Dirty and bleak, that’s how I can best describe Béla Tarr’s 7 hour masterpiece Sátántangó.

I started my journey into Tarr’s films with Werkmiester Harmonies (thanks callan for the recommendation) and when I finished it I was left craving more of Tarr’s style, yesterday I watched damnation and today I watched Sátántangó, Tarr’s Magnus opus.

And oh boy, i don’t think this film will ever be topped in my mind, no film I have seen in my life rivals Sátántangó’s scale. A massive story consisting of 12 chapters chronicles the journeys of seemingly normal residents of a post communist Hungarian village as they work through literal and metaphorical mud and filth.

Scored with eerie accordion music which fills the scenes with a looming feeling of dread, The way Tarr balances the complete silence and the deafening noise is masterful, several monologues are ingrained in my mind now and I will linger on ever word for the rest of my life.

Some people may be put off by the runtime but I assure you that it does not feel like 7 hours, it feels closer to 4 hours, the pacing is so good that I found my self working through the film at lightspeed.

The limited use of narration is brilliant and give us insight into the characters.

I am in love with this film and cannot wait to rewatch it ever single year that I am alive.