Sennentuntschi: Curse of the Alps (2010) (Blu-ray/DVD Review)
Directed By: Michael Steiner
Starring: Roxane Mesquida, Nicholas Ofczarek, Andrea Zogg
Rated: UR/Region A/2:35/1080p/Number of Discs 2
Available from Invincible Pictures
The Swiss Alps in 1975: in a remote mountain village, a woman of wild beauty appears as if from nowhere. The village policeman Reusch is the only one who openly approaches the mute woman in an attempt to find out who she is. It becomes apparent that she has traveled from Höhenalp, where Alpine herdsmen do unimaginable things to attract female company and thus combat their solitude. An affliction that would rather have remained undiscovered gradually comes to light and a story of desire, madness and murder jeopardizes the village’s apparent idyll. It is the beginning of a nightmare filled with sanctimonious madness, hypocrisy, abuse and demonism that threatens to end the dreams of two lovers and drag the whole village into the abyss.
Sennentuntschi is a great effort on film. And, to it’s credit, it packs a punch when it needs to and it has a very well acted and interesting story to give to the viewer. The film sets up a story, then goes to a flash back, and the rabbit hole just gets dug deeper and deeper. Now, you could perhaps say that the people behind the film might have dug that hole a bit too deep. Things from time to time do get a little hard to follow, but that is only if you don’t pay enough attention. If you watch this one you must be sure to give it your undivided attention.
I think you could say that the director got a bit ahead of himself with the way they told the story they wanted to tell here and the film also runs way too long. Outside of that, you get a very dark tale that is really cool for fans of nice films that are as far away from the Hollywood machine as you can get. The transfer here also looks really nice and the look of the film only helps matters when you have a film with the tone this one has. I think you will be very satisfied with this film if you give it a chance.
– Trailer
