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> REVIEW

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The Silence (2010)

 

The summer of 86.  A day when evil was among us…

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By Samuel Barnett | October 2011

 

Soda Pictures©

 

DIRECTOR: Baran bo Odar

WRITER(s): Baran bo Odar/Jan Costin Wagner (source)

 

Opening with the startling blunt rape and murder of a young girl in broad daylight, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in the clutches of the new David Fincher movie rather than Baran bo Odar’s exceptionally confident feature debut.

 

Fast-forward 23 years later and with the killer still at large, another young girl is abducted under identical circumstances.  The set-up is pure ‘whodunit’ complete with gruff policemen, mistaken identity and an earth shattering and conclusive climax.

 

Yet this is a far cry from the typical crime-drama formula.  Instead Odar offers up a brutal and uncompromising ensemble character study that is far more interested in the effects of the murder(s) rather than the crime itself.  It’s a story of guilt, suffering and redemption that demands your attention from the opening shot.

 

Odar exposes his characters suffering from the consequences of the murder.  From the killer to the grieving mother it is entirely non-judgemental in its approach, even when exploring the most taboo of subjects.  Drawing influences from South Korean film, Memoirs Of A Murder (2003) and the depraved character study that is L’Humanite (1999);  it certainly isn’t an adrenaline fuelled ride.  The Silence is all about the moments spent in the quiet.

 

The film is beautifully constructed, from the framing and cinematography to the delicate analytical editing that compliments the pacing and subject matter.  The stunning panoramic shots are reminiscent of the western genre, especially the shocking opening scene that will replay in your mind long after viewing.

 

Performances too are entirely convincing, Elena Lange (Katrin Saß) is excellent, balancing an anxiety ridden grieving mother without resorting to melodrama.  But the real shining star is Wotan Wilke Möhring (Timo) who portrays a remorseful paedophile with a deeply damaging and dangerous secret.

 

The second act stutters with a few pacing issues, while some of the dialogue misses the mark, but The Silence is a finely crafted piece of cinema that’s as immersive as it is impressive.

 

Script…………………………………………………………………………………………….

 

A unique and brave take on the thriller genre, provides moments of raw power

and brilliance, with only very minor complaints to be made concerning pacing

and exposition.  4

 

Direction………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

Baran bo Odar’s assured direction is almost perfect for the subject matter, epic panoramic shots that work as a visual motif, to the intimate depiction of the depression-laden mother.  4

 

Verdict…………………………………………………………………………………………..

 

The Silence is worth making a noise about.  4

 

 

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