No point for me to go into the plot with all the other comments. This is an exceptional film that delivers on many levels. There is a minimum of dialog and the story is told through realistic action and expression. The acting is so good you can feel what the characters are thinking with hardly a word spoken. The cinematography is at times stunning and always very appropriate for the story. There are moments of visual poetic beauty coupled with a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack. It's a story of power and oppression, of anger and revenge. The stage is set during the time of Turkish rule over Bulgaria. It has the depth of a Shakespearean drama, yet the film is a testament to simplicity.
To those who have seen the film there is so much that can be said, but for newcomers it's best to let the film tell the story. The layers of meaning are forcefully and gently revealed.
I rate this as one of the great film masterpieces. It is a shame that it has not received a wider international audience. It is unheard of in many parts of the West, but it has all the hallmarks of a classic. I hope that someday this film will be available at DVD sales and rental shops in Western Europe, the Americas and Asia. It deserves to be there. It deserves to be viewed in film schools, universities and art schools around the world. This film has been available in Bulgaria in a DVD limited edition.
