The Tribe (2014)

Too much of everything

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

As a credit to the film-makers the opening screen advises viewers that there is no dialog or sub-titles, the film is completely in sign language. Can you follow the film without knowing sign language? Absolutely, you will miss some of what they are trying to convey but other parts are perfectly clear, in some scenes there is absolutely no mistaking what the characters are talking about. The film starts off with a boy showing up at a rundown boarding schools for the deaf, the school seems to have a large population of students however the film focus on a small core group of 2 girls and 4 boys; following these students as they build their criminal empire with the help of their wood shop teacher they graduate from extorting money from other students, to theft, robbery, prostitution and murder. The new kid is jumped into "The Tribe" and works his way up the ladder and back down again, at first administering a few kicks to a shopper they rob and beat for some beer and wine, then moving along to become the pimp for the two prostitute classmates. Falling in love with one of the girls begins the downward spiral and exile from "The Tribe" out on his own to make money and survive he resorts to robbery and murder. The film takes place in the Ukraine but it could be anywhere, there is a total lack of supervision for the kids at the boarding school and they seem to have quite a bit of free time to spend on their criminal activities, our core group of students have keys to the school and come and go as they please, in the end the film is about a group of kids doing what they need to do to survive and their eventual failure.

Sergei arrives at an Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf. He's a shy new kid who gets picked on. He is recruited into the ruling gang. They pimp out two of the older girls. Sergei is tasked with being the suitcase pimp and falls for Anya. King rules the organization and decides to sell the girls. Sergei revolts causing chaos and bloodshed.There is sound but rarely any dialog. The sign language does not get translated into subtitles. One must guess at the plot but it's not impossible. The challenge of interpreting the story has some appeal. The question becomes what this is trying to achieve and what it actually achieves. It doesn't really put the audience into the shoes of the deaf. They actually know what's being said in the movie although it could give a sense of the deaf trying to understand the hearing world. There are some brutal graphic scenes. This is a shocking movie but I must admit that I fastforwarded some of the movie. It's too hard to watch such a quiet movie. One can't compare this to silent movies since those always have music. This is an interesting original experimental movie but I'm not sure what it achieves.

The Tribe is one of the most unsettling films of the year. It is set at a boarding school for the deaf in Kiev, where anarchy prevails. There are no words, subtitles, or even a score. The hearing viewer is left to interpret the violent chaos without auditory clues, presenting a unique challenge in understanding the narrative and the motivations of the characters. We are left to confusedly construe scenarios by their actions, and as such, are provided some insight into the helpless isolation of the deaf.As a film, The Tribe may be interpreted in various ways: as a political allegory for the Ukraine, as a discourse on communication through violence, as an allegory to the impotence experienced by minority groups, or as an exploration of enactivism in film. Regardless, there are scenes that are shockingly disturbing, and the direction is unflinching. My only conclusion is that I'm sorry deaf people, but I don't trust you anymore.

"The Tribe" is a huge step backwards in the history of film: a silent movie without subtitles or music. Somehow or other this film has been hailed as some sort of masterpiece. It isn't. More like the Emperor's New Clothes.Here are my top ten reasons for avoiding it at all costs:1. Pointless 2. Depressing 3. Overlong 4. Confusing 5. Slow 6. Badly acted 7. Full of unlikable characters 8. Insulting to deaf people 9. Insulting to non-deaf people 10. Ridiculously violent.There is absolutely reason I can think of to see this film. You will not gain anything. You will not learn anything. You will only be depressed, and like seeing a car accident, you will wish you hadn't looked in the first place. "The Tribe" or "Plemya" is simply more evidence that Cannes juries go for anything that seems documentary-like and seems to capture some sort of reality -- despite a lack of sympathetic characters or a compelling story. And if there are no actual actors involved, no dialogue and no soundtrack, all the better. Congratulations, here's your prize.