I was talking to my mother the other day and I described to her the opening scene in the film where the people are being orchestrated to move around the pub, to show how the universe works. She told me she had seen almost exactly the same scene before in another film but she couldn't think which film it was. Does anybody have any idea which film it might have been?
shareI have no idea, but the scene reminded me about a theater play: "Galileo" by Berthold Brecht
A man's attitude goes some ways toward how a man's life will be.
I don't know the answer. However, the opening scene DID remind me of another scene in a movie, and that is Herz Aus Glas (Herzog), there is a scene where a woman is made to spin on top of a table. It doesn't sound that special in words, but that scene is just weird and great, The whole movie is shot while all the actors (except one) is under hypnosis. Therefore the acting style is very unique. The acting style in the first scene of this movie is what reminds me of Herz Aus Glas, so I wonder if Bela Tarr was influenced by that film when making this one, because that is such a unique feel that I find it hard to believe that Tarr just stumbled upon something that had a similar feel. Does anybody know?
By the way, if you haven't seen Herz Aus Glas, I highly recommend it. It's also an apocalyptic film, but in a very different way than Werckmeister Harmonies.
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my top 20: http://www.ymdb.com/jimmychanga/l31219_ukuk.html
not sure about another movie. But I do know that Werckmeister thought that well crafted counterpoint and well balanced melodies were like the orbits of the planets.
shareJanos is the real force at play here. He is the prince. He is the one who destroyed the town (that is why he tries to flee at the end). The first scene shows one thing: he plays with the people of the town like one plays with toys.
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Nycterr, you're entitled to your own interpretation, but that is just wrong... He flees at the end because he fears for his life and he has no control over the actions of the townspeople who we SEE destroy the town. He never incites anyone to violence and he never shows any hatred toward his town... quite the opposite.
Besides, your interpretation has nothing to do with the topic we are discussing which is essentially "where did Bela Tarr get the inspiration for the first scene?" or, if not that, "are there any similar scenes in other movies?"
I see, i was just refering to the first scene as we see him as God playing with Humans/Planet.
The fact that he flees (and is pursued by the hellicopter) can interpreted as him being the real trouble maker... i felt that way. i just wanted to say that i felt it that way.
Actually your interpretation might not be so 'wrong'. Metaphorically speaking, Janos can be viewed as a troublemaker, even though he's trying to do good.
There was a discussion about this a while ago. The movie seems to be about Natural Order vs. Man-Made Order. It implies that Natural Order must prevail if there is to be peace. Someone suggested that Janos himself represents a sort of Man-Made Order, even though he has the best intentions.
I see your point that he can be seen as a controlling force, and if you think of it that way, the opening scene definitely implies that he is 'God' dictating how & where the planets should go. Thanks for that interesting perspective.
P.S. I'm even wondering if you might be literally correct: could Janos indeed be the Prince (a sort of Jekyll & Hyde kinda thing)? We never see the actual Prince, only his shadow. He could be anyone.
There's a peculiar dancing scene in a bar in Calvaire that was filmed as a tribute to Un soir, un train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5TK1rKhTX8
Chaos reigns
Perhaps it was Wreckmeister Harmonies, she doesn't remember.
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