The Ox (1977)

Plot Summary

"That's how it is, and it's fine," says the main character in Jozef Cyrus' documentary - a lonely, ageing farmer who endures daily inconveniences without complaint and runs a traditional rural farm. "(...) The field cannot stand, you have to work all the time," he explains. The camera accompanies the efforts of the protagonist, who - although the 1970s are coming to an end - does not have any agricultural machinery at his disposal and works like 19th century peasants. His only helper and faithful companion is the eponymous ox. Gradually, in successive shots, we learn about the protagonist's world view. This is the testimony of a man from a different era, who refuses even to sleep on a mattress because he was 'born on straw and will live on straw'. The successive parts of the film, including the scythe, the yoke, the birthday, the hayride and the autumn, are the elements that give rhythm to the main character's life.

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