jsteele-03992
This film had by far the greatest amount of liquids and combinations of liquids in the history of film. Blood combined with mud, blood with snot, snot with mud, vomit and spit, vomit and mud, blood and liquified rotting corpses, piss and pion, blood and feces all combine into a true elegy of combines liquids. Additionally, it features an extraordinary amount of faces. Extras constantly pass in front of the camera, and at least 1000 people get a close up, all with different, often disturbing faces, specifically ordered to perform as disgustingly as possibly, often projecting the aforementioned liquids, with a preference to snot. This manages to give an authentic feel to the medieval atmosphere of the film, with all the disturbing, disgusting and hard to watch elements completely intact. Unfortunately, the story is very hard to follow, since the random dialogue by extras, while cementing Hard to be a God as possibly the most realistic film about the Middle Ages ever, also distract the viewer from the actual story. Also, the sci-fi premise is thin and doesnt affect the story too much, while it does involve some interesting nihilistic philosophic themes.All in all, this film is not for you if you are a fan of sci-fi, color and interesting storytelling. However, it is really a technical marvel, with spectacular photography, costumes and set pieces, which manages to include the largest number of liquids and faces ever. If you are a face, liquid, or generally decadence enthusiast, you should watch this film as soon as possible.
Joseph Biddle
I can honestly say I've never seen another film like this one, which is both a compliment and a warning. The cinematography immediately caught my eye, and held its grip throughout the three hour run-time. The visuals were disgusting, hypnotic, boring, and suspenseful in equal measure. My engagement would've waned early if not for how it was filmed, with the camera becoming as important a character as those it presents. Peasants gawk at the lens, chickens and owls fly into view from behind our view, and various cages, chains, veils, and hung corpses occupy the forefront while the actors talk in the background. It's authenticity is palpable. You really feel like you're hopelessly trapped in the Middle Ages. The visuals hold the film together where the story falters. Congrats if you can follow what's going on, but I suspect it's meant to be a fever dream of weighty conversations, crass segues, and maudlin atmosphere. An interesting watch to be sure, but not nearly as powerful as it was clearly going for. If you're already a fan of experimental cinema, give it a try. Casual movie watchers won't get through 30 minutes.
iCronic
5,5/10There is a basic plot description in the beginning but it is not always clear which character is which and what they are specifically doing. I read the Wikipedia Plot description afterwards and it makes it more understandable. The Dialogue is vague, often times outside the frame, since other people are constantly putting their face or other objects infront of the camera. Also some voices are clearly edited in, during post production. Hard to be a god gets repetitive after a while because the scenery stays the same and the bizarre actions go on for 3 hours. I haven't seen anyone mention the horrible photoshopped face on the corpse at the end of the film, seemed like a budget thing. With all that being said, the detailed visuals alone make it worth to watch. It is one of the most unique films I've seen. There isn't a film filthier than this
Alessandro Vincinni
Don't believe those who compare it to Tarkovsky's "Andrei Rublev". The only thing common between the two is black and white film and long 3 hour duration. This one is just a depiction of a (mainly) studio set full of mud and ... This has nothing to do with the book, has no meaningful plot or character development. If you are in for serious cinema avoid this "production". If you want to see something revolting, boring and repetitive go for it. The only thing this film shows is that a director who in past produced strong films like "Trial on the Road" can completely disintegrate at the end of his carrier. A sad story. This failure spoils the good impression of German's previous films as well as is a shame for the excellent novel who's title and popularity it tries to exploit.
AD
