The Unfish

Dornhelm returns to home turf for this offbeat, so-called fairytale about the fortunes of a picturesque Austrian village, following the arrival of a giant model whale and its owner Sophie (Schrader) - who finds she has the powers of a benign sorceress. She invites the males of the village one by one to have sex with her and their wishes fulfilled (they include a priest, a 'capitalist' who rapes her and - pushing it over the edge - a dog), with chaotic and communally destructive results. The narration annoyingly parades the story's absurdity. The elements of French frivolity, Germanic folkloredom and leaden Central European comedy make for a discombobulating concoction.