Crafted poignantly by writer-director Zaza Urushadze, Tangerines is a simple but gripping look at human side of conflict. Set in 1992, it tells the story of an Estonian tangerine farmer who is awaiting harvest when the battle between Georgia and Abkhazian separatists comes to his doorstep. Although set in a specific time and place, the film's message about human life is universal.
Right at the peak of hostilities, we are introduced to two Estonian immigrant farmers - Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak, both commanding and compassionate in his performance) and his partner Margus. While most of the population has escaped to safer ground, the pair stay to harvest their tangerine crop. It's an almost impossible task for two, but it's one they tackle, not for financial gain, but because it would be a travesty to see such a fine crop left to die. Their farming woes are trumped when a skirmish outside their homes leaves several dead and one wounded soldier from each side: Ahmed, a Chechen mercenary; and Niko, a Georgian volunteer. Ivo takes in both injured men to tend to their wounds, bringing the ethnic tensions under one roof. His only rule is that they must set aside their instincts to kill each other until both are healthy. The film hardly ever strays from its one set location - Ivo's farmhouse looking like a leftover from another century - allowing the tension to brew unobstructed as both men slowly regain their health. It's during the healing process that the men begin to look past political manifestos, religious doctrines and social convictions to see that they really aren't that different. The mutual ceasefire forces the soldiers into a pocket of peace – the same peace they've been fighting for. Despite threatening to kill each other once they are ambulatory, their enforced propinquity fosters tolerance if not friendship, in a mutual show of respect and gratitude towards their savior.
With this simple premise in place, Tangerines uses its small scale to say something big, converting the initial suspense into something more thematically and philosophically powerful as the hypocrisy of war is smoothly laid bare. Except for brief outbursts of violence, Tangerines is, like its hero Ivo, a stoic and introspective thing. The story moves slowly and methodically, tempering the expected rapprochement between enemies with a more acerbic outlook about human nature. Although there are moments of quiet humor, Tangerines is mostly a tragedy, told via looks exchanged between heated adversaries and their imperturbable intermediary. Over the course of the film, those looks soften from glaring mistrust to acceptance to heartbroken endurance in the face of the meaninglessness and inevitability of death.
For anyone looking for an uncomplicated anti-war argument painted by historical insight, superb performances and airtight direction, 'Tangerines' is a must-see. Just like a tangerine, it is a delicious mix of sweet and acidic flavors.
Right at the peak of hostilities, we are introduced to two Estonian immigrant farmers - Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak, both commanding and compassionate in his performance) and his partner Margus. While most of the population has escaped to safer ground, the pair stay to harvest their tangerine crop. It's an almost impossible task for two, but it's one they tackle, not for financial gain, but because it would be a travesty to see such a fine crop left to die. Their farming woes are trumped when a skirmish outside their homes leaves several dead and one wounded soldier from each side: Ahmed, a Chechen mercenary; and Niko, a Georgian volunteer. Ivo takes in both injured men to tend to their wounds, bringing the ethnic tensions under one roof. His only rule is that they must set aside their instincts to kill each other until both are healthy. The film hardly ever strays from its one set location - Ivo's farmhouse looking like a leftover from another century - allowing the tension to brew unobstructed as both men slowly regain their health. It's during the healing process that the men begin to look past political manifestos, religious doctrines and social convictions to see that they really aren't that different. The mutual ceasefire forces the soldiers into a pocket of peace – the same peace they've been fighting for. Despite threatening to kill each other once they are ambulatory, their enforced propinquity fosters tolerance if not friendship, in a mutual show of respect and gratitude towards their savior.
With this simple premise in place, Tangerines uses its small scale to say something big, converting the initial suspense into something more thematically and philosophically powerful as the hypocrisy of war is smoothly laid bare. Except for brief outbursts of violence, Tangerines is, like its hero Ivo, a stoic and introspective thing. The story moves slowly and methodically, tempering the expected rapprochement between enemies with a more acerbic outlook about human nature. Although there are moments of quiet humor, Tangerines is mostly a tragedy, told via looks exchanged between heated adversaries and their imperturbable intermediary. Over the course of the film, those looks soften from glaring mistrust to acceptance to heartbroken endurance in the face of the meaninglessness and inevitability of death.
For anyone looking for an uncomplicated anti-war argument painted by historical insight, superb performances and airtight direction, 'Tangerines' is a must-see. Just like a tangerine, it is a delicious mix of sweet and acidic flavors.