Krach um Jolanthe: Pigs, Taxes, and a Lot of Noise

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, only if you have a weird fascination with German regional comedy from the thirties. If you prefer your movies to have, you know, a plot that goes somewhere, skip it. It’s basically a loud neighborhood spat stretched into a feature film.

Who will like it: People who enjoy hearing rural dialects and watching people get red in the face over a pig. 🐷

Who will hate it: Anyone who expects subtlety or, like, a functioning pacing structure. It drags. A lot.

The whole thing centers on a tax man trying to collect on a pig. That’s it. That’s the movie.

There’s something about the way the actors stomp around the farm that reminded me of The Private Life of Henry VIII, but without the budget or the charm. Or the historical weight. It’s just people yelling in barns.

Wait, why is the pig so important?

I’m still not entirely sure. The villagers treat this animal like it’s a member of the royal family. Every time the tax collector gets close, the camera does this weird, frantic panning shot like we’re watching a heist thriller. It’s almost funny, but it happens so many times that the joke just kind of dies on the floor.

The acting is very... energetic. Everyone seems to be competing to see who can be the most exasperated person in the frame. At one point, the sheriff just gives up and looks at the sky. I felt that in my soul.

• The pig gets more screen time than half the human cast.
• The sound design is basically just loud footsteps and shouting.
• There is a scene involving a bucket that goes on for about four minutes too long.
• The lighting makes the whole farm look like it’s permanently stuck in a gray fog.

It’s not as polished as something like Nana, which had a bit more style to its misery. This is just pure, unadulterated peasant squabble. It’s loud, it’s messy, and it’s surprisingly persistent in its attempt to make you care about a tax bill.

I found myself zoning out and wondering what the pig was actually thinking. Probably just looking for slop. Honestly, the pig was the most grounded performer in the whole thing. It didn’t try too hard. It just existed.

If you watch this, keep a snack nearby. You’re gonna need something to distract you during the middle act where they just argue about the fence again. It feels like one of those movies that was made because someone had a set and a pig and nothing else to do that weekend.