A quiet, understated love story with the tinge of a thriller, Jerichow is spare in its loose adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice as a dishonourably discharged Afghanistan veteran Thomas (Benno Fürmann – In Darkness, Farewell) returns to his home village of Jerichow in the former East Germany.
Offered work as a delivery driver, Thomas finds himself attracted to Laura (Nina Hoss – Barbara, Yella), wife of the boss (Hilmi Sözer – Brother & Sister, Die rote Zora). Games of power and trust slowly unfold as the ebb and flow of the narrative shift between the three.
Somewhat flat as a love triangle but more successful in its suspense, this early film sees director Christian Petzold explore the position of an outsider in isolated society, a theme he more successfully returns to in later films ((Phoenix, Barbara, Transit).
Rating: 58%
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