Synopsis
A switchman at a seaside railway witnesses a murder but does not report it after he finds a suitcase full of money at the scene of the crime.
A switchman at a seaside railway witnesses a murder but does not report it after he finds a suitcase full of money at the scene of the crime.
Christoph Hahnheiser Humbert Balsan Joachim von Vietinghoff Béla Tarr Gábor Téni Paul Saadoun Miriam Zachar
L'homme de Londres, 런던에서 온 사나이, L'uomo di Londra, A londoni férfi, Der Mann aus London, El hombre de Londres, Человек из Лондона, L'Homme de Londres, Muž z Londýna, O Homem de Londres, Човекът от Лондон, 来自伦敦的男人, Człowiek z Londynu
Bela Tarr's signature style is all over this film about a guy who witnesses a murder but, rather than doing the right thing and reporting it to the police, steals some money left by the victim, and we see the consequences of his actions.
From a narrative point of view, I thought it was fine. I'd be lying if I said I was very invested. Now, as is to be expected, the director and Tarr's camerawork are absolutely immersive, with all the panning and slow tracking shots, all of which do a tremendous job increasing the psychology in every scene, as do the somewhat bleak black and white cinematography and the extremely minimalist but effective score. The acting is superb…
Another one of Béla Tarr's monochromatic canvas, with another one of Erika Bók's mighty exclusive appearances. This time isolation and bureaucracy converge and Béla Tarr's zoomed in, long, long takes are there to mesmerize us once more.
A bleak visual experience is what sets Béla Tarr's filmography apart from everyone else. His films feel like melancholic poetry - even the shadows are playing supporting roles. His camerawork and his framing amplifies what the characters are feeling.
Film noir has find it's perfect match in this filmmaker. His black and white craft is more colorful than a RGB in pitch black darkness. Now that I've started exploring his filmography, I won't stop because I'm sucker for dance between sophistication and anarchy…
10 reasons I loved this film:
1. The main character has got one of the most intriguing and captivating faces I've ever seen.
2. Some of the best cinematography I've ever seen.
3. Amazing score and musical compositions.
4. Tilda Swinton in French.
5. Film <3
6. Existentialism.
7. Editing(yes, I'm not even kidding).
8. The overall mood, tone and atmosphere, which feels booth classic and completely original.
9. The ending, which might be one of the best endings to any feature length film I've ever seen.
10. The simple fact that this film, while being one of his lesser known films, lives up to every single expectation I had about the infamous Bela Tarr. Can't wait to watch more!
First off let me say this.. it is no where near the level of excellence that was achieved by Bela Tarr's "The Turin Horse" or "Satantango"! With that being said while its storyline was paper thin the breathtaking cinematography and lingering camera shots of faces reflecting their own private world of hurt were as prolific as jackrabbits!
What I loved most was the noirish fog, shadows and lighting in the opening scene but it was the rhythmic pounding of the waves that soothed this savage beastie!
I couldn't help thinking the dubbing ruined the integrity of the film! It would have felt more genuine had it stayed true to its native language and had been subtitled! As a baby boomer…
Film reviews in 22 sentences (or less)
Today: The Man from London
„Our least favorite feature-length film of Tarr, but of course a treat for the eyes.“
(The Two Cineasts)
Hi everybody, so, films by Béla Tarr are really something special, not two works are alike, although they all look similar, we're watching The Turin Horse and Satantango and we're blown away, films which immediately found their way into the list of our favorite films and then there is “The Man from London” and yes what should we say, we really haven't got warm with this one. As always, Béla Tarr shows us incredible images and actually a dream has come true, Béla Tarr, the master of black and white…
Bela Tarr's The Third Man. Glacial, crushing. His nighttime exteriors are the most eloquent use of heavy Weimar Expressionist manners that I can remember from the last 80 years -- maybe since Vampyr.
Beautiful slow cinema in a way only Béla Tarr could have made. It's a bit of a different kind of movie to see from him though, with multiple languages including English, and a more clear crime storyline. it doesn't represent his style the best so I wouldn't suggest anyone to start with this, but it's cool to see that variety. Probably the most surprising element of this entire movie is seeing Tilda Swinton. It just further cements that she has one of the best careers of all time.
Added to Béla Tarr Ranked
Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair (Year 2), Film #5, 35mm
The Man From London is generally considered a weaker Béla Tarr film, and while I understand some of the criticism (i.e. dubbing issues), I can forgive its flaws. Honestly, it's one of my favorite film noirs when it comes to tone. While other film noirs may have a more interesting story, The Man From London doesn't see story as a main focal point. Just think about how much story we get in, let's say, the first 20 minutes. You have one of the most well-crafted opening shots with a length of about 12 minutes. The camera moves from one corner of the watchman's tower to the other, observing the world…
I’ve been in a slump and not watching many films but Béla Tarr’s films are just next level
Lodged in Tarr’s filmography between masterpieces WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES and THE TURIN HORSE, THE MAN FROM LONDON remains lesser known, but packs just as much power. At the scene of a murder, railway worker Maloin finds a suitcase filled with money and chooses to keep the bounties rather than report the crime– a choice that unsettles both him, and his wife (played by Tilda Swinton). This tale of guilt, greed, and the fear of being found out is a departure from Tarr’s typical study of a collective, and brings us instead into a single man’s rattled conscience.
THE MAN FROM LONDON will screen Monday 6/12 at Film at Lincoln Center in NYC, with an in-person introduction from Béla Tarr. Tickets here
1st Béla Tarr, 1st Ágnes Hranitzky
My philosophy with all well known filmmakers is to start with the films at the bottom end of the canon, the minor pieces. My reasoning is that if I enjoy them, then I'll love their big works, and certainly I think this'll be the case with Tarr. I've heard criticism that the theme of guilt at the centre of this narrative, about a man who discovers a suitcase full of money after witnessing a murder, isn't as well developed as it could be, and certainly there's a certain thinness of subtext here on first viewing. Maloin may be a deliberately murky figure to the audience, but little real time is spent devoted to his…
A fight breaks out at a local harbor. A man dies. Another man is witness. And a suitcase full of stolen cash washes ashore, becoming a token of longing for those who cannot spend it without indicting themselves. From this mysterious, almost noir setup, which is actually shot quite stunningly over a 10-minute forensic take, we slowly move away from a cinema of facts, plot, character and meaning to an exercise in obtuse cinematic formalism.
THE MAN FROM LONDON has so much of what I love about Tarr's previous work (glacially slow, hypnotic one-takes; elegantly complex mis-en-scene; gorgeously shot black and white cinematography, etc.). Yet it doesn't really share any of the same depth with the others I've seen. It…