Western

As I watched Western, the 2017 film from German director Valeska Grisebach, I wondered what the title referred to. The story is set in Bulgaria, where German construction workers are building a hydroelectric plant but there are clashes with the local citizens. Then, in the extras on the DVD, Grisebach reveals that the title refers to the genre of the films she grew up on. Western is her attempt at a Western.

And then it made some sense. The main character, Meinhard (Meinhard Neumann) looks like the Marlboro Man. He is a loner, coming to Bulgaria not only for the money but a chance to get away. While the Germans stick together, he makes an attempt to socialize with the local villagers, who initially distrust him. Eventually there will be a squabble over water, as the Germans don't have access to it to mix cement (a pretty blatant oversight). The foreman of the crew insults a young woman, and, being a Western, there is also a horse.

The film is slow-moving, but very unpredictable. The violence that springs out is not what I expected. There is a gun, of course, but I won't spoil whether it used on a human being.

What's interesting about Western is the way that Meinhard ingratiates himself with the locals. He becomes friends with Adrian (Syuleyman Alilov Letifov) and there's a remarkable scene where Meinhard talks about his dead brother and Adrian about his children who have left the country. Though they speak different languages, they understand each other completely.

The film also uses only natural lighting, so when it's dark out, you don't see much, just like the characters.

I don't believe I've ever seen a film shot in Bulgaria before, and it appears to be a beautiful country.