hell [2011]

the world ends -- again! -- in this quiet german film.  the title of this feature translates to 'bright' in english.  the sun has gotten a little too large and has roasted the earth killing off flora, fauna and most people.  survivors struggle to find potable water, food and fuel.  there are not many people left.

but there is marie and her teenage sister leonie traveling on the dessicated roads of a desert europe with philip.  they pull into a gas station to look for a few drops of fuel.  they find another survivor named tom.  after a brief tussle with philip the men come to an accord that it is better to work together for survival then try to kill each other.  soon marie, leonie, philip and tom take to the road.

the car is in bad shape.  they are almost out of gas.  drinking water is even more scarce.  they find a wreck, another vehicle to salvage.  then the shit hits the fan.  another group of people steal their vehicle and leonie who was waiting inside the car.  a rescue operation is hastily planned.  it goes awry.  now tom is a prisoner of this other group.

what is interesting is the way the filmmaker, tim fehlbaum, choreographed the action.  there is very little onscreen violence.  the survivors are filthy, their hair is greasy, their clothes look like they stink.  they bicker, sulk and resent each other.  their plans are half-assed and go south.  they look and behave like people would under such circumstances.  philip is a sniveling coward.  leonie is a teen with a bit of 'tude.  tom is a little scary.  even marie, whom i developed a crush during the run-time of this flick, beautifully assayed by actor hannah herzsprung, hesitates when she takes action.  i believe they are real people.

then there is the photography.  brilliantly shot in blasted light this film bestows a world irradiated by a mad sun, and dead.  without hope how can our survivors cope?  see this movie and find out.