Movies rarely come as obscure as this one. It hasn't got an international title in English (nor in any other language, for that matter) but there are no less than FIVE different titles in German, which undoubtedly means there wasn't even a semi-decent offset market in its own native country; namely (West-) Germany. The titles vary from neutral and unappealing ("The Girl from the Farm") to spectacular but completely irrelevant ("The Maniac of the Zombie Farm") and a couple ones that I wouldn't know how to accurately translate.
Now, you won't hear me say this is a hidden gem or even a good film, but it's definitely a unique and fascinating piece of work that I'm sure fellow fanatics of Euro-exploitation cinema wouldn't mind watching. Writer/director Ersnt Ritter von Theumer (known mostly for "Jungle Warriors") seems unsure of what he wants to accomplish here; - either a gritty and raw exploitation thriller or a more complex social drama about geographical isolation and the pressure caused by family honor and tradition.
The story takes place at a picturesque farm amidst the Tyrolean Alps (it looks more like a cozy family hotel rather than a farm, in fact). The patriarch farmer lives here with his ailing wife, his oldest son and his wife and cute teenage daughter, another son who's a bachelor and more carefree, and a mentally disabled son who always remains in the barns. When the latter assaults a woman of a nearby living Roma gypsies' community, the father and oldest son do what they think is necessary to protect the family farm, even though it sets in motion a non-stop series of violent murders and traumas.
Many sequences in "The Girl from the Farm" seem clumsy and poorly accomplished, and the acting and directing aren't exactly overwhelming, but there's something tragical and fascinating about this effort that keeps you glued to the screen. The murders (and one rape) are cheap looking but vicious of nature, and there are a handful of uncanny moments (like when the girl freaks out at her granny's funeral). Admirably is also that the plot twists don't go as you'd expect, and the third act of the film is truly downbeat. Lead actor William Berger, as the oldest son, is a familiar face for fans of spaghetti westerns and Gialli. A minimum of knowledge of the German language is required should you wish to seek out this film, as the (classily) restored DVD-version doesn't contain a dubbed version or subtitles.
