Set in an Austrian village in the 1930s, this tragi-comic fable revolves around the will of an abusive farmer who has been murdered. He bequeaths his property not to the local church (to whom he leaves "a wagonload of cow dung") nor to his neighbor (to whom he leaves "a kick in the ass") but to his peasant workers. "I hope they beat each other to death when they fight over it," the will states. But this band of misfits, led by "a foundling and a shameless hussy," decide to keep the farm rather than sell. "God wants things the way they are and have always been," a scheming neighbor points out, only to be told by the hussy that "maybe God is getting a little bored just now." But their dream of a new order cannot withstand sabotage from the townsfolk, whose prophecy of "disaster" is borne out in the violent conclusion that is at odds with the film's early earthy humor. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)
The Inheritors
(Columbia, 94 min., in German w/English subtitles, R, VHS: $98.99, DVD: $27.95) Vol. 15, Issue 1
The Inheritors
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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