DAMNATION

DAMNATION follows Karrer, a withdrawn man living in a collapsing industrial town where rain never seems to stop and nothing feels alive. He becomes involved with a married bar singer, hoping the relationship will offer escape from his bleak surroundings. Instead, jealousy and suspicion begin to erode what little stability he has. As Karrer drifts through empty streets, decaying bars, and fog filled rail yards, his sense of purpose disappears and his actions grow more destructive.

The film marks a turning point in Bela Tarr’s career. Earlier in his work he had focused on social realism, but here he shifts toward the long takes, minimal dialogue, and heavy atmosphere that would later define his international reputation. DAMNATION introduces the slow, hypnotic rhythm that would reach its peak in later films such as Satantango and Werckmeister Harmonies. The black and white cinematography by Gabor Medvigy creates a world that feels trapped in permanent twilight, reflecting the emotional paralysis of the characters.

When it was first released, the film attracted little attention outside Hungary. Over time, it has become one of Tarr’s most admired works, praised for its uncompromising style and its portrait of loneliness, moral decay, and people trapped inside systems that offer no way out.