The complex nature of war and peace is pondered in this profound character study; nominated for Best Foreign Feature at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes earlier this year.
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Corey Hogan
Not to be confused with the bonkers transgender comedy of the same name, Zaza Urushadze‘s anti-war film Tangerines centres on elderly carpenter Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak), and fellow farmer Margus (Elmo Nüganen), who are the only ones that remain in their Estonian village. All others have fled due to the break out of the Georgian-Abkhazian War, but these two have chosen to stay behind to harvest their flourishing tangerine crop. One night a firefight between opposing soldiers occurs in their area, leaving only one from each side alive, but severely wounded. Ivo accommodates both, and nurses them back to health, but each one vows to kill the other once they are mobile again, causing tension to increase in the elderly man’s household.
There’s a calming, quiet excellence that billows gently throughout Tangerines, mirroring its beautiful, yet chilly rural atmosphere. This peaceful energy is embodied in the elderly man who forbids the soldiers from exacting any vengeance beneath his roof. Tension bubbles beneath this serene surface as the twitchy, violence-prepped soldiers glare at each other across Ivo’s table, ready to strike, but out of respect to their saviour, they agree to be civil.
There’s a slight disjointedness to some of the plot points throughout Tangerines, but enthralling performances, serene music and scenery, and an increasingly compelling hostility make this a standout of the Perth International Arts Festival.
Images courtesy of Perth International Arts Festival & Rialto Distribution
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