Revanche is a perfect movie. The ending seemed a bit abrupt, but then I thought, no, this is exactly where it should end, because it puts a whole new movie in your head.

Some writers call it neo-noir. I think that's a mistake. This is a folk tale about peasants who happen, in the beginning, to be modern-day gangsters, pimps and whores in Austria. The beginning of the movie gives absolutely no clue where it is headed. Looks like a crime thriller. Brothel worker dude and his Ukrainian prostitute girlfriend plot a bank robbery.

The bank robbery is in a rural village and it goes bad in an unexpected way. Robber ends up in village, living with his peasant grandfather. He is grief-stricken and desperately wants revenge. Revenge, as it turns out, is no further than a stroll through the woods.

The whole plot depends on what seems to be a huge geographic coincidence. So what? It has mythic elements and myths never bothered with the importance of coincidence.

Johannes Krisch as Alex is spellbinding. The whole movie depends on his face. What we see on his face drives the whole plot. Kudos also to the rest of the cast.

Gotz Spielmann -- who I understand is primarily a stage director -- is exceedingly austere. He doesn't like to move the camera. Most scenes are fixed medium shots where characters move around inside a static frame. Every frame counts. American viewers who want fast-moving thriller-style camera work will be completely frustrated. Again, this is a slow-moving, character-driven folk tale about the outcome of a botched bank robbery, if you can imagine such a thing.

As an American, I can recognize that this movie taps into Austrian culture in a way I cannot totally grasp. Peasant culture (and probably dialect) is doubtless important in ways I cannot fully understand. Is the apple a symbol of fertility? Seems to be.

I love crime thrillers, and can see that the Europeans are taking it in new directions. This is one of the best I've ever seen.