Reviewed by Justin Bateman
Stars Hilda Péter, Tibor Pálffy, Norbert Tankó, Melinda Kantor, Sebastian Marina,
Roberto Giacomello, László Matray, Enikö Szabó, Attila Kozma | Written by Peter Strickland
UK certification 15 | UK RRP £15.99 | DVD Region 2 | Runtime 82 minutes | Directed by Peter Strickland
Films about revenge are often dramatic, even glamorous tales of wrongdoing allied to a moral righteousness where the end justifies the means. So it’s rare to find a story that combines revenge and moral ambiguity with such skill that traditional notions of good and bad are blurred.
Katalin Varga (Péter) is wife to Zsigmond (Matray) and mother to Orban (Tankó). A long-held secret is finally revealed, leading her husband to banish her from their small Romanian village. Under the pretext of visiting her sick grandmother, Katalin takes her son to a neighbouring village to face her horrific past and exact revenge on those who have changed her life so dramatically not once but twice.
In his debut feature, Peter Strickland tells a simple tale simply which in itself is both refreshing and striking. Visually, he makes superb use of the Romanian countryside and this beauty is sharply at odds with the grimly fascinating tale which unfolds. The score by Steve Stapleton and Geoff Cox is creepily atmospheric and in combination with Strickland’s unusually lingering shots of the forests is deeply affecting and at times strongly reminiscent of David Lynch’s cult television series Twin Peaks. Indeed, sound is in general is a hugely important element of the film, with crickets, cowbells and a veritable cornucopia of other sounds bringing rural Transylvania to life.
Hilda Péter is excellent as the determined Katalin and the relationships she has with both her son and the men in her life are entirely believable, which is as much testament to Strickland’s tight script as it is the performances. A sometimes slow-moving arthouse film in Romanian and Hungarian with English subtitles won’t be for everyone but anyone looking for intelligent, absorbing filmmaking will find Katalin Varga to be intriguing, thought-provoking and moving.
EXTRAS *** An audio commentary with writer/director Strickland and world cinema critic Ian Hayden Smith; the featurette The Making of Katalin Varga; an interview with Strickland; a stills gallery; and the trailer.