Stellet licht

As at several other locations in North and South America, in the north of Mexico there is an Mennonite community that tries to lead its simple religiously-inspired farming life as far as possible away from interfering authorities. While these Mennonites left this part of Europe many centuries ago and have many peregrinations behind them, they are blonde northern Europeans and speak a language that is much like Dutch, familiar and yet incomprehensible. In this special community, Reygadas situated his beautiful third feature, Silent Light. With a film that is trapped between phenomenally tricked sunrise and sunset, Reygadas again shows his enormous lyrical talent.
Silent Light is a clear emulation to Carl Theodor Dreyer’s transcendental masterpiece Ordet, but stands firmly on its own two feet as an authentic drama about a married, God-fearing farmer with a beautiful family of children who has fallen in love with a woman who is not his own wife – and she falls in love with him. Their impossible love conflicts with God’s will, that is their conviction. But that doesn’t help.
In the beautif ul, lengthy, stately takes we know so well from Reygadas, and again performed by wonderful amateur actors, the (melo)drama takes its course with a few surprising asides and an equally surprising, moving end. (GT)

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