I can't believe I watched a 2 hour movie in sign language, no dialogue at all and I was able to follow it without a problem. They were able to direct it in a way that everything completely clear to the viewers. The plot was interesting knowing that things like this actually happen, and even more. The acting was very good the dynamic between the characters was excellent. I didn't expect the ending but in my opinion was perfect.

Interesting premise, poorly executed. The story seems very weak, and there is almost no character development, so that every character becomes an interchangeable prop, and the fact that all of the characters are deaf and only speak in sign language starts to feel like a gimmick. The characters’ deafness is only relevant to a couple of very brief interactions in the movie. So, what are we left with? A story that tells us that people in horrible circumstances do horrible things, regardless of whether they are deaf or not? But none of the characters in this movie comes across as people, and we are never shown any part of their lives except when they are together, being awful. So they are completely de-humanized, and after a while nothing is shocking any more. Is that a deliberate choice by the director - make us feel desensitized, just as the characters are “missing” a sense? I don’t think so, it’s just not good story-telling.

The set-up is incredibly intriguing, the atmosphere is palpable and one has to congratulate the filmmakers doing a kind of silent film about people in such extreme margins, but apart from a striking finale, it doesn't really dig under your skin - perhaps it's lack of empathy or genuine connection between the subject and the filmmakers.

A must-see, if you like European cinema.

With stunning cinematography and unhinged performances, and without any audible dialogue, this drama makes for a thoughtful, bleak, haunting, bold, timely and innovative viewing experience.

A unique and astonishing triumph.

"The Tribe" does not have much to say, literally and figuratively, and that is a shame. It is a shame because it has a lot of potential and raw power inside, and all this power is muzzled by long and useless takes. Take out 30 minutes from it and you have a very good movie. Or at least put subtitles in it! Sure, you will get the story anyway, but this is also true if you watch most of the movies in a language you don't speak! So why not here? I think one way or another would have worked for me, but like it is, I found it good, but also a painful watch.

Novel and interesting but lacks engagement. Sergey, a deaf teenager, is starting his first day at a special school for the deaf. He soon discovers that most things at the school are run by The Tribe, an anarchic, criminal gang of students. He falls foul of The Tribe and is bullied and attacked by them. However, over time he joins them and works his way up their ranks. A very original movie: no audible spoken words at all, hardly any sound at all, in fact. The idea being that you need to experience the world of a deaf person. All communication between the characters is done by sign language, and there's no sub-titles. Even if you understand sign language (and, unfortunately, I don't) you probably wouldn't be able to make out what they're saying - the signing isn't directed at the camera. So you have to watch this essentially as a silent movie, using actions and body language to figure out what is going on. This, and the intriguing plot (initially) make this quite interesting. However, it lacks engagement. The main character isn't particularly interesting or likeable, and the more you get into the movie, the less you like him. Plus, the plot can seem quite random at times. Having to use sight cues to determine the narrative does have its drawbacks... Overall, okay, but could have been better.

When an art can't be judged just by words alone, The Tribe comes with a film capable of interpreting it well. This is not your typical silent movie where there is no dialogue, music, subtitles, or voice-over even though it all uses sign language with pure deaf actors and actresses with no gimmick. The Tribe is also not a movie with a happy theme but it gives you a lot of interpretation with a quiet atmosphere where there is a feelings of fear, confusion, and creepy. In a nutshell, one of the dark drama that has a simple premise but thrown you into the darkest mind.

A bleak, haunting drama whose wordless dialogue speaks volumes, The Tribe is a bold, innovative take on silent films for a contemporary audience.

A very difficult movie to watch. It requires your full attention. I appreciate the uniqueness of the movie, but it's a little cheesy. The fight scenes are more satirical than realistic.

Watched as part of Louise's Fun with Formal Constraints season, 2004-present. Not only is it devoid of any intelligible (to me) dialogue or music, nearly every shot is full-length and static. The effect is to provide some much needed distancing from a truly bleak narrative of all the bad things, but also to point up the sense of voyeurism of an already "othered" group. Impossible to give a star rating: it's impressive and interesting but not remotely enjoyable.

Unextpected ending, what a plot 10/10

An exceptional somewhat unique cinematic experience.

This Ukranian movie is told only in sign language, with no translations. The story involves the new kid at an all-sign-language boarding school trying to fit in and getting involved in a prostitution ring. The story here isn't new, just told in a different way, and like many Ukranian and Russian movies, it's bleak, so I was not a fan. One thing the movie does, however, is give a different perspective. It forces you to see the world from a different view, and that alone is worth watching it once.

This film is not for everyone, but you have to admire the effort that the director made.

Desafiante enfoque no apto para todo pùblico.

Powerful and impactful, The Tribe makes use of ambient sound as the sole sound to great effect

If you've been a follower of my reviews, you know I like movies that challenge me. When I heard about an edgy Ukrainian film that was leaving audiences around the world speechless, I was intrigued. THE TRIBE is unlike any film you've ever seen before. It tells the story of a young man who enters a boarding school for the deaf. But this is no ordinary special needs school. Here, the older students have formed a gang that is heavily involved in petty crime and prostitution. The young man - Sergey (whose name we only know from the closing credits) - gets inducted into this "deaf mafia" and, following a tragic turn of events (the story's only bit of black humour), he becomes the pimp-protector to two of his female classmates who service the drivers at the local truck stop. As he starts to develop feelings for one of the girls, loyalties are questioned and decisions are made in the heat of the moment leading to disastrous consequences. If THE TRIBE sounds like a cross between LORD OF THE FLIES and EASTERN PROMISES, you'd be more than a bit off. THE TRIBE's dialogue is all done in Ukrainian sign language. As you learn from the opening scene, there are no subtitles and no voiceovers. There is no soundtrack or score either, and the only sounds to be heard come from the world around the students. If you are not familiar with sign language, let alone Ukrainian sign language (i.e., the vast majority of us), you are forced to glean whatever you can from the characters' body language and facial expressions, and from their location. Take your eyes off the screen for just a moment and you will be lost. Scenes are long - at times tediously so - but they need to be so that you can gather as many cues as you can. Any initial confusion will eventually disappear as you start to find your place interpreting the students' rhythms and rituals. (Keen viewers will even come away having learned how to sign a few expletives.) However, just when you begin to feel even slightly comfortable, the story will jar you with its harrowing scenes of sheer brutality. THE TRIBE is the debut feature film from writer/director by Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, who found inspiration for the story in his own life. When he was young, he said he was fascinated at how the students who attended a local school for the deaf were able to communicate with each other. "[They] were directly exchanging feelings and emotions without words - and it really impressed me," he said in a recent Rolling Stone interview. Later, as an adult in the 1990s, he covered the "deaf mafia" as a crime reporter. These were a group of town bosses who would control life in their own communities, providing for their own people who had been marginalised from the larger society. THE TRIBE is not for general consumption. If you're the type who cannot get through a meal without checking your mobile phone a couple of times, this film will not be for you. THE TRIBE demands your complete and undivided attention for just over two hours. Its grittiness will shock you so be prepared to be tossed out of your comfort zone more than once. But if you're up for the challenge, you will be treated to a cinematic experience like no other.

This movie is NOT for everyone. If you don't like bleak movies, you won't like this. Nonetheless, this film was absolutely beautifully shot and am interesting sort of take on the silent film. It also has one of the most disturbing scenes I have ever seen on film, helped along by the unflinching camera. If you like movies for the plethora of emotional responses they can bring out of you, check this one out.