ThesubtitleofJean-MarieStraubandDanièleHuillet’sfirstfeature,from1965,“OnlyViolenceHelpsWhereViolenceReigns,”suggeststhefiercepoliticalprogramevokedbytheirrigorousaesthetic.Thepretextofthefilm,setinCologne,isHeinrichBöll’snovel“BilliardsatHalfPastNine,”whichtheystripdowntoahandfulofstarkeventsandfilmwithaconfrontationalangularityakintoBartók’smusicthatadornsthesoundtrack.Thesubtlestofcuesaccompanythestory’scomplexflashbacks.Themiddle-agedRobertFähmeltellsayounghotelbellhopofpersecutionsundertheThirdReich;hiselderlyfather,Heinrich,anarchitectfamedforalocalabbey,recallsthemilitarismoftheFirstWorldWar,whenhiswife,Johanna,incurredtroubleforinsultingtheKaiser.Athird-generationFähmelisconsideringarchitecture,justastheexiledbrotherofRobert’slatewife,returns,onlytobemetbytheirformertorturer,nowaWestGermanofficialtakingpartinacelebratoryparadeofwarveterans.StraubandHuilletmakethelayersofhistoryliveinthepresenttense,whichtheyjudgeseverely.Thetamped-downactingandthespare,tensevisualrhetoricsuggestastateofmoralcrisisaswellastheresponse—asmuchinstyleasinsubstance—thatitdemands影片采用冷静的艺术视角。影像修复技术让历史重新展现，全彩处理增强画面细节，画面技术提升观看维度。技术运用保持低调，整体色彩追求真实。整体场面注重思想内涵。色彩运用体现严谨精神，声音创作追求自然风格。