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Poster for The Mystery of Oberwald

The Mystery of Oberwald

1981 · 2h 9m · N/A Drama
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni

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Overview

A hunted man breaks into the castle at Oberwald to kill the Queen, but faints before doing so. He is Sebastian, the splitting image of the King who was assassinated on his wedding day. The Queen discovers that Sebastian once wrote a subversive poem that she liked, even though it was attacking her. The Queen dares Sebastian to kill her, otherwise she vows to kill him.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

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All reviews
56%
Tomatometer
Rotten

The choice of the Cocteau play seems more arbitrary than inevitable, which raises the form-versus-content issue even more than in most Antonioni features.

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Rotten

The visual play is interesting, but it doesn't make the director's case that video is as viable as film for artful storytelling.

Noel Murray, AV Club

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