Truly this is such a great film. Right from the start you will be gripped by this film and you will sit watching it with total attention until its completion. The drama is so well constructed, but there is so much more to the film than that.
The four main characters are two sets of brothers surviving on the edge. Life at the beginning of the 19th century is very tough and so these brothers are very closely bonded. You might say there is a homo-erotic element to this film, however although I am a gay many myself I don't think these closely bonded males are in any way being depicted as gay. I think rather, they cling to each other because that is all the security they have.
I watched this film at home and a friend had suggested it to me. I didn't know anything about it before I started watching it. I think that it is probably set in Ukraine, but I am not sure. A quick bit of googling has not been very fruitful, from that I read simply that it is set in Eastern Europe.
The dialogue is sparse and in French. I watched it with English subtitles. However character development is excellent and the acting is first class as well.
I have not seen any films by Micha Wald before and I will most definitely be watching his other films in due course.
