33/17
Forests surrounding villages
Synopsis
Austria in the 18th century. The killing of a child results in a woman being sentenced to death. Agnes prepares for married life with her beloved. But her mind and heart become heavy.
Depressioncomposed by Anja Plaschg
A dark path alone, evil thoughts arising.. Agnes probably suffers from psychotic depression since " Individuals with psychotic depression experience the symptoms of a major depressive episode, along with one or more psychotic symptoms, including delusions and/or hallucinations". Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala, German and Austrian respectively, have teamed up again, and this time to produce their best work yet. Set in the forests of Austria in the 18th century, the story centers on a young, newly married woman who is frustrated because she cannot give birth to a child for her husband.
But to inform on this would be a spoiler
The beginning of the film does, however, provide a hint of what may happen in the future, when an equally young woman is executed by beheading for the murder of her baby. The beauty of this relatively long piece of folk horror lies in trying to figure out exactly what is going on. The murder of children may seem unpleasant, but it plays a crucial part once the theme of the film is established. Suffice it to say that the title of the film, “Des Teufels Bad”, is a German expression that refers to a dangerous circumstance that is likely to lead to catastrophe.
There are moments of violence and bloodshed
Those looking to watch this film purely for its shock value and horror content will likely be disappointed. Instead, this is a beautifully shot tragic historical drama based on true events. The landscape is depicted as bleak, repetitive and remote; life is a matter of survival and the routine of fishing and farming is monotonous; represented by the length of the film and many of its scenes in which not much happens. However, the tension builds and the ending is particularly rewarding.