‘Twilight’ Review: Film Noir within the Hungarian Hills

“Twilight” adapts a 1958 Friedrich Dürrenmatt detective story. It’s the story of a retired police chief who returns to his work to discover a baby assassin. In György Fehér’s adaptation — launched internationally in 1990, however now displaying within the United States for the primary time — the unnamed detective’s investigation begins when a younger lady is found lifeless close to a statue of an eagle holding a sword. This statue is of a Turul, a long-observed image of Hungarian nationwide power. Much like this arresting picture, “Twilight” imposes a uniquely Hungarian perspective on what may need in any other case been easy pulp materials.

Fehér’s adaptation units the story squarely within the Hungarian countryside. It is mild on particular particulars just like the 12 months of its occasions or the names and histories of its principal figures. The emphasis on ambiance over proof grants the movie a fable-like high quality. Even the principle suspect is thought solely to the detective (Péter Haumann) as a large. Fehér builds up his nightmare utilizing visible strategies which can be redolent of his countryman and someday collaborator, the Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, who’s finest recognized for his formally and philosophically difficult epics. (Fehér produced Tarr’s “Sátántangó,” and Tarr is credited as a guide on this movie.)

Tarr’s brutalist affect is seen onscreen, current within the movie’s stark black-and-white cinematography, its lengthy takes and Fehér’s elaborate, painterly digital camera setups. The pictures create the impression of a bleak panorama, a Hungary the place the previous, current and future seem drained not solely of colour, however of hope itself. Fehér’s actors supply muted, naturalistic performances, and Fehér limits the variety of digital camera setups and cuts down on extraneous dialogue. His ample restrictions make easy components like cuts to close-ups or the detective plot play as cracking indulgences. It’s a method so minimalist, it approaches maximalism — and this mix of pulp and precision creates an arresting and distinctive work of movie noir.

Twilight
Not rated. In Hungarian, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes. In theaters.