Director: Chris Kraus
Screenplay: Chris Kraus
Cast: Hannah Herzsprung, Monica Bleibtreu
Genre: Drama
Release Date: Out now on DVD through Madman
Running Time:112 minutes

Rating: 4/5

You know, it’s a remarkable testament to the skill of the German filmmaker of late that they seem to do ‘bleak’ so damn well. Four Minutes (Vier Minuten)is no exception and is a testament to the creative dexterity of  writer/director Chris Kraus and newcomer Hannah Herzsprung who delivers one hell of a performance as Jenny, the volatile though obviously damaged young inmate of a women’s prison.

The film centres upon the relationship which slowly blossoms between Jenny and the prison’s elderly piano teacher, the icy Traude played by a very accomplished Monica Bleibtreu. When Traude discovers Jenny’s prodigious talent, she begins to prepare her for a performance in a prestigious national competition, although progress is repeatedly hampered by the corrupt and sadistic politics of the prison bureaucracy. What develops is a very subtle and tender relationship between two women whose past weighs heavily upon their present.

The parallel narrative told in flashback tells of Traude’s past without any kind of heavy handed sentiment or nostalgia – a rare achievement. The film’s climatic final scene is stunning, no doubt about it, standing as a beautifully choreographed and richly evocative liberation of the repressed pain, sorrow, humiliation and grief of the narrative.

I’ll happily admit that I’m neither an expert nor enthusiast of classical music, the dominant fare of the film’s soundtrack. However, the musical performances are never dull, the music is suggestive, affecting and warms the icy prison setting.

The DVD also features two interviews with Hannah Herzsprung which thankfully, are substantially better than the usual fare to be found as extras. Four Minutes can be a difficult film to watch but is nonetheless highly recommendable.