SummaryWestern follows a group of German construction workers installing a hydroelectric plant in remote rural Bulgaria. The foreign land awakens the men’s sense of adventure, but tensions mount when, Meinhard, the strong, silent and newcomer to the group, starts mixing with the local villagers. The two sides speak different languages and share a troubl... Read More
Directed By:Valeska Grisebach
Written By:Valeska Grisebach
Western
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
81
User score
Generally Favorable
7.4
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
100% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
May 12, 2018
100
Grisebach has an observational grasp of the male psyche – especially its pathological obsession with pride – that fairly takes the breath away.
Apr 19, 2018
90
The story is a faultlessly observed, broodingly intelligent piece of realism, a dispatch from a sun-baked frontier that could hardly feel more mundane or specific, but which Grisebach somehow suffuses with the beauty and power of myth.
Apr 10, 2018
80
The slowest of slow burns, requiring adjusting to its careful pacing. There’s no instant gratification on offer, but the second half will draw you into its bristling power games.
Jan 9, 2018
80
Without advertising itself as such, Western could be viewed as a wry reflection of the European Union’s sometimes fractious present-day state — though much of its character conflict hinges on a more universal fear of the other.
Feb 16, 2018
75
The result is a slow burn of a drama with a restrained tone that may put off some viewers, but which will captivate those who responded to its low-key wavelength.
75
The absence of anything traditionally "painterly" reflects an ambivalent attitude toward the kind of capitalistic pro-growth machinations on display in the film.
Feb 13, 2018
67
Although thoughtful and probing, this portrait of good intentions gone awry has been so thoroughly intellectualized that there’s not much juice to it. It’s a movie that’s busy analyzing itself while you watch.
User score
Generally Favorable
85% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
10% Mixed
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
5% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Mar 24, 2020
9
The most intense film I ever saw depicting communication ,and appropriate silences
Aug 31, 2018
7
Not for those seeking an action flick, as this is a slow paced, cerebral and character driven film, successfully utilizing non-professional actors. A group of German construction workers are sent to rural Bulgaria to build a water plant. The relations between the two cultures can be amiable at times, despite the language barrier, but can also quickly turn tense, even hostile. There's also tension among the construction workers themselves. Overall, you'll need patience to get any rewards from this slow-burn foreign film, but the atmospherics will make you feel like you're right there in rural Bulgaria.
Production Company:
- Komplizen Film
- Chouchkov Brothers
- Coop99 Filmproduktion
- KNM
- Das kleine Fernsehspiel (ZDF)
- ARTE
Release Date:Feb 16, 2018
Duration:2 h 1 m
Awards
German Film Critics Association Awards
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
East-West: Golden Arch International Film Awards
• 4 Nominations
International Cinephile Society Awards
• 1 Win & 3 Nominations
