Sarar Shleweet
May Contain Spoilers!!!There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you " -Maya AngelouTwo women , stigma from the past, and a piano. That is all what the writer and director Chris Kraus needed to create a double miracle, cinematic and musical . Traude Krüger, the elderly piano teacher , a prisoner of the past, a captive of her own being ,and Jenny the condemned prisoner accused of a hideous crime will form a bond of invulnerable friendship on the tunes of a piano keys in one of Germany's women penitentiaries. Traude will desperately try to change the indignant manners and the troublesome behavior of the young angry girl, she will perceive an exceptional talent, a prodigy, in her and will try to crystallize it on her own terms, attempting not to make her waste such sensibility overshadowed by anger and rebellion. She'll summon her to keep her trust in somebody again , a confidential, to express her fervent feelings , what burdens her heart all through teaching her classic pieces of timeless composers, while Jenny will try to unleash her feeling through a short dance - handcuffed- or a stolen kiss , or by playing a modern pieces of music that echoes what is going on inside her of piercing noises and feelings. She'll find a cure for her tortured soul, that's when Traude, involuntarily, will open to Jenny the gates of her heart widely to unveil the secret that haunted her sleep for more than forty years, the secret which made her the lonely "sinister" she is today that made her abandon the world and give up all its pleasures, to find refuge and solace in Jenny. Both women will open up to each other facing their worst fears, pushing salt on each others' wounds. Here the director chose to summarize all of these clashes of the soul with the impulsion of four minutes, and four hasty minutes only.. that will leave its impact on the viewer's mind for days, causing a rhapsody to the ears , to replay the closing scene for more than ten times , amazed by what what the eye beholds and ear hearkens, swooned by the majestic music which the fingertips of a young rebellious woman plays.The film was nominated for an academy award for best foreign film
Reno Rangan
'Four minutes' is a 2006 German movie about a young woman prisoner Jenny and her old piano teacher Kruger. While the music class part by part the past stories of these women reveal to us. The flashback reveals that this prison used to be a hospital where the old piano teacher worked and her affair with another nurse. And another flashback about Jenny and her difficulty earlier life she went through. As a talented, Jenny is also the rough and tough with her inmates. Like all the prison story here too there be a trouble giving enemy and a tough warden who always eye on her. Their's target is Jenny, to stop her from taking piano lessons and entering the competition.Jenny was a musical prodigy and her initial portions of the story were portrayed as she's sorta some rebellion. There were many scenes I just don't get it like the security provided for Jenny during she was taken for the contest on the outside. And I don't know why the story had some racism remarks on Afro-European music in a couple of scenes and it never explained anywhere later. I guess those days are like that especially in Nazi Germany.Still I felt both the two main characters were not explained well especially Jenny's past were mostly told as a story than what we are expected to see as the actual one. In Kruger case it was different it showed the main portions of her flashbacks to match it with preset of her. The last four minutes of the movie are what represents the title before the credit rolls up. That was a grand finale for a movie with a story like this. The end scene was kinda good like the movies 'Sound of Noise' or 'August Rush'.8/10
frauna
I guess this movie is specially interesting for people who love music, good acting and intelligent stories. Two women, and old piano teacher and a young prodigy girl (the girl happens to be in prison and she is in a very, very bad mood, as you could expect) got involved in a relationship of teaching and learning. But this is not the typical movie about how music could save souls and make everybody happy and cheerful at the end, against all odds: complicated people and complicated problems remains complicated, of course, and music is a window to our tormented souls, not a sleeping pill or a wonderful happiness-tonic. Highly recommended. Specially the young actress who plays Jenny, a wild beauty with incredible eyes and full of passion.
Doug Taylor
An elderly spinster piano teacher in a womens prison,Mrs.Kruger, takes one of the inmates,Jenny,under her wing.The teacher loves music but can't connect with people.Jenny is young and absolutely gifted,but hates playing because it brings back a personal trauma from her past.The teacher tries to teach the student about respect,whilst the student reminds the teacher what it's like to be young and emotional.There are sub plots concerning both of their respective past personal lives but basically,it is just about two characters from vastly different generations and backgrounds who form an uneasy alliance in a harsh environment,and both of them benefit from the experience.Keep a box of tissues handy because the film is an emotional roller-coaster.I have no doubt that if they remade this in Hollywood with A-list stars, (which they probably eventually will),that it would clean up at the Oscars.But I guarantee that it would not be as good as this movie.Four Minutes (Vier Minuten) is actually about 110 minutes,and pretty much every one of them is worthy.A must see movie.
AD
