I happen to know how the script for The Turin Horse was written, and if you come to the Dryden on May 5 and 6, I’ll tell you about its strange, fascinating genesis. Follow my advice — if you’re remotely interested in this film, please do not look at the clips on YouTube (what a silly idea). Hungarian-born director Béla Tarr deserves better than that. He is just 57 years old, but said he won’t make another film after The Turin Horse. He made eight features before this one, and the seven-hour epic Sátántangó (1994) is widely considered his masterpiece. The Turin Horse is “only” 2 hours and 26 minutes long, but you’ll have to fasten the seat belts of your visual stamina to fully appreciate what the film has to offer.

Have I warned you enough? No matter what you’ll think of The Turin Horse, two things are certain. It takes a great deal of guts to produce a film like this, so, my kudos to the producers. And, this may be one of your last chances to see this kind of Cinema (note the capital “C”) on a big screen, where this film belongs. Mark your calendar.

— Paolo Cherchi Usai, Senior Curator, Motion Picture Department


Wednesday, April 4, 8 p.m..
The Turin Horse
(A Torinói ló, Béla Tarr, Hungary/France/Germany/Switzerland/US 2011, 146 min., Hungarian w/subtitles)

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