Liv: A quiet, dusty piece of old-school drama

Is it worth your time?

Honestly, you probably shouldn't bother unless you have a thing for old, scratchy black-and-white dramas from the 1930s. If you’re the type of person who digs Finale der Liebe for its mood rather than its pace, you might find something here. But if you need a hook that grabs you in the first five minutes? Skip it.

The story kicks off with a dad going to prison. It’s heavy, it’s dramatic, and it sets a tone that stays pretty gloomy for the rest of the runtime. They move away, start over, but you know how these things go. The past has a way of showing up at the front door when you least want it to.

The vibe

There’s this one scene where a character just stares out a window for way too long. I found myself counting the dust motes on the screen. It felt like the director was trying to force a sense of dread, but it ended up just being… quiet. Maybe a bit too quiet.

The newcomer shows up, and the whole energy shifts. Is he a ghost? A memory? Just a guy with a grudge? The movie doesn't really care to explain it clearly. You just have to sit with the ambiguity. It reminded me a little of the strange, unmoored feeling in The Vanishing Dagger, where the logic doesn't quite hold up but you keep watching anyway.

• The lighting is surprisingly moody for a film this old.
• The dialogue is sparse. Sometimes people just breathe at each other.
• There is a lot of walking through fields. So much walking.

I caught myself checking my watch, but then something weird happened. The final act hits with this odd, sudden intensity that I wasn't expecting. It doesn't fix the slow middle, but it definitely left me thinking about it on the drive home.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s human in a way that feels rare. It feels like a movie made by people who weren't trying to impress anyone, just trying to get a story down on celluloid. That counts for something, right? 📽️

It’s definitely not for everyone. If you’re looking for a tight plot, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for a weird, slightly uneven mood piece that’s stuck in its own era, you might actually enjoy the ride. Just don't expect it to explain itself.