Werckmeister Harmóniák (2000)
Synopsis of Werckmeister Harmóniák
Bela Tarr follows up on his seven-hour epic Satantango, considered by some critics as one of the finest films of the 1990s, with this elegant, haunting work about the cycles of violence that have dogged Eastern European history. Jancos (Lars Rudolph) is a wide-eyed innocent who works as an occasional postal worker and as a caretaker for Mr. Ezster (Peter Fitz). An outsider and a visionary, he marvels at the miracles of creation, from the planets rotating in the heavens to the sundry animals on earth. One day, a circus featuring jars full of medical anomalies and a massive dead whale entombed in a corrugated metal trailer visits Jancos' economically depressed village. Another more sinister attraction is a shadowy figure dubbed "The Prince," whose nihilist rants incite the town's disaffected to riot. Not long afterwards, Mrs. Ezster (Hanna Schygulla) cajoles her estranged husband to join a citizen's action group against the circus, threatening to move back into his house if he doesn't play along. Tension in the town builds until, after one of The Prince's hate-filled speeches, throngs of angry men with blunt instruments ransack and brutalize a men's hospital ward. When the dust clears, lives are irrevocably changed. This film was screened at the 2000 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 145 mins
Complete Cast of Werckmeister Harmóniák
- Lars Rudolph - János Valuska
- Hanna Schygulla - Tünde Eszter
- Djocko Rossitch - man in Western boots
- Péter Dobai - chief constable
- Ferenc Kallai - director
- Kati Lazar - sorter
- Éva Almási Albert - Aunt Piri
- Putyi Horvath - porter
- Barna Mihok - coachman
- Mariann Moor - Tunde Eszter (Voice)
- Andras Fekete - Mr. Árgyelán
- Mihály Kormos - factotum
- László Felugossy - housepainter
- József Ropog - man beside the man in the fur-cap
- Gyuri Dósa Kiss
- Béla Máriáss - Mr. Mádai
- Peter Toth
- Erika Horineczky
- Lajos Bulucs
- Gyula Herpai
- Geza Kosa
- Miklos Vaszlavik
- Agnes Kamondy
- Dora Kovats
- Peter Fitz - György Eszter
- Janos Derzsi - man in broad-cloth coat
- Geza Balkay
- Gyula Pauer - Mr. Hagelmayer
- Peter Haumann - Gyorgy Eszter (Voice)
- Tamas Wichmann - man in the sailor-cap
- Eniko Borcsok
- Alfred Jarai - Lajos Harrer
- Iren Szajki - Mrs. Harrer
- Matyas Drafi - man in fur-cap
- Attila Kaszas - The Prince (Voice)
- Lajos Dobák - Mr. Volent
- Lois Viktor - loader
- Sándor Bese - The Prince
- Tamás Bolba - voice of János Valuska
- Gyorgy Barko - Mr. Nabadán
- Jozsi Mihalyfi
- Bela Nagy
- Ferenc Gazdag
- Tibor Komaromi
- Jozsef Szanto
- Janos Varadi
- Peter Magyar
- Gabor Werner
- Director(s):
- Béla Tarr
- Writer(s):
- László Krasznahorkai, Béla Tarr
- Producer(s):
- Von Vietinghoff, Miklós Szita, Paul Saadoun
- Looking for special editions of Werckmeister Harmóniák?
- See All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions







