Almanac of Fall (Öszi almanach aka Autumn Almanac). 1984. Hungary. Directed by Béla Tarr. With Hédi Temessy, Erika Bodnár, Miklós B. Székely. In Hungarian; English subtitles. 35mm. 119 min.
Synonymous with stark and absorbing black-and-white films that slowly reveal human despair and moral exhaustion—including Damnation (1988), Sátántangó (1994), and The Turin Horse (2011)—visionary director Béla Tarr began his cinematic journey with gritty, low-budget documentaries and narrative works rooted in the bleak realities of working-class life. Almanac of Fall, made during a period of transition, finds Tarr charting a striking new stylistic direction.
Shot in color, this claustrophobic chamber piece unfolds entirely within a dilapidated apartment owned by an aging woman, where a small cast of characters gathers under the weight of resentment and desperation, each harboring vengeful intent. Experimenting with bold, expressive lighting in saturated blues, oranges, and greens, as well as inventive and probing compositions, Tarr transforms the interior into a theatrical arena of psychological warfare.