Building up to Satantango I watched two other works from Bela Tarr, Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) and The Turin Horse (2011). I am surprised that Satantango is by far the worst. Not to say this is a bad film, but everything Satantango accomplishes, Tarr's other films achieve better and in shorter time. I was expecting to be blown away by the cinematography, but this doesn't have the beautiful contrast grading of The Turin Horse or the interesting environments of Werckmeister Harmonies. The Bergman-esque magic present in all these movies is one of my favorite aspects, but Satantango includes this in so few of its scenes. Especially disappointing when you look at the overblown runtime. This film's structure is quite interesting, reflecting the forward/backward steps of a tango. The payoff, the closing of the circle did not seem worth the meandering though.
I finished this 18 months and a week after starting it. ... It's very good. Had a French auteur feel. The first hour is the best, if you like that, continue!
I've rewatched the first chapter five times and still haven't seen this doctor: "country. As Futaki is sneaking out of the Schmidt home, he overhears Schmidt's plans, after which he demands to become part of the scheme — all this being watched by a lonely drunken man known as the Doctor (Peter Berling), who writes the events down in a notebook." Can you help with when it is please?
The film is a pleasantly slow documentary (filmed in just two days in a style parodying 80s VHS arthouse) that revolves around some rural Hungarian alcoholics in the area of Gyula. A brilliant opening scene (8 minutes of newly released cows, no doubt the director's commentary of its audience), some excellent tableau(s) and, above all, hours and hours of Hungarian drunk ramblings, and some really nice electric organ, is what awaits the viewer.
"The structure of the film is based on that of the novel, which borrows, as its title suggests, from tango. That is, the film is broken into twelve parts, and does not necessarily move chronologically, as it follows the tango scheme of going six moves forward, then six back (hence 6 + 6 parts in total)."
First of all, I would like to mention that it took me several days to watch it because, ungratefully, I can't concentrate that much and I have a tendency to swift off. Well, I must admit it is not an easy one: it runs for more than 7 hours, there are only 150 shots, several parallel story-lines around different characters, the long takes (a very representative Tarr's trait) may be too long and arguably very slow. Unfocussed maybe and not very clear. As the camera moves that way, one may regard the film as motionless and boring. However, it is precisely that filming technique what make it powerful, a masterpiece.
On the first hand, what appealed the most to me was Tarr's ability to create such a gloomy, melancholic, burden-like atmosphere. I loved the music and the black-and-white photography. Oh, that cinematography... that was something beautiful. His work has been compared to Andrei Tarkovsky's and I understand why.
Some part are really brilliant. The best for me was "Comes Unstitched". I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen for a single moment. Yet the saddest one, but also the most beautiful somehow. The rest are really fine as well. But what remains and what it make this transcendent is the whole, the message, the simplicity of the story, the realism, the crudity, the tough side of earthy daily life. The metaphysical aspect regarding modern life.
The child decides to fade away,
something that is not very hard to understand for some people there, what to live for and why. The sense of uncertainty and unconformity, human beings unable to live a better life. Lack of amusement, inability to choose for own actions, impotence. There's not really much you can do.
If I am to rare this film I will give it 5 stars out of five. It is worthy. I got to love Béla's work with this watching. To finish with I just will add this quotation which I found very touching: "She felt peaceful inside and the trees, the road, the rain and the night all radiated peace."
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Comments 1 - 15 of 47
mcmakattack
Building up to Satantango I watched two other works from Bela Tarr, Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) and The Turin Horse (2011). I am surprised that Satantango is by far the worst. Not to say this is a bad film, but everything Satantango accomplishes, Tarr's other films achieve better and in shorter time. I was expecting to be blown away by the cinematography, but this doesn't have the beautiful contrast grading of The Turin Horse or the interesting environments of Werckmeister Harmonies. The Bergman-esque magic present in all these movies is one of my favorite aspects, but Satantango includes this in so few of its scenes. Especially disappointing when you look at the overblown runtime. This film's structure is quite interesting, reflecting the forward/backward steps of a tango. The payoff, the closing of the circle did not seem worth the meandering though.boulderman
I finished this 18 months and a week after starting it. ... It's very good. Had a French auteur feel. The first hour is the best, if you like that, continue!boulderman
I've rewatched the first chapter five times and still haven't seen this doctor: "country. As Futaki is sneaking out of the Schmidt home, he overhears Schmidt's plans, after which he demands to become part of the scheme — all this being watched by a lonely drunken man known as the Doctor (Peter Berling), who writes the events down in a notebook." Can you help with when it is please?SpacePauls
50 percent of the movie is people walking.poderyempresas
bela tarr's "zack snyder's justice league"deckard.
an experimentation which tarr did not bother to try again. a perfect example of "style over substance".just fast forward. really. you won't lose anything. if i wanted to look at static images for 8 minutes, i'd go to an exhibition.
Biki
It's a holiday in HungaryWhere people dress in black
A holiday in Hungary
Where the slums got so much soul
Limbesdautomne
There are those who seek something and those who have already found. Bela Tarr has never found anything.Read more in French on La Saveur des goûts amers.
Rehan
Windill
The paramount - or should I say the parapit - of intellectual masturbation. Dreadful.andype
Hard to believe, but I am really through... This pain I will never forget.TreadwayNathan
If one chooses to watch this film in pieces, it'd probably be best if they watch the previous scene before continuing.Dolwphin
The film is a pleasantly slow documentary (filmed in just two days in a style parodying 80s VHS arthouse) that revolves around some rural Hungarian alcoholics in the area of Gyula. A brilliant opening scene (8 minutes of newly released cows, no doubt the director's commentary of its audience), some excellent tableau(s) and, above all, hours and hours of Hungarian drunk ramblings, and some really nice electric organ, is what awaits the viewer.MMDan
I think it would have the same impact at four hours as it does with seven.Liv Ullmann
"The structure of the film is based on that of the novel, which borrows, as its title suggests, from tango. That is, the film is broken into twelve parts, and does not necessarily move chronologically, as it follows the tango scheme of going six moves forward, then six back (hence 6 + 6 parts in total)."First of all, I would like to mention that it took me several days to watch it because, ungratefully, I can't concentrate that much and I have a tendency to swift off. Well, I must admit it is not an easy one: it runs for more than 7 hours, there are only 150 shots, several parallel story-lines around different characters, the long takes (a very representative Tarr's trait) may be too long and arguably very slow. Unfocussed maybe and not very clear. As the camera moves that way, one may regard the film as motionless and boring. However, it is precisely that filming technique what make it powerful, a masterpiece.
On the first hand, what appealed the most to me was Tarr's ability to create such a gloomy, melancholic, burden-like atmosphere. I loved the music and the black-and-white photography. Oh, that cinematography... that was something beautiful. His work has been compared to Andrei Tarkovsky's and I understand why.
Some part are really brilliant. The best for me was "Comes Unstitched". I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen for a single moment. Yet the saddest one, but also the most beautiful somehow. The rest are really fine as well. But what remains and what it make this transcendent is the whole, the message, the simplicity of the story, the realism, the crudity, the tough side of earthy daily life. The metaphysical aspect regarding modern life.
If I am to rare this film I will give it 5 stars out of five. It is worthy. I got to love Béla's work with this watching. To finish with I just will add this quotation which I found very touching: "She felt peaceful inside and the trees, the road, the rain and the night all radiated peace."
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