Beyond the Hills
Dragged myself off to the local arthouse cinema this afternoon to see this austere offering from Romanian director Cristian Mungiu. Based on the true-life story of an exorcism that took place in a Moldavian monastery in which a young girl died, Beyond the Hills follows the events of two girls staying in a remote Romanian Orthodox monastery. Voichita (Cosmina Stratan) is a devout nun and resident of the monastery, while Alina (Cristina Flutur), a close childhood friend visiting from Germany, dreams of whisking Voichita away to start a new life together; a clash of cultures ensuing as the girls love for each other is strained against the very different paths they have chosen in life. There's hints of a homoerotic relationship having taken place, but this isn't forefront - instead the film shows us Alina's growing frustration and desperation at her friend's stoic, placid commitment to her faith; her increasingly erratic behaviour taking a heavy toll on the small community, which eventually leads to extraordinary events.
It's a languid film, and one that requires patience as the majority of its long running time is spent going through the mundane daily routine of the nuns. But it's a feast for the eyes - the chilly, sparse Romanian locations captured with some crisp cinematography courtesy of Oleg Mutu (The Death of Mr Lazarescu). Director Cristian Mungiu refuses to take sides and allows for remarkable balance and sympathy on both sides without lecturing or finger wagging. It's a film that really comes together at the end; while almost timeless with its remote settings, the lasting shots are both jarring and unnervingly haunting in contrast - two sides to a coin, both of which are rusty.
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