Dave S
With 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Change, the final instalment of his trilogy set in Vienna, Michael Haneke continues to explore the depths of human suffering. While his themes don't feel as clearly defined this time around, it's safe to say that his primary interest is the randomness of our fate in a world riddled with violence. The end is known from the outset – three people will die in a blaze of gunfire in a bank on Christmas Eve. We then follow a group of disparate characters as circumstances lead them to their destiny, unaware of the horrors that await. The overall impact may be lessened by the fact that we never really get to know the characters in detail, unlike in the first two films of the trilogy, but it remains a typically stylish and impactful movie from the Austrian auteur.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
11/13/23
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Ida N
A master class to understand the craft of storytelling through film editing. Haneke strategically places punchlines and climaxes outside the traditional cuts. So many subtleties in the characters as they silently grind through the mundane life.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
04/13/24
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isla s
This is a somewhat thought provoking film which follows a number of characters in the same city, seemingly unconnected, with the viewer knowing whats coming, as the film starts with an explanation of what eventually happened.The characters are interesting - I liked seeing things from different peoples perspectives. Its sad and with an obvious over hanging sense of inevitability. While it does visually seem perhaps a bit like a documentary, I didn't feel it was entirely dull, instead I wanted to see what events took place, to culminate in what happened. I found myself feeling curious about things and its certainly a relatively decent piece of social commentary if nothing else, so I'd recommend it, yes.
Rated 2.5/5 Stars •
Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
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Audience Member
One of Haneke's most underrated pieces, despite this '71 Fragments' is undeniably one of his greatest achievements. This film is unforgiving, confrontational and poetically mundane. The film's formula is that of repetition as form of insight into the gruelling daily activities of western civilisation. Haneke explores the random or perhaps the mediated with themes of class divide and racial tension amidst a turbulent backdrop of political unrest, which seems even more evident today as it did back then. Black frames intercut the titular '71 Fragments', there is no music, it is a cold meditation on the psychological damage caused by government control and social tension. Haneke asserts a degree of intelligence from the viewer, so for those who are prepared to think '71 Fragments Of A Chronology Of Chance' is rewarding and essential viewing.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
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Audience Member
Exploring materialistic appetites and human alienation in 71 scenes, Michael Haneke's mixed-up drama is a choppy art film ripe with mixed meanings.
Arguably the strongest message revolves around mankind's aching need for authentic human interaction, with materialism as a barrier to communication. But there's many a thought to be shared on media fear-mongering to boot.
Essentially, the film is a rather depressing series of sharp cuts between separate groups of miserables, which almost - kind of - come together in the cutthroat end. Fortunately, the film's littered with a bunch of killer scenes and interesting ideas along the way. A thought-provoking montage not for the impatient.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
02/14/23
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Audience Member
71 scenes where we follow a young student, an old man and some other rather unhappy people. All scenes are fastly cut to black and it's freezed like this for a while. Solid marking of scene cuts, in other words.
Gray film, with a every day look - the boring style.
It's randomness put in order. We get an anoying alarm clock, a cross-tangram and a table tennis machine to name a few props.
a slow burner and while you try to put the pieces togheter, you are hoping for a climax as the intro has indicated. Well, we get a climax, and it's worth the wait of this unsettling film. An all right, early film by the freaky Haneke. It's a typical film of his, but it's not his best - neither is it his worst.
7 out of 10 news broadcasters.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/17/23
Full Review
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