use the thankful role to the full. But as he doesn't have to talk a lot he is okay as a quixotic innocent soul.
Heimkehr der Jäger is a cold film about people with closed minds. They don't allow their emotions to come through and don't let others (including the audience) feel them. But Heimkehr der Jäger is also a witty film about the decline of culture in society. Watch it twice!
