Sátántangó (1994)

Based on the novel by László Krasznahorkai, Sátántangó follows members of a small, defunct agricultural collective living in a desolate landscape after the fall of Communism. After a large financial windfall, the villagers plan to leave their village. Their plans are disrupted when a mysterious figure, thought to be dead, returns.

Hailed as one of the monumental works of slow cinema, its circular structure brings time to the forefront. Divided into twelve chapters, the film unfolds like a tango: six steps forward and six steps back. Tarr’s lyrical treatment of time immerses audiences in its slow passage, allowing one to linger with the characters and observe the seven deadly sins unfold within the Satanic universe he had created. Rejecting the label that was reflecting the political climate of its time, Tarr constructs a parallel world that contemplates the darker impulses of human nature.