Page 8 - Hobe Sound Refletions - March '24

Page 8, Hobe Sound

Film Review

The Wall dog, Lynx, to join them, but the dog we hear are words she writes…both
returns instead to the cabin to be with exquisite and tragic.
By Nils A. Shapiro the woman. Then, just as the woman has found
I have no idea how you will react to this film. After a while, the woman decides to solace in the beauty of the nature that
I started to watch it because I was intrigued by the brief take a walk in the forest accompanied surrounds her —the scents and sights
description Amazon Prime Video offered of the film as I by the wonderful, sweet dog—who of the pastures and mountains, the
was looking for one deserving of a review in this month’s instantly won me over as my favorite trees that provide wood for warming
column. Referring to it as an “art house film” (which to character in the film—and suddenly, hearth fires in the cold winters,
me denotes a work of unusual quality), the two-sentence shockingly strikes her head into a the endless stars that fill her night
hint of its story line made it clear that this would be very wall, an invisible barrier, one that she skies—humanity appears once again
different from the typical action flicks, comedies and cannot see but feels with the palms of in her life!
rom-coms that dominate today’s streaming services. her hands and is clearly impenetrable! And with the reappearance of
What an understatement that turned out to be! There is no way around it nor over it. humanity—a man in her forest—
The Wall is an Austrian production filmed in the As she soon discovers, for no comes an act so inhumane that it
Austrian Alps, written and directed by Julian Polaner. discernible reason she has been cut depressed me to the point only my
It was originally released in 2012 and garnered 12 off from all humanity. The couple who commitment to this review kept me
award nominations in several categories, winning four, left her earlier that day never return; from turning off the film without
at international film festivals. Filmed in the German no cars nor travelers ever pass. One waiting for the ending.
language, the Prime Video version is in English … day she sees through the invisible wall To explain further would be a
although you need not be concerned about the quality of an old-timer and his wife in strangely spoiler and unfair to those of you
dubbing since there is essentially no dialogue at all after silent, unmoving poses unable to hear her. whose sensitivity to the particular act might not equal
the first minute of the just over one-and-a-half hours of She is alone with her dog, joined as the weeks and mine. This film deserves better than that.
the film! months pass by two cats and a cow that somehow strays I opened this review by noting that I have no idea how
Instead, what we hear are the narrated thoughts of onto the cabin’s property before giving birth to a calf. this column’s readers will react to The Wall. My wife,
one woman—actress Martina Gedeck in a tour de force Over a period of three years, alone with her animals—and Linda, watched it with me. After the first half hour, she
performance—expressed so artfully that time and again despite her horror of the need to hunt and kill deer and turned to me and asked, “How can you watch this film?” I
I absorbed this film as a true poetic experience. other small creatures of the forest in order to provide food didn’t reply because I saw promise in what was unfolding
The reason for the lack of dialogue is clear from the for her own and her animals companions’ survival—we on the screen.
story line. In the opening moments of the film, a woman are witnesses as the woman undergoes stages of emotional When the film was over, Linda’s
is waving her wishes for a pleasant trip to a couple in a and psychological confusion, terror, calm and acceptance opinion had changed: “What a brilliant
wagon. She has been visiting as a guest in their cabin, in an effort to retain some semblance of sanity. and fascinating film. You really must
located in the middle of a forest, and they are going to During that time she decides to write a report of her write about it.”
the nearest village for the day. The couple call for their daily life as a way to fill the loneliness, and most of what The rest is up to you.

Good Works from page 7 He has been in scouts since he joined Pack 822 in Palm nights, hiked 231 miles, and volunteered 222 hours (this
Eagle Scout Project Complete City in the third grade. Gabe’s scout accomplishments project not yet included in that count).

include four high adventure trips, with a fifth planned
“I learned a lot from this project, and am thankful to
To Benefit Mary’s Home Of this summer. Gabe has earned 33 merit badges, completed the staff at Mary’s Home of the Treasure Coast for this
National Youth Leadership Training, and held various
opportunity,” Gabe says. He is excited to be close to
The Treasure Coast leadership positions in his troop. Gabe has camped 114 achieving his Eagle rank.
Martin County
resident Gabriel Paez
recently completed his
Eagle Scout service
project to benefit Mary’s
Home of the Treasure
Coast. The project was a
redesign and construction
of an interior office
area. Gabe’s project
transformed an open
space with freestanding
c ubic l es t o t wo
constructed rooms. One
room will be a staff office and the other room will be a
closet to store baby clothing, diapers and supplies. The
project took approximately 300 hours to complete, and
Gabe raised 100 percent of the funds needed for supplies
and led his fellow scouts and friends, along with parents
and leaders to work on the project.
Gabe is a junior and varsity wrestler at Martin County
High School, and a Life Scout in Troop 840 in Stuart.

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