The Wall

Martina Gedeck plays the unnamed “Frau” who takes a trip to the Austrian countryside—only to become stuck there, seemingly forever—in this sci-fi survival film by Julian Pölsler. As Frau narrates her plight in the journals she keeps, the story alternates between the present and a few years into the future. On Frau's first day at the hunting lodge, her friends, Hugo and Luise, make a trip into town, leaving her with their dog, Lynx. By nightfall, the couple have not returned, but the following day when Frau sets out to find them, she is confronted by an invisible wall that prevents her leaving. And while she can see a neighboring couple through the wall, they appear to be frozen in time. Once she accepts the limited dimensions of her Alpine world, Frau must find ways to survive. When she chances upon a cat and a cow, she gains—respectively—a companion and a source of food. She also learns to hunt, but never questions the provenance of the wall (nor does Pölsler fill in any details about her past). Based on a novel by Marlen Haushofer, The Wall leaves specific readings open to interpretation: Frau's isolation could represent depression, pre-unification Germany, or post-apocalyptic Earth. Sci-fi scenario aside, Pölsler prioritizes character over plot, and Gedeck turns in a mesmerizingly subtle performance. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a booklet with photos, essays, and an afterword by director Julian Pölsler. Bottom line: a small extras package for a psychologically powerful sci-fi film.] (K. Fennessy)