简介：Thethirdinthequartetofblack-and-whitefilmscomprisingtheQuayBrothers'StilleNachtcycle(theothersbeingDramolet,1988,AreWeStillMarried?,1992andCan'tGoWrongWithoutYou,1993),TalesFromViennaWoodswasalsomadewiththeintentionofexploringimagerythattheyplannedtodevelopfurtherintheirfirstfeatureInstituteBenjamenta,whichwastheninlimboawaitingfunds.Infact,socloseweretheshortandthefeatureintermsofoveralltone(despitetheonebeinganimatedandtheotherlive-action)thattheformerwassubsequentlyrecycledasthelatter'stheatricaltrailer,inaslightlybutnotsignificantlymodifiedform. Acluetothefilm'spurposeisembeddedinawreathadorningapairofasymmetricaldeerantlers:IchbinimToderblüht("indeathhaveIblossomed"-foronce,anonscreentranslationisprovided).Thisisfollowedbyasequenceinwhichananimatedseveredhandexploresadustyarchiveofarcaneexhibits,thecentraldisplayofwhichconsistsofatablewithmultiplelegsthat'sbeensuspendedfromtheceilingaboveabaseofforestdetritus,notablypinecones.Asthecameracirclesslowlyaroundtothefront,weseethatthetablehasbeendecoratedwiththesameasymmetricalantlers,andatthebackapairoftesticlescanbeglimpsedbeneaththetabletop. Whatthefilmisdoing,incharacteristicallyobliqueform,isendlesslyreplayingthemomentwhenthedeermetitsdeath:thefilmdelicatelybutunmistakablyimplying(throughthemetaphoricaluseofpinecones)thatitwasshotinthetesticles.Fromtimetotime,inthedeadofnight,thetableregurgitatesthebulletviaalong-handledspoonthatemergesfrombetweenitsrearlegs,intercutwithimagesofthebulletemergingfromthegunandcommencingitsjourneytothetarget,sloweddowntohighlighteverystep.…