Note Book

The film History of the Arkanar Massacre took up several decades of the late Alexei German’s life. Based on the Strugatsky brothers’ novel, Hard to Be a God, and finished by German’s son, also a director, it has finally been released to movie audiences.

The reaction of most has been shock.

Critics at the premiere in Rome in late 2013 said many in the theater left after the first hour, unable to handle the gruesome visuals, which the Hollywood Reporter said represented an “outhouse aesthetic.”