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Bela Tarr (3-Pack) Bela Tarr The first three films by Hungarian auteur Bela Tarr. Shot in a cinema verite style, Family Nest (1977, 100 mins.) captures the lives of an ordinary family in a broken society. The Outsider (1981, 146 mins.), one of two Tarr films shot in color, offers a naturalistic view of life in modern Budapest. Tarr communicates a world of limited options and few opportunities through vivid close-ups and evocative urban locales. Finally, Prefab People (1982, 80 mins.) is a relentlessly realistic portrait of a young working-class couple suffering the everyday stresses of marriage. Jonathan Rosenbaum (Chicago Reader) called it "the best of Tarr's early forays into Cassavetes-style social realism". 3-DVD set; each disc includes Facets Cine-Notes collectible booklet with a statement by Tarr and an essay on his career. In Hungarian with English subtitles. Hungary, 1977-1982, 326 mins. DVD | $99.95
Almanac of Fall Bela Tarr A large, claustrophobic apartment is the setting for this intense chamber drama from Bela Tarr (Satantango, Werckmeister Harmonies). In this dense setting, the inhabitants of the apartment reveal their darkest secrets, fears, obsessions and hostilities in a style that combines the anguish and existentialism of Bergman with the emotional intensity of Cassavetes. Jytte Jensen of The Museum of Modern Art called Tarr "one of the most innovative and accomplished auteurs in filmmaking today." In Hungarian with English subtitles. Hungary, 1984, 119 mins. DVD | $44.95
Damnation Bela Tarr One of the late philosopher Susan Sontag's favorite films, this powerful work reveals the evolution of the cinematic method and dark metaphysical style that Hungarian auteur Bela Tarr made famous in Santantango and Werckmeister Harmonies. Black and white images seem to float out of an endless drunken dream as a reclusive loner obsessively pursues his former lover. "Damnation is the ultimate film-noir, a deeply existential rumination on the miserableness of existence and the search for a meaning or a means of escape" (DVD Times). In Hungarian with English subtitles. Hungary, 1988, 116 mins. DVD | $44.95
Family Nest Bela Tarr This impressive first film by Hungarian auteur Bela Tarr heralded the arrival of one of late 20th century cinema's most compelling and original voices. Shot in a cinema verite style, the film captures the lives of an ordinary family in a broken society. The housing shortage in Communist-ruled Hungary forces a young couple to live with the husband's parents in a cramped, one-room apartment. The proximity of too many people in too small a space leads to tireless arguments and a feeling of unending hopelessness. Includes Facets Cine-Notes collectible booklet with a statement by Tarr and an essay on his career. In Hungarian with English subtitles. Hungary, 1977, 100 mins. DVD | $44.95
The Outsider Bela Tarr Bela Tarr's second film (and one of only two shot in color) offers a naturalistic view of life in modern Budapest. The film's self-absorbed and aimless protagonist floats through life with no direction or purpose. His only escape is through music, dancing, and drinking at the local tavern. Tarr communicates a world of limited options and few opportunities through vivid close-ups and evocative urban locales. In Hungarian with English subtitles. Includes Facets Cine-Notes collectible booklet with a statement by Tarr and an essay on his career. Hungary, 1981, 146 mins. DVD | $44.95
Prefab People Bela Tarr Shot in a gritty documentary style, Bela Tarr's third film is a relentlessly realistic portrait of a young working-class couple suffering the everyday stresses of marriage. Beginning with a terrible argument between husband and wife, Tarr subsequently examines the minute details of his character's lives to see what brought them to this moment. Profound and disturbing, Prefab People is "the best of Tarr's early forays into Cassavetes-style social realism" (Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader). Includes Facets Cine-Notes collectible booklet with a statement by Tarr and an essay on his career. In Hungarian with English subtitles. Hungary, 1982, 80 mins. DVD | $44.95
Werckmeister Harmonies Bela Tarr In Bela Tarr's celebrated film, the arrival of a couple of bizarre circus attractions - the stuffed corpse of a huge whale and a mysterious character with magnetic powers called The Prince - sparks unrest in a provincial Hungarian town. Although composed of only 39 shots, the mesmerizing camerawork of this complex allegory creates subtle suspense and a lingering sense of dread. "A work of bravura filmmaking" (Village Voice). In Hungarian with English subtitles. Hungary, 2000, 145 mins. DVD | $44.95
