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That such an ostensibly nihilistic worldview manages to captivate is owed largely to elegant, flowing cinematography that's far more graceful than Arkanar deserves. Vladimir Ilin and Yuriy Klimenkofollow's camera follows Rumata so closely that we almost see things from his perspective, with a number of passersby looking directly at us and breaking the fourth wall. It's an uncomfortably immersive experience that gives new meaning to the phrase "Nice place to visit, wouldn't want to live there."German died before the movie was finished, and the work his wife and son put into completing it on his behalf makes for a hell of a swansong. The shoot is said to have taken as long as six years, and the result is a three-hour, black-and-white opus of despair with plenty of gallows but not much humor. There's no light at the end of Arkanar's tunnel, but there is opportunity to reflect on the base impulses that keep societies entrenched in backwards thinking. For the viewer, anyway—no one there seems particularly inclined to do more than eat, drink, and fight. This may not be Earth, but it isn't exactly alien.Follow Michael Nordine on Twitter.