Werckmeister Harmonies @ BAM

[Dave Monroe]

Werckmeister Harmonies (Werckmeister Harmóníak) (2000) 145min
Thu, July 3 at 6, 9pm
Directed by Béla Tarr
With Lars Rudolph, Peter Fitz, Hannah Schygulla

The resident holy fool of a small town startles the patrons of a local
pub when he demonstrates a solar eclipse. A circus arrives, bringing a
stuffed whale carcass and the promise of a much anticipated figure
called "the Prince." When this mysterious man fails to appear, the
town bursts into revolt. These scenes set the stage for a profound
allegory, powered by hypnotic black and white cinematography and a
transcendent score. "Weird, wonderful, witty and unsettling."—Time Out
London

http://www.bam.org/film/series.aspx?id=192

Mongol
(R) 125min
4:30, 7, 9:30pm

Directed by Sergei Bodrov
With Tadanobu Asano, Honglei Sun, Khulan Chuluun

"…a big, ponderous epic, its beautifully composed landscape shots
punctuated by thundering hooves and bloody, slow-motion battle
sequences." —The New York Times

Award-winning Russian filmmaker Sergei Bodrov (Prisoner of the
Mountains) illuminates the life and legend of Genghis Khan in this
stunning historical epic. Based on leading scholarly accounts, Mongol
delves into the dramatic and harrowing early years of the ruler who
was born as Temudgin in 1162. As it follows Temudgin from his perilous
childhood to the battle that sealed his destiny, the film paints a
multidimensional portrait of the future conqueror, revealing him not
as the evil brute of stereotype, but as an inspiring, fearless, and
visionary leader.

In a performance of powerful stillness and subtlety, celebrated
Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano (Zatoichi, Last Life in the Universe)
captures the inner fire that enabled a hunted boy to become a
legendary conquerer. Asano's achievement is matched by those of his
co-stars, including the radiant newcomer, Khulan Culuun as Temudgin's
spirited wife Borte and the Chinese actor Honglei Sun (The Road Home)
as Mongol chieftain Jamukha, Temudgin's dearest friend and deadliest
enemy. Masterfully blending action and emotion against some of the
most arresting terrain on earth, Bodrov delivers an exciting and
awe-inspiring tale of survival and triumph, and a love story for the
ages. In Mongolian with English subtitles.

http://www.bam.org/film/firstrun.aspx?id=1293