Taking place in a Ukrainian school for the deaf and mute, Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy's The Tribe follows Sergey, a new student at the school who quickly discovers the darker side of his new institution. The school is rampant with drugs, prostitution, and crime, with Sergey quickly finding a place among the elite of the school. When Sergey becomes entranced by one of his schoolmates, who is one of the more profitable prostitutes, his new discovered obsessesion threatens to upset the fragile balance of The Tribe. Shot completely without subtitles and any dialogue, The Tribe personifies why film is a visual medium, using only staging and composition to tell this tale. A well orchestrated visual treat, the film is masterfully staged using an assortment of long tracking shots and beautiful compositions that dare I say are remenscient of Tarkovsky. This film presents a very cold and uncaring world, where no sympathy or empathy is anywhere to be found. This is a world full of damaged young souls, with Sergey's romantic interest in his young classmate being subversive to say the least. As the film escalates, Sergey's actions could be viewed as good natured but I'd argue his actions are more out obsession than love. He is able to save her from the others but it is more based on his desired possession of her. Sergey is a character that is warped by the world around him, making him a character you root for, even if he is extremely flawed. A film that could have easily been a gimmick, The Tribe Is an unflinching, poignant portrait of a dark world where no one escapes cleanly.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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