Film Art - 13 Tzameti

13 Tzameti is a french film  in a style reminiscent of french new wave cinema. It is black and white with minimal dialogue and deals with tension a lot. It is also a prime example of auter theory, where the director is viewed as a leading force in the production of a film.

The film deals with a russian migrant worker in france who is renovating a house. When the owner commits suicide, the worker overhears a conversation between acquaintances of the owner which concerns a letter that could result in a lot of money. The worker takes the letter and follows the directions written, leading him to a shady underground gambling society centered around the game of russian roulette. The bulk of the film consists of him as an unwilling competitor in this game.

Much like my tutor, I believe the film has a studio imposed ending. The culmination of all the tension of the game leads to a very dissatisfying end that seems very Hollywood. I don't think this ending adds anything to the character, the plot or any other element of the film and strikes me as very odd. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed the film. I think its use of tension during the rounds of russian roulette were very powerful and combined with the contrast of the downtime in between said rounds, it felt like quite a rollercoaster.