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7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Land Without Bread remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a weak stomach, skip it. If you want to see how cinema can be used to poke a stick into the eye of the viewer, put this on.
It’s short, only about thirty minutes, but it feels like it lasts for hours. It isn't a film you 'enjoy' in the traditional sense. It's more of an experience you survive.
The narrator sounds incredibly detached, almost bored, while describing the most horrific things imaginable. It creates this weird, icy gap between the viewer and the people on screen.
It feels like a sick joke, honestly. He’s talking about bread shortages and kids dying of malaria like he’s reading a grocery list. It’s unsettling.
There’s this moment where a donkey gets attacked by bees, and the way the film lingers on it is just… brutal. You don't get that kind of raw, unpolished cruelty in modern documentaries anymore. Maybe that's for the best?
I couldn't help but think about other experimental bits of history like Joys and Glooms. Both films feel like they belong to a different planet, one where the rules of storytelling haven't been invented yet. They just sort of happen to you.
It isn't as polished or 'correct' as the stuff we watch today. That’s why it works. It’s got this dusty, grimy texture that you can almost feel on your fingers. Don’t watch this if you’re looking for a pick-me-up.
I sat in silence for a solid five minutes after it ended. Just staring at the wall. That’s usually a good sign, right? Or maybe I just needed a glass of water and a nap.