The gentle rise and fall of regular inhalation and expiration is taken for granted by many, but not Roman Kogler (Thomas Schubert, in his first film role). For four years, he has been haunted by his actions in stopping a classmate’s breathing, and now contemplates the consequences in a juvenile facility. As his release approaches, the absence of respiration becomes his means of reintegration, courtesy of an apprenticeship at a local morgue. The days are long, the work is hard, and the constant reminder of the chasm between the living and the dead is a struggle.
Breathing (Atmen) chronicles Roman’s attempts to cope with his guilt in ending the life of another, the weight of his crime hindering his ability to move forward. Every breath harks back to his sins, as does every corpse he encounters, with his own survival a test of his character. Yet the 19-year-old keeps on breathing, numbly mindful of the alternative. Surrounded by the deceased, haunted by death, and searching for the source of his own life – the mother (Karin Lischka, Vatertag) who abandoned him as an infant – he does whatever he can to give his existence meaning.
Karl Markovics’ film is starkly observational in its straightforward approach, the Austrian actor (best known for The Counterfeiters, TV’s Inspector Rex and its spin-off Stockinger) turned first-time writer/director patient in the depiction of his protagonist’s subtle, stoic, emotional awakening. As Roman watches the world, the steady, steely frame watches along with him, awaiting the moment that he decides to engage instead of letting everything pass him by.
The outsider element of the narrative may recall Ratcatcher and Fish Tank, as does the careful gaze of cinematographer Martin Gschlacht (Revanche) and the film’s corresponding naturalistic sheen; however Breathing carves its own niche amidst similarly-themed and styled efforts. An incisive sense of tension proves pivotal in ascertaining the audience’s investment in Roman’s plight, just as an appreciation of intricacy – imbued in every repetition of his routine – enhances the story.
While Markovics ably demonstrates his directorial skill in his delicate and devastating choices, it his inexperienced lead who embodies both descriptors. Sullen but sympathetic, Schubert is a revelation as the internalised adolescent, earnest and evocative in his depiction of the character’s pain. Combined, the pair of debutants crafts an elegant, elegiac offering, teeming with restrained affection and understanding but cleverly devoid of sentimentality. The film’s title could not be more fitting; Breathing ebbs and flows in stunningly authentic fashion.
Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Breathing (Atmen)
Director: Karl Markovics
Austria, 2011, 94 min
Sydney: 30 April – 14 May
Melbourne: 1 – 15 May
Brisbane: 3 – 9 May
Newcastle: 4 – 5 May
Canberra: 7 – 12 May
Adelaide: 8 – 13 May
Perth: 9 – 13 May
Byron Bay: 10 – 12 May
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