30
Flanders is, dontcha know, a state of mind, and Dumont is plain out of his.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
As a fan, it's upsetting to admit that Dumont's ideas and insights have narrowed with this picture, his relaxed pacing now lethargic, his physically and mentally thick characters too familiar, and his ice-water shocks a bit predictable. It would seem self-parodic if it weren't so damn tragic.
70
A somber, beautifully acted reflection on the barbarity of war and the bestiality of man.
88
With very little dialogue and lingering shots of the landscape -- always a very important visual trope in Dumont's deep-psyche explorations -- the film is nevertheless tighter and, clocking in at under 90 minutes, relatively brief.
30
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
Pretentious to the core and lacking any context or credible characterizations.
60
Bruno Dumont’s Flanders is something you don't see everyday: a decidedly non-sentimental love story.
67
Once again, Dumont cycles through the pet themes of films like "L'Humanité" and "Twentynine Palms," but their repetition is beginning to seem like shtick.
70
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Whether you like or loathe Mr. Dumont’s movies, his unsettling vision of humanity stripped of cultural finery feels profoundly truthful.
88
Unspeakable brutality ensues, including a rape, a castration and cold-blooded murder. Dumont never mentions Iraq, but the parallels are clear.