ynopsisfromTimeOutFilmGuideBetweentheseeminglyidyllicopeningandclosingscenesdepictingaruralcommunity,firstatchurch,thenatthevillagefestival,Fleischmannattacksthatcommunity'sprejudicesandignorancewithoutremorse.HisverypreciselyobservedportraitofBavarianlifebeginswithlittlemorethanadisplayofthevillagers'constantribbing,bawdyhumour,continuousgossip,andmorethanahintoftheirslow-wittedness.Withthereturnofayoungman,theiridlemaliceandchildishclowning,alwaysontheedgeofunpleasantness,receivesomefocusquitewithoutfoundation,theladisvictimisedasahomosexual.Thecripplingconformityoftheiringrainedconservatismleadsthevillagerstorejectanything'different'ayoungwidowisostracised,moreforhercrippledloverandidiotsonthanhermorals;ateacherisfrozenoutbecauseshe'seducated;thecasualdestructionoftheyoung'homosexual'isgivennomorethoughtthanthecuttingupofapig.NotGermanyinthe'30sbutthe'70s;neverthelessthepoliticalparallelsareclear.Animpressivefilm.
