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Highly Overrated But Still Good

Best movie ever!

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Das Finstere Tal is much more than a Western shot in Austria. Apart from the excellent production values and the competent performances, it features a clever and deep plot, that combines prominent features of classic Westerns (i.e., outlaws and oppressed villagers) regarding a mysterious tale about a foreigner set out for revenge. The characters - first and foremost Greider - are complex and interact in a meaningful way, making their desires and intentions very tangible. Therefore, the movie succeeds both on a formal level and on a content level: the mysteries and the dark secrets of the villagers resemble the outer features of the valley, accentuated by great cinematography and the impressive scenery.Full review on movie-discourse.blogspot.com

Even though it takes place between the snowy mountains of austria, this western style movie is a tribute to all the old ones and so it goes just the same way. Hero rides into a village to avenge his family, kills all the bad guys, frees the village and rides of. There's very little dialogue the movie and the story is somewhat straightforward and predictable, offering barely any surprise or tension.Worst thing were the accents for me. I watched the movie in "German", but their accent was often so strong and they swallowed whole letters, which made it hard to understand at times. I actually had to activate subtitles for this.The scenery is okay and it sure is impressive enough that such a movie is an austrian-German cooperation project. But besides that there's nothing special here. Average stuff, no less, no more.

Despite the plot is simple, already seen in different forms, and it slowly unwinds, this movie is beautiful and never boring. It is a deliberately dark film, violent and angry, with excellent scenery and sets, good photography, well-chosen and credible actors. Everything is really well done and gripping. Costumes, sets, editing are top level.I could think of it that some modern music tracks, although very very pleasant as well, and although them bond with the scenes, they don't fit perfectly with that age. Maybe a classic instrumental style music, would fit better. Apart this, all it is perfectly crafted. A quality movie in every aspect.I found it a very engaging western. Recommended.9/10

Such great preconditions: a fantastic novel, a promising cast. So how did this movie end up being so mediocre? 1. and most important: They changed the story. They should not have. That's the biggest mistake of all. They should have just adhered to the novel. Nothing would have gone wrong. But they did and subsequently ruined all the atmosphere of the novel. The plot moves way too fast.2. Pop music as background music? Terrible decision. Not fitting at all. Why not traditional Austrian folk tunes? Why not a zither or a dulcimer? Too obvious? Maybe. But it would have been much more appropriate. 3. The big shoot-out at the end is poorly directed.4. Why the occasional slow motion? It probably is supposed to make the movie more intense, but it's nothing more than an atmosphere killer. As mentioned earlier under those preconditions "Das finstere Tal" is a decent movie, but anyone who read the novel will be disappointed.