Austrian director Julian Pölsler had quite a task on his hands in undertaking an adaptation of Austrian author Marlen Haushofer’s powerful 1963 novel The Wall, which is kind of like a psychological science fiction coming-of-age survival drama. The film was released overseas last year to middling reviews, and is making its way to a U.S. release today, May 31, 2013. Hopefully nothing gets in its way. Like, I dunno, a wall.
Like its title states, this is a film about an invisible wall that appears in the middle of the Austrian countryside. Acclaimed actress Martina Gedeck, best known for her work in the Oscar-winning The Lives of Others, plays a woman who goes off on a vacation and soon realizes that she is completely alone out there, save for her dog Lynx. My guess is the above clip comes soon after she’s come into contact with the wall, and that seeing the car down the road gives her the courage to try and drive through. It’s obviously not the best choice she’s ever made, as she totals her vehicle. I assume it’s her vehicle.
It’s strange that this film is being released so close to the airing of CBS’ Stephen King adaptation Under the Dome, which also involves an unseen wall. (And The Cabin in the Woods, too, if you think about it.) Obviously the novel outdates both of these projects and is undoubtedly more cerebral and introspective, due to its central character having to come to grips in a world where no one else seems to be alive anymore, but a lot of annoying people are going to think it’s a copycat.
In case you haven’t seen the film’s first trailer – and not because it’s invisible - check it out below.
