BROTHER OF SLEEP
(SCHLADES BRUDER)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
Germany, 1995 U.S. Release Date: variable, Fall 1996 (limited) Running Length: 2:10 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, sex, mature themes) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Andre Eisermann, Dana Vavrova, Ben Becker, Peter Franke, Detlef Bothe, Jochen Nickel, Paulus Manker Director: Joseph Vilsmaier Producer: Joseph Vilsmaier Screenplay: Robert Schneider based on his novel Cinematography: Joseph Vilsmaier Music: Norbert J. Schneider and Hubert von Goisern U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics In German with English subtitles
Viewing BROTHER OF SLEEP is the cinematic equivalent of watching a train wreck. It's definitely not a pleasant experience, but there's such a concentration of intense tragedy and drama that it's impossible to look away. BROTHER OF SLEEP is wrenching, depressing, and often unpleasant, and there are plenty of narrative flaws, but the overall experience lies within the scope of what one expects from a well-made motion picture.
The movie takes place around 1800 in the village of Eschberg, a small community nestled in the Bavarian Alps, 5500 feet above sea level. The main character, Elias Alder (Andre Eisermann), the illegitimate son of the local priest, is called the "Devil's son" because of his unnatural mental powers and amazing musical talent. In the company of his lone friend, Peter (Ben Becker), Elias spends his days practicing his music on the church organ. Meanwhile, he has fallen in love with Peter's younger sister, Elsbeth (Dana Vavrova), who is entranced by him, but promised to another. The romantic situation becomes more complex (and strays into melodrama) when Elias refuses to commit to a relationship with Elsbeth, and Peter's homosexual passion for Elias causes him to take decisive action.
Director Joseph Vilsmaier, who made the memorable epic STALINGRAD, has chosen to adapt Robert Schneider's novel in an artistic manner that borders on excessive. BROTHER OF SLEEP is filled with images -- some breathtaking (like the opening sequence looking down on the Alps) and some nightmarish (like when Elias starts hearing voices and music in his head). Despite its stern stance against organized religion (the hypocrisy of which gets skewered at every opportunity), the film endorses spirituality, and, as a result, there's a strange, almost- mystical quality to the tone. There are times when the manner in which BROTHER OF SLEEP has been produced interferes with the story it's telling.
Two threads are woven throughout the whole of BROTHER OF SLEEP's tapestry -- the romantic triangle featuring Elias, Elsbeth, and Peter, and Elias' pursuit of his "natural-born genius" for music. Frustrated love for Elsbeth and the unfulfilled need to release his innate talent fuel a powerful scene where Elias plays an organ with such inspired abandon that one of his listeners cries out, "The heavens have opened!" Even though the music itself isn't that convincing, the raw passion is, making this one of those transcendent scenes that justifies a trip to theater for BROTHER OF SLEEP.
While the romance works, it's not as involving as it could be. The distance between the audience and the characters keeps us from caring deeply about how things are resolved. There are times when we can feel the lonely gulf separating Elsbeth and Elias, but that's not always the case. Unlike JUDE, which plunges us into the heart of a doomed love affair and keeps us there, BROTHER OF SLEEP's stylistic flourishes don't foster the kind of intimacy necessary to fashion an equally wrenching storyline.
Vilsmaier's view of Eschberg is bleak and colorless, allowing the town's physical appearance to match its spiritual state. Except for a few key sequences when Elias' music transforms everything around him, BROTHER OF SLEEP is drenched in grays, browns, and other earthy hues. It always seems to be raining or snowing, and the ground is a like a sea of mud and slush. Everyone is realistically filthy, with dirt on their skin, under their nails, and in their hair. This isn't a film for those who want their movie characters to be neat and presentable.
Of the trio of main actors, Dana Vavrova (who is the director's wife) is the only one who captivates. Elsbeth is easily the most sympathetic person in the movie, even after she's largely out of the action. Andre Eisermann plays Elias as slightly detached and distracted -- someone who lives on a different plane than everyone around him. Ben Becker effectively conveys Peter's intense jealousy, although the guilt he later develops isn't as believable.
There are times when BROTHER OF SLEEP's narrative is choppy, but this does little to blunt the impact of the key themes. And, although Vilsmaier's surreal style may detract as much from the film as it adds, much of the most provocative material comes through unscathed, including the central metaphysical conflict between the demands of genius and the desires of the body. BROTHER OF SLEEP isn't the kind of movie to seek as a cure for depression, but, for those looking for a downbeat excursion into artistic storytelling, this film offers a solid example.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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