The Ruination of Men opens with an arresting sequence, filmed in long takes, in which a peasant is beaten to death by two men who then trundle the corpse back to their victim’s shack. In the ensuing dark comedy, the reasons for the murder gradually become clear as various characters gather around the body. Suffice it to say that the title comes from a song blaming women for any strife between men, although the film wastes little time in pointing out that neither gender has a monopoly on causing or suffering ruin and defeat. Ripstein mitigates the theatrical nature of the screenplay with fluid handheld camera movement. The black-and-white cinematography suits the film’s seedy naturalism and links it to Buñuel by way of Aki Kaurismaki and Bela Tarr.