max-seitz-1990
Das Finstere Tal is much more than a Western shot in Austria. Apart from the excellent production values and the competent performances, it features a clever and deep plot, that combines prominent features of classic Westerns (i.e., outlaws and oppressed villagers) regarding a mysterious tale about a foreigner set out for revenge. The characters - first and foremost Greider - are complex and interact in a meaningful way, making their desires and intentions very tangible. Therefore, the movie succeeds both on a formal level and on a content level: the mysteries and the dark secrets of the villagers resemble the outer features of the valley, accentuated by great cinematography and the impressive scenery.Full review on movie-discourse.blogspot.com
bandito
Was slow and decent.
didnt like english songs.
had problems wt the illogical actions the main protagonist did.
with a better second half script and better soundtrack, this movie would have been 8+
check out Ravenous !
whalleypx
The favourable reviews here have already highlighted the cinematography, the gratifyingly minimal dialogue, (I think I've seen and heard so much clichéd dialogue in recent cinema that the dialogue in this film is a blessed relief from that), and the beautiful setting of a high alpine village in winter. The story itself is no great shakes, but what is made of it is. Best film I've seen on Amazon for the longest time. The central characters don't need to be fully fleshed out because neither the story nor the genre demands it. I thought the whole thing was written around a repeating rifle, but I'm probably wrong.
Lothar Gerber
Such great preconditions: a fantastic novel, a promising cast. So how did this movie end up being so mediocre? 1. and most important: They changed the story. They should not have. That's the biggest mistake of all. They should have just adhered to the novel. Nothing would have gone wrong. But they did and subsequently ruined all the atmosphere of the novel. The plot moves way too fast.2. Pop music as background music? Terrible decision. Not fitting at all. Why not traditional Austrian folk tunes? Why not a zither or a dulcimer? Too obvious? Maybe. But it would have been much more appropriate. 3. The big shoot-out at the end is poorly directed.4. Why the occasional slow motion? It probably is supposed to make the movie more intense, but it's nothing more than an atmosphere killer. As mentioned earlier under those preconditions "Das finstere Tal" is a decent movie, but anyone who read the novel will be disappointed.
AD
