After the corpse of a partisan who fought for Greek independence is discovered in the snow, hidden guilt overwhelms the New Year’s Eve celebration of a town’s bourgeoisie. The absurdity of a present day in which the guilty escape punishment and thrive becomes an absurd spectacle culminating in orgasmic dancing with imaginary rulers and death by firing squad. The great beauty and rigor of Angelopoulos’ uncompromising mise-en-scène reaches an apotheosis in The Hunters, in which he pulls back the curtain of mid-20th-century Greek history to expose who is really running the show. Here, collective guilt mixes with congealed satire and fresh blood, revealing a town’s leading citizens to be a troupe of puppets celebrating the way they concede to power in order to lead comfortable lives.