THE STORY – Over seven hallucinatory days, a village with no name, in an undefined time and place, disappears. In Tsangari’s tragicomic take on a Western, townsmanturned-farmer Walter Thirsk and befuddled lord of the manor Charles Kent are childhood friends about to face an invasion from the outside world: the trauma of modernity.
THE CAST – Caleb Landry Jones, Harry Melling, Rosy McEwen, Arinzé Kene, Thalissa Teixeira & Frank Dillane
THE TEAM – Athina Rachel Tsangari (Director/Writer) & Joslyn Barnes (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 131 Minutes
Since the beginning of time, humans have been fearful of outsiders and what their arrival might bring. If history has taught us anything, those who have had their lands exploited and taken from them have suffered the most, losing their culture, safety net, and lives as well. A similar story of infiltration and loss, though devoid of a specific place or time, is told in Athina Rachel Tsangari’s nightmarish drama “Harvest.” Solid performances and cinematography boost it, but it’s too slow of a narrative for its own good.
Small huts, farm animals, rolling hills, and the clear sea make up the small town where these inhabitants (their accents suggest they’re somewhere in the United Kingdom) live. It’s the end of the harvest, a time that should be so bountiful, but a huge fire threatens to burn down a barn. Walter Thirsk (Caleb Landry Jones), a serviceman for the overseer of the land, Master Charles Kent (Harry Melling,) does what he can to put it out, injuring his hand in the process, and spots who is responsible for the crime. But he’s a quiet man, never wanting to cause a stir as he is already a bit of an outsider for not being born in the village. Instead, he keeps his head down, cuts wheat, and shears sheep with the others, captured vibrantly by cinematographer Sean Price Williams, while rhythmic sound and music amplify the action.
But their quiet life is about to be threatened by a number of outside forces. Three intruders are spotted – two white men and one Black woman, Mistress Beldam (Thalissa Teixeira) – and the town takes swift action against them, which includes locking up the two men in a pillory and chopping off the woman’s hair. Also new to town is Quill (Arinzé Kene), a cartographer who’s been brought in by Charles to map the land. While the others are fearful and unwelcoming to these new faces, Walter attempts to make peace as best as possible. It’s not fruitful with the trapped men or Mistress Beldam, but he forges a sweet friendship with Quill, who takes in all the new information he gains from their walks around the sprawling fields. Jones, often seen playing loud and brash characters, tones it down as Walter, who soaks in the simple pleasures in life, like playing with butterflies, poking around trees, and finding new love in his life with Kitty (Rosy McEwen).
Things only worsen as Tsangari, ever so slowly, turns up the heat for this town. Charles’ cousin Edmund Jordan (Frank Dillane) arrives to reclaim his inheritance and modernize the community by kicking people off their land, causing even more havoc. The metaphors for our own civilization are abundant – big business leaders love coming into communities to “bring them into the 21st century” with all the latest gizmos and gadgets but have no regard for how it will affect the locals or the traditions already set in stone. It’s then satisfying to see these villagers try to stand up to the big guy as best as they can. Unfortunately for Walter, who has been roped into helping Edmund find the person responsible for an egregious act against Charles, he also has to bear the brunt of their anger. The film has a slow and steady pace from the start, but it’s a disservice that it continues at its most climactic point. When fast-paced editing should be the bare minimum, we still move at a far too casual speed.
“Harvest” is more grounded for Tsangari, who usually has a quirky style like her frequent collaborator Yorgos Lanthimos. Still, it’s missing the energy that was so clearly found in her previous audacious film, “Attenberg.” While this latest film has an interesting commentary on modernization and revolutions, along with another outstanding performance from Jones, it doesn’t do enough to fully keep one energized and attentive throughout its 131-minute runtime.
