Die Tatarenwüste

Die einzige Verfilmung des Romans von Dino Buzzati bot die Gelegenheit für einen ungewöhnlichen All-Star-Film, der sich erst sekundär mit Leichtigkeit in ein stickiges Psychodrama verwandelte. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die Leistungen von Giuliano Gemma, der wirklich nicht nur Angelicas Nicolas war, und Jacques Perrin, der hier die Geschichte der Zerstörung eines ganzen Lebens durchlebt. Die Linie von Perrin wird dann von Helmut Griem perfekt ergänzt. Jean-Louis Trintignant und Max von Sydow liefern absolut normale, aber keine schwachen Leistungen ab. Doch die mit Abstand größte Überraschung ist Rolf Wanka, der einmal mehr beweist, dass es keine kleinen Rollen gibt. Seine letzte Etüde spiegelt sein gesamtes berufliches Leben wider, und auf kleinstem Raum kann man die Geschichte des gesamten Schicksals eines Mannes lesen. So etwas hatte ich nicht einmal zu hoffen gewagt. (30.03.2013)

A movie parable that pretends to be a “slightly different" war movie, while in fact it is closest to a mystery thriller, despite lacking even a hint of the supernatural. Although I can’t clearly remember a single scene, it still managed to wrap me around its finger with its captivatingly hypnotic atmosphere. The strange thing about it is that although all scenes are absolutely unspoken (and offer as many opinions and explanations as viewers that watch it), it holds together coherently. And the strangest thing about this is that it isn’t strange at all. I intend to embark on an active search for the novel. The second-hand bookshops are calling. (19.11.2008)

At first glance, this film offers a very well-equipped fortress in the middle of the desert. There is quite a decent regiment of French soldiers in that desert, and these French soldiers are mentally completely fucked. Their only current interest is to behave according to the rules of the fortress. No one is allowed to leave it, no one is allowed to say a word. Whoever leaves the fortress and then returns will be shot without mercy. It could be a scout that the Tatars fooled and pitted against his friends. The French are so messed up that although from the fortress you can see about three kilometers of sand dunes on all sides, they still think that Tatar will arrive any minute and shoot down the largest fortress complex of Europe with one cannon ball. And cannons? They must not use them under any circumstances. If they fired the cannon, it might startle the colonels and the bosses might not like that either. Psychological as hell. Hats off. For two hours I was so nervous I could throw up. And I didn’t even have to be in the middle of the desert in the fortress, whose defense would pose a problem even for General “The Desert Fox” Rommel. (10.09.2013)