Sennentuntschi
2010 Directed by Michael Steiner
Synopsis
1975, Swiss Alps: In a remote mountain village, an immesely beautiful but disturbed and dumb woman shows up. Only the village policeman Reusch takes care of the strange woman and tries to find out whoshe is. There are hints that she came from the Höhenalp Alp, where herdsmen do unthinkable things to get the company of women. Many dark truths are revealed that should better have remained hidden. A tragedy of lust, insanity and murder is brought to a seemlingly pure and perfect world. It is the beginning of a nightmare of religious insanity, hypocrisy, abuse and belief in demons, who destroys a young family and brings a whole village to destruction.
Cast
Roxane Mesquida Nicholas Ofczarek Andrea Zogg Carlos Leal Joel Basman Hanspeter Müller-Drossaart Rebecca Indermaur Ueli Jäggi Peter Jecklin Daniel Rohr Paula Marija Alice Blaser Herbert Leiser Luciano Simioni Birgit C. Krammer Mark Kuhn Stéphanie Berger Florian Nussbaumer Annamarie Sievi-Nigg Thomas Landl
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The Swiss film based on a alpine folklore, with a story spanning 2 time periods. I had no expectation going in & was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. The performance were no more than OK but the script & visuals make it well a watch.
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Der Verlauf der Geschichte ist nicht durchgehend logisch, dafür ist der Alpenhorror aber geschickt verstrickt verpackt und unglaublich unterhaltsam aufbereitet.
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Interesting fantastique swiss movie, the beautiful setting helps and the storytelling uses some nice tricks
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The storytelling aims to keep us wondering whether the mute mystery woman (Roxane Mesquida) is in fact the Sennentuntschi or a mortal woman (the nice cop thinks she’s human, the local priest says otherwise). There’s also some tricksy playing with the chronology that leaves you unsure. Read more at: mostlyfilm.com/2011/09/05/frightfest/
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This movie was so boring.
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Der Verlauf der Geschichte ist nicht durchgehend logisch, dafür ist der Alpenhorror aber geschickt verstrickt verpackt und unglaublich unterhaltsam aufbereitet.
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Lässt einige Fragen offen.
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The Swiss film based on a alpine folklore, with a story spanning 2 time periods. I had no expectation going in & was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. The performance were no more than OK but the script & visuals make it well a watch.
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Interesting fantastique swiss movie, the beautiful setting helps and the storytelling uses some nice tricks
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The storytelling aims to keep us wondering whether the mute mystery woman (Roxane Mesquida) is in fact the Sennentuntschi or a mortal woman (the nice cop thinks she’s human, the local priest says otherwise). There’s also some tricksy playing with the chronology that leaves you unsure. Read more at: mostlyfilm.com/2011/09/05/frightfest/
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The discovery of a dead body in the Swiss alps cues flashbacks to 1975 and the tale of a feral woman who’s fled from the mountains seeking refuge in a small village where she’s taken under the wing of the local policeman. Local legend says that lonely herdsmen could cast a spell to create a ‘sennentuntschi’ (slave woman) but what really took place up there? This Swiss thriller confuses itself by too many jumps in time, but is an otherwise engaging drama enhanced by its beautiful and original setting.
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I’ve been mesmerised by the fantastic poster art since Fright Fest last year, so it was good to finally catch up with the film. I have some pacing/storytelling issues, but overall it’s a very well-crafted thriller (with horror only really creeping in towards the end). Visually the film is quite breath-taking, with the Swiss Alps and rural locales providing a gorgeous backdrop to the drama. The visuals are complimented by a memorable sweeping score that really heightens the foreboding atmosphere.
Cast are excellent across the board, especially lead actor Nicholas Ofczarek as the sole voice of reason, a cop struggling to make sense of the unfolding events. It’s a little frustrating when his character vanishes for much of the second… -
It's more a mystery/thriller than the possession/exorcism trailer would lead you to believe but it's still a beautifully shot, slow burner with a grisly punchline. The lead actress reminded me of Barbara Steele in Black Sunday ... but hotter and with less spikey masks stuck on her face.