As some have pointed out, this is a slow film. I'm a fan of foreign films, which are generally slower paced than American cinema, but slow pacing should serve a purpose - there is a limit beyond which the slow pacing takes away more than it adds. Also, the moral of the film is inherently unsatisfying - not because it doesn't offer some hackneyed happy ending, but because it attempts an inadequate compensatory ending - 'life was horrible and sad, but at least we have this'. It resolves as neither tragedy nor triumph, and though a viewer might feel it's realistic, it neither makes us feel good nor teaches us a deeper meaning. In the end, we have sympathy for characters, but would never wish to identify with them.The B&W; photgraphy is excellent, camera movement is superb, and the directing is precise. Also, the DVD extras are plentiful and of superb quality. In the end, it is a package easily deserving of four stars.