Tarr’s melancholy, visually striking film revolves around Karrer, a lonely man in a bleak, rain-soaked mining community who spends his nights at the Titanic, a rundown bar, whose resident singer he is infatuated with. They have become lovers, despite her unhappy marriage to Sebestyén. Karrer persuades Sebestyén to take part in a smuggling scheme he has concocted, hoping that by doing so, he can remove his rival from the picture and have his wife to himself. A powerful meditation on loneliness, desire, and the human condition, Damnation showcases Tarr’s ability to convey deep emotional and philosophical themes through visual storytelling.

Notes by David O’Mahony