Lore

The problem with Lorepretty much lies in how it reminded me of the art teacher short in the film Ghost World, where they flush dolls down the toilet and repeat "mirror, father, mirror". Because, in the same way, this is truly universal art, behind which I tried vehemently and in vain to find something more than "intimate polemic over collective guilt" and "the transformation of a girl into a woman under strange circumstances". In reality, Lore is quite misogynistic in contrast to Trier's Europa trilogy, which is close to his setting, because while that one manages to raise many themes and issues from the perspective of a male observer, Lore doesn't get any further with its female active protagonist than the eternal stigma and mother protector. Which is only emphasized by the fact that it was filmed by a woman. And for a change it's very proficient formally, though I feel lately that cutting from close-ups marking some emotional advancement to long shots made up of informative footage is now such a general recipe for sticking an arthouse together for pennies. (16.05.2013)

A beautiful, and really beautifully made post-war drama. I find this topic in film quite tiring already (how many times have we seen films chewing the topic of Jews + WW2?), but this one at least approaches it from a slightly different angle (the perspective of a young girl raised by a Nazi family)… and, besides, it is brilliantly made, as I’ve said. Flawless cinematography, incredibly gripping atmosphere. (24.02.2013)

I feel that the Germans with their war movies or generally with movies about the past as such try to clear themselves of everything bad their nation managed to commit in the last century. Lore may be at times a lengthy movie, but it immediately won me over with its raw atmosphere. It suffices to read the story and you will know that there is no room for compassion here. A rough and cruel story from the end of the Second World War, which shows the opinions of those who were hit by the propaganda and then had to figure out what the issue was and what truly happened during the war. The story is told from a bit unusual perspective, but it is shot in such a way that it will make you think about it long after it ended. (05.10.2014)

I'll begin somewhat venomously. It seems somewhat inappropriate to label Cate Shortland a young director, as she is still described in the biography on FilmBooster. At 48 years old, she should have much more extensive results in her work. Considering the condition of Australian cinema, only two feature films suggest that either her abilities are not that famous or that she is such a creative loner that producers are discouraged in advance. It is certain that her film Lore enchanted a significant part of the European festival audience, so the name Shortland has gained wider recognition beyond the closed bubble of the club audience. The film may seem too slow and distant to a wider range of viewers. At least the context is explained, and the film is shot subjectively from the perspective of the main character who tries to take her younger siblings to their grandmother on the other side of Germany after their father, involved in war crimes, escapes, and their mother is arrested by the occupying authorities. Unfortunately, I have to say that I wasn't impressed by Lore. I didn't have any issues understanding the plot or the fact that the production was low-budget, so there can be no talk of grandeur in any way. On the contrary, I take issue with the instructiveness of the screenplay - Lore's companion on her journey from the south to the north was a German Jew with whom the attitudes of a girl from a prominent Nazi family can be perfectly confronted. Moreover, he was a boy of suitable age with whom Lore could experience not only a certain ideological transformation but also an unconventional rough romance. At that time, millions of refugees, military personnel, captives, deserters, and prisoners were surging through Europe, and German Jews were a tiny fraction among them. For understandable reasons, only a handful survived the concentration camps, and they also arrived from a different direction - from the less fancy camps in the northeast. Moreover, they arrived much later than Lore's story takes place. Secondly, I also disliked the absence of a distinct film language. Compare Lore, for example, with the thematically related film Landscape After Battle or The Europa Trilogy by Lars von Trier, and it should be clear where there is talent and quality and what is average filmmaking. Making art also requires talent. Overall impression: 60%. (12.07.2017)