Stations of the Cross (Dietrich Brüggemann, 2014): Germany

Reviewed by Furkan Altunkaynak. Viewed at AFI Fest 2014.

The movie Stations of the Cross directed by Dietrich Brüggemann. It is about Maria (Lea van Acken) who is only at the beginning of understanding her life. She goes through some hard life lessons of what to do and what not to do which ordered by the church and her mother (Franziska Weisz).

This movie was really interesting experience for me to watch. Movie is made by 5 to 20 minute long, one take and mostly one angled stable camera positioned mater shots. Only editing made for jump from a scene to another. Sculpture of the movie based on a religious verses from the Bible which explains the situation that Jesus been through. Between every scene a sentence or two appears from this verses. Stabling the camera to see every single action happening on the screen was a really interesting idea to watch. Sometimes I find my self not being able to empathize with the main character or any other. This more feels like watching people’s life through a window. Seeing a 10 min scene real time one long take makes you thinking about the situation the characters in like you really watch them. Not like a theater play but seeing the real life like a theater and watching through white screen. Which makes you look where ever you want to look, makes you free to feel any emotion and think what every you like to think.