- Directed By: Valeska Grisebach
- Cast: Meinhard Neumann, Reinhardt Wetrek, Syuleyman Alilov Letifov
Western earns the viewer’s attention with an unpredictable, patiently told tale that evokes the spirit of the titular genre while adding its own unique touches.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/western_2018
“Western” is full of tensions and thrills without climaxes or blowups. It is amazing to see how the film maintains the tension from the start till the end. The recurring sense of “something is going to happen soon”; The anxiety and anticipation make viewers be absolved into the movie fully.
The title of the movie, “Western,” is symbolic and gives you a clue to understand the settings and mood of the film. The main character, Meinhard, acts like a sheriff in the midst of socio-cultural conflicts between German constructors and Bulgarian locals. It is interesting to see how many features of typical western genre movies you can find. Meinhard rides horses and even sits like a sheriff!
Another interesting point is the language barrier. The communication of two parties in the film – Germans and Bulgarians – is challenging, and it is somewhat challenging for English-speaking viewers to fully grasp the interactions among characters with the English-only subtitles. Ironically, we understand both sides, which do not communicate well.
Scriptorium 