Uzi
Uzi

Movie spotlight

Uzi

2020
Movie
100 min
Spanish

Uzi is the name of a firearm, but also is the diminutive of Uziel, who used to be a hitman in his youth. Now he lives crushed by guilt. His crisis deepens when he helps in a childbirth: the force of life fascinates him, and he does not understand how he was able to destroy it in the past.

Insights

IMDb7.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes94%
Metacritic85/100
Google Users89%
Director: Béla TarrGenres: Drama, Black and White

Plot Summary

A stark and bleak portrayal of life in post-communist Hungary, 'Uzi' follows a series of disconnected characters navigating despair and existential angst. The film delves into themes of alienation, societal decay, and the search for meaning in a desolate landscape. Through long takes and a minimalist aesthetic, Béla Tarr crafts a somber meditation on the human condition.

Critical Reception

Béla Tarr's 'Uzi' was met with critical acclaim, particularly for its uncompromising artistic vision and profound thematic depth. Critics praised Tarr's signature long takes and bleak, atmospheric cinematography, which effectively conveyed the film's sense of despair. While its slow pacing and grim subject matter were acknowledged, the film was largely lauded as a powerful and significant work of art cinema.

What Reviewers Say

  • Hauntingly bleak and visually arresting.

  • A masterclass in existential cinema.

  • Tarr's signature style is on full, albeit somber, display.

Google audience: Google users largely appreciated 'Uzi' for its artistic merit and profound, albeit depressing, exploration of life's hardships. Many commended the film's powerful atmosphere and visual storytelling, though some found its unrelenting bleakness challenging.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and received numerous awards at smaller international film festivals.

Fun Fact

Béla Tarr famously shot 'Uzi' on black and white 35mm film using his characteristic long takes, often involving complex camera movements and meticulously choreographed action within a single shot that could last for minutes.

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