This is not Angelopoulos' masterpiece (as the DVD would like one to believe), but there are still sequences of enormous beauty and emotion (even if some seem more contrived than organic). In this piece, Angelopoulos readily excels in his portrayal of violence, which is really very disturbing. Angelopoulos is not so successful in relating to the young girl in quite the same, effective way that he handles her younger brother and the young actor going into the army. One is tempted to think this is because he avoids close-ups (especially in the scene where she yells at her uncle), but, on the other hand, the same visual style is applied to the other characters. Perhaps it is Angelopoulos' own personal inability to relate to the young woman's plight in the story. The ending, however, of "Landscape in the Midst," like, "The Travelling Players" is quite transcendent and unforgettable. Even with all of its flaws, this is still one of the most moving pictures ever.
Review of Landscape in the Mist
