Das finstere Tal (2014)

Through a hidden path a lone rider reaches a little town high up in the Alps. Nobody knows where the stranger comes from, nor what he wants there. But everyone knows that they don't want him to stay.

Director:

Andreas Prochaska

Writers:

Martin Ambrosch (screenplay), Andreas Prochaska (screenplay)

Stars:

Sam Riley, Tobias Moretti, Paula Beer

26 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sam Riley	...	Greider
Tobias Moretti	...	Hans Brenner
Paula Beer	...	Luzi
Thomas Schubert	...	Lukas
Carmen Gratl	...	Gaderin
Clemens Schick	...	Luis Brenner
Helmuth Häusler	...	Hubert Brenner (as Helmuth A. Hausler)
Martin Leutgeb	...	Otto Brenner
Johannes Nikolussi	...	Rudolf Brenner (as Johann Nikolussi)
Florian Brückner	...	Edi Brenner
Heinz Ollesch	...	Schmied
Franz Xaver Brückner	...	Franz
Xenia Assenza	...	Maria
Beatrix Brunschko	...	Mutter Lukas
Gerhard Liebmann	...	Vater Lukas

Storyline

Through a hidden path a lone rider reaches a little town high up in the Alps. Nobody knows where the stranger comes from, nor what he wants there. But everyone knows that they don't want him to stay.

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Plot Keywords:

shot in the head | slow motion scene | stranger | coin | vengeance | 

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Western

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Austria] Official site [Germany]

Country:

Austria Germany

Language:

German English

Release Date:

13 February 2014 (Germany)

Also Known As:

The Dark Valley

Filming Locations:

Val Senales, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

€6,350,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allegro Film, X-Filme Creative Pool, SamFilm Produktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Official submission of Austria to the best foreign language film category of the 87th Academy Awards 2015.

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Goofs

When Greider shoots one of the Brenner brothers, you can see he is wearing a boot with plastic injection tread.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Luzi: [narrating] Some things may not be spoken of - things from the past - from long ago. But this does not mean you can ever forget them. There are things that can never be forgotten.

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Soundtracks

How Dare You
Performed by Steaming Satellites
Music by Max Borchardt, Emanuel Krimplstätter & Matthäus Weber
Written by Max Borchardt
Published by BMG Rights Managements GmbH, Atze & Keule Musikverlag
Mit freundlicher Genehmigung von BMG Rights Managements GmbH
Atze & Keule Musikverlag und Steaming Satellites

User Reviews

Majestic western

Who would've thought that two of the best movies released in 2014 were westerns? After seeing My Sweet Pepper Land I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this modern western, a genre that normally doesn't appeal to me that much. The Austrian movie Das finstere Tal (aka. The Dark Valley) again pushes the boundaries of the western genre. Not the American frontier, but the Austrian Alps at the end of the 19th century are its setting. Aesthetically this is one of the most beautiful movies of the year, especially because of its winter landscapes in the Alps and the almost desaturated blue-grey color palette. Storywise it seems like something Tarantino could've made, if he got off the coke and took some tranquilizers: a story of vengeance and raw characters but with a slow burn effect. At the same time this movie strikes an emotional nerve and provokes a melancholic atmosphere by constantly maintaining a dreary and ominous effect. With its use of an anachronistic soundtrack it never gets too heavy though. This should've been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Seriously.