THE EREMITES/ DIE EINSIEDLER
Germany/ Austria, 2016, 100 minutes, Colour.
Andreas Lust, Ingrid Burkhard, Orsi Toth, Hannes Perkmann, Peter Mitterrutzner.
Directed by Ronnie Trocker.
This is a film which can immerse its audience in the world of the South Tyrol. The landscapes are impressive, the mountains and their peaks, the settlements with cattle at the tops of the mountains, the farms below. There are also the modern towns, factories and a local quarry.
The film shows something of life on top of the mountains as well is in the town below. The old father and mother on the traditional farm work very hard, but the father eventually dying. The son visits frequently but his job is down below, in the factory, at the quarry.
However, there are difficulties with the factory and the quarry, changes in ownership and methods, threats to the job of the son. He is also involved with a migrant worker and faced with the dilemma of leaving behind the traditional farm above and life in the town below.
1. The story of the South Tyrol? The mountains and farms, the towns, the quarries and the factory? Local atmosphere?
2. The location photography, the mountains, forests, the seasons? The chairlift? The town, ordinary life, contemporary? The quarry and the work? The overwhelming avalanche? The final train ride? The musical score?
3. The title, the outsiders, old, slowing down, old ways, ageing and dying, the passing of an era? Heritage for the succeeding generation?
4. The opening, the funeral, the prayer? The religious background, images of Mary and Jesus, the crucifix? The surface religion, deeper and challenged through suffering? Marianne shooting the crucifix? The seemingly godless ending?
5. The audience interest in this old world, Rudl, the cattle, Marianne, the milk, heavy loads, their meals, the son bringing newspapers from the town, sleeping? Husband-and-wife? The history, the death and the avalanche? Albert, helping, his father and chairlift, the broken down engine, father injuring his leg, walking up the slopes, the various jobs, Marianne and managing, the cattle and the goats, her husband’s collapse, burying him? Her severity on Albert, her work ethos, urging him to get money, yet she saying she had all she needed? The visit to the town, milking the cattle, the effect of noise, the dead cow, killing the horse, her going to bed, quietly dying? Her son burying her?
6. Albert, his life, age, leaving the farm, working the quarry, his skills, getting the engine from Gruber, helping his father, searching for him, finding him dead? The bond with his mother? The bond? Fixing the engine? Going to his mother, her death, burying her? His being fired? On the train, searching for Paolo, the dark in the tunnel the end?
7. Gruber, his help, the engine, taunting Albert about Paola, disappearing? The other workers, the attention to detail of the quarry, explosions? The finished articles? The boss, the itinerant workers, hiring and firing?
8. Paola, Hungarian, working the quarry, relating to Albert, decision to go?
9. The audience immersed with the people in this culture?
