Director: Jaco Bouwer
Release date: 2023
Contains spoilers
Based on a play by Reza de Wet, this South African film, set within the Boer War, maintains that stage foundation by mostly holding the set to the inside of a barn with moments just outside, with a wagon, but in the dark as rain falls. As such it relies heavily on the actors to bring the narrative alive. What we have, in a lore sense, is a breath stealer – which is a type of vampirism akin to energy vampirism and the fact that there is a character, which codes with a witch, fits with this.
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| figure in the wagon |
The film opens with said wagon in silhouette against the sunset and an intertitle that mentions the use of concentration camps by the British – imprisoning women and children to break the fight in the Boers – and the number of deaths this led to. The camera pulls back and we see that farmland is on fire in the distance and a black hooded figure within the wagon.
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| Michele Burgers as Annie |
Opening in the barn there is Anna (Michele Burgers) and her daughter Annie (Jamie-Lee Money), led in a stupor is the Boer General (Lionel Newton), looking frail and grey. Annie is languid, strapped to a chair (to keep her sat upright). She claims sleepiness and Annie straps her straight in the chair to keep her awake (or she may not wake again). She tells her she’ll be strong again soon and dresses her as she knows someone will be with them soon.
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| Sven Ruygrok as Brand |
That someone is Adjutant Brand (Sven Ruygrok). As the film progresses it seems that he had Anna stay with the General, as she is a healer, in the barn on the General’s land (the farmhouse is destroyed), and he has returned after delivering despatches. However, reality is warped in this film and Anna is manipulative, so at times he cannot remember how they met and came to be there. Anna’s blackened fingers, use of herbalism and mannerisms codes her as the witch I mentioned. She is manipulating Brand into having feelings for Annie.
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| Anna and Brand |
Annie is the vampire – though it seems not her fault. Later in the film Anna talks about Annie's conception and Anna being with her father (who had the blackest eyes). He was a dowser she met and fell in love with but, after spending time with her, he left, though by then she was pregnant. She made a vow that she would give up the child to be with him again and, eventually, the child died in the womb and he returned... but only to have her make a potion or spell to bring him his unrequited love. She strangled him and his last breath escaped and entered her (carnally) bringing the foetus back to life (so we can code Annie as undead).
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| restraints show in the mirror |
The lore is sparse, the film relying on producing a sense of uncanniness and mystery. Outside, for instance, red eyed creatures stand sentinel, and one rips apart a horse (that has been shot) but we see little more than a distant silhouette against the night, with glowing eyes, and the film does not expand. Mysterious people appear for a moment in the barn (perhaps a concentration camp). In a reflection it looks like Annie is held in metal, restraining head gear. This leads us to wonder about the reality presented.
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| hoofed |
Equally we see, through Brand’s point of view, Annie’s legs momentarily become hoofed animal legs or Anna transforming into a bird of prey for a split second. We are told that Anna and Annie travel by night, Brand assumes to avoid the British, but Annie says it is because “
We can't bear the daylight. It hurts us.” It does feel that tying Annie and Brand emotionally is being done to increase the potency of his last breath but it is also revealed that his youth is a factor – she could take the General’s last breath but he is old and it is not potent.
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| Lionel Newton as the general |
The film relies on atmosphere, uncanny moments and the strength of the performances and, in that regard, Michele Burgers does much of the heavy lifting with a powerhouse performance. However, this film is almost the definition of a slow burn and, whilst it revels in mystery and ambiance, a viewer wanting something more immediate and visceral could well be disappointed. I was not, I was thoroughly absorbed in the film.
7 out of 10.
The imdb page is
here.
On DVD @ Amazon US
