Film Review: Rainer Sarnet Creeps The Crowd In “November”
Synopsis: NOVEMBER is set in a pagan Estonian village where werewolves, the plague, and the spirits roam. The villagers’ main problem is how to survive the cold, dark winter. People steal from each other, from their German manor lords, from spirits, the devil, and from Christ. They are willing to give away their souls to thieving creatures made of wood and metal called kratts, who help their masters whose soul they purchased steal even more.
What can be said about Director Rainer Sarnet’s November beyond it is CREEPY! Filmed in black and white, yet modern in cinematography, the film feels like a bridge between old horror films with a 2017 aesthetic. The choices of shots and visual effects feel very “now”, and are what turn this film into a visual masterpiece. Even so, November is not a film for everyone because its creepiness will not be comfortable for everyone.
Sometimes, I think creepiness is more uncomfortable than scariness. Horror films that go for the big screams and blatant guts, do not shock or impress me as much as films that go for the moral murkiness of humanity. Maybe, because my grandmother always told me “Do not fear the dead, fear the living!” ghosts and nightmare ghouls do not scare me. In Sarnet’s November, he seems to take a similar approach. Although, the town is filled with werewolves, evil spirits, and the literal Devil can roam in this Estonian town to tempt and taunt people, perhaps the scariest part of November is that the people are tempted. Their choices to underhand and undermine each other, despite sharing the same economic struggles of peasantry is rough to watch, and their salivating greed to get “better” in life, thought understandable, turns into too much when compared to the ills it causes their soul. Moreover, it is surprising to see the townspeople’s immorality leap off the screen as the darkest aspect in the film when The Devil is LITERALLY IN THE MOVIE. Yet, the fact that people would make a deal with wickedness when they have suffered from its hands is why Rainer Sarnet’s film becomes an unexpected look into social depravity; even amongst the suffered.
Both the rich and poor suffer, and while the rich make the poor suffer; the poor make each other pay. It is a notion we see all the time, even in days like these, when corporate greed is accused of “stealing” citizens’ wealth but immigrants are getting the blame/ brunt. Sarnet’s film is an odd exploration of how the poor turn on each other through dark, twisted fantasies. While there are notes of sarcastic humor and a love story between a young farm girl Liina (Rea Lest) and a boy named Hans (Jörgen Liik) it meanders as trivial next to the visual display of other Estonian lore such as “kratts”,which, again, are creepy but fascinating. While some will love the storylines and learning about Eastern European fairytales, for me, this film is one to watch, literally, because of its visual. Despite, being a horror film in black and white, Sarnet’s choices as a director and cinematographer transform it into a moving painting for the MoMa.
Tribeca Film Festival Screenings:
Mon April 24 @ 6:30pm at CIN-08
Tue April 25, @ 3:45pm at CIN-02
Wed April 26 @6:15pm at CIN-05
Thur April 27 @ 4:15pm at CIN-03
