The formal control Ripstein exerts over every element of his fascinating film is a pleasure to see in a time when terms like control, discipline, and restraint are anathema to most young directors.
It is indeed extraordinary and haunting. Mr. Ripstein arranged his drama in a stately flow of lucid, exquisitely colored images that edge toward doom... the 34-year-old director has subtly shaped a remarkable film. Mr. Ripstein is a young man to the movie camera born.