Generations of ennui and sadism. Woohoo. Did Nazism miss this part of Germany? There is no evidence of Nazism in the film despite a significant portion taking place in 1940s Germany. And yet, there is no need for the understated Nazism; these generations of Germans all managed to turn out cruel without the benefit of a credo. Don’t worry; they’re also really dull.
Sound of Falling is told in four timelines of the same family tending the same German farm. All of the stories are long and dull until they end in a WTF?!
1910s (Alma) tells the story of a little girl named Alma who is given the dress of a dead girl, also named Alma. She gets used to death. It’s a thing, except for Fritz, who loses a leg when his parents deliberately push him off the barn platform. Yeah, that’s terrific, gang.
1940s (Erika) Erika is into gimpy Fritz, now an uncle. She’s into him out of fascination, not infatuation.
1980s (Angelika) Angelika is a sexually curious teenager with a mind of her own. One day she disappears and never returns. Yes, that’s all that happened.
2020s (Lenka) Lenka is a 12-year-old girl. Yup. That’s about all that story is.
Besides having a 
fascination with the letter “k,” this family is also really into eels. I can’t tell you how many eel references there are in the film. I lost count. It’s like every time the director ran out of ideas -which was often- she decided to have another go at eels.
All four of the segments are godawful boring until they end with a moment that makes you question your sanity. Sound of Falling is cruel film, a slow-moving slice of horror that seems to be saying, “Life sucks and then you die,” but for several generations. Life sucked for all them, and then most died. Yippee. Now let’s get back to the “eel of happiness” game.
There once was a town full of eels
Those creatures seem lacking appeals
But this town loved to fish
And, getting their wish
These fish-snakes make unsatisfying meals
Not Rated, 155 Minutes
Director: Mascha Schilinski
Writer: Louise Peter Mascha Schilinski
Genre: Generations of dickery
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Cannes voters, I guess
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Me
