I was intrigued by the reception this film was getting at Cannes, so I decided to grab a ticket. I also heard the name Tarkovsky being thrown around in regards to comparisons, which made me all the more excited for it as Tarkovsky is one of my personal favorite directors ever and anything that comes close to that style is something I always look out for.
I like the general premise of one house tying all these stories together. We witness the trauma these women had to endure, and even though what they experience is all individually different – different acts taking place under different circumstances – it’s almost like these individuals are connected in a spiritual way through the setting despite living generations apart. Yet the distance through time is simultaneously what creates the separation and isolation amongst each other – and thus the pain and suffering lingers on for them and for the audience, without that sense of community through which one can relay to others.
My impression is that this does not really feel like a Tarkovsky movie at all, not one bit, so I’m not sure where those comparisons are coming from. It’s not seeking us to meditate on what is really happening, plus the camerawork is very different – it’s very busy, sometimes taking on the perspectives of these very women and girls. Peeping through keyholes in the door, or swinging up and down like Angelika herself on the swing. Not quite as still and patient like a Tarkovsky film tends to be. The cinematography is great, mixed in with a droning soundtrack that creates this very ominous and dark ambience. I will say that I think this film falls in line with plenty of other movies that explore similar ground as far as the subject matter concerning feminism in the modern age versus historical exploitation of women. Rainer Werner Fassbinder came to mind and I think is most relevant here, especially given Fassbinder’s own proclivities towards the role of women, their exploitation and traditional gender norms in a German society post-WWII, plus Sound of Falling in particular taking place across many different time intervals both before and after WWII. Women Talking as far as more recent films go portrays a similar messaging emphasizing the passage of time, though that film at least has the virtue of women being able to talk and commiserate with one another, a luxury through which the characters in this film do not get to have.
The cinematography in this is good though and is what elevates this film. Some moments that are emotionally difficult to watch for sure, but also could have done more especially given its 2 and a half hour length.