Werkmeister Harmonies (film)
Werkmeister
Harmonies (Directed by Béla Tarr)/2000
A whale
came into town, carried in a long circus truck. Everyone is
curious: there is an electric tension in the air. The whale is
accompanied by a sideshow of a “prince”. What is this “prince”? compared
with the magnificent whale?: a man-made institution without any inherent value but
the deluded people confer on him.
Werkmeister Harmonies is a cinematic portrayal of magical realism similar to the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabella Allende. While Marquez and Allende deal with revolutions in South America, Werkmeister Harmonies deals with the Soviet occupation of Hungary. In doing so, it looks at the feebleness and absurdity of human existence in the face of the great and wondrous universe.
The film opens with a sweet interpretive dance by an unlikely crowd: a tavern full of men, each dancing as a planet in our solar system. Despite the modest and barren surroundings the narrative and the dance together brings home the message how amazing the universe is and the beauty of co-existence of humans in harmony. With this underlying message, the rest of the film goes on to expose human existence as a mixture of the humble, poignant, violent and absurd. The daily routines, the dreams, the revolution, the destruction and the futility of it all. It would drive anyone insane.
The whale symbolises an ideology that excites people. Physically it’s a dead whale trapped in a giant trailer but it brings excitement and hope. The film exposes the beauty of an idea or a dream but also how it can be used for good or evil. The prince uses the attraction of the whale to incite riots and violence; he is a fascist and sadist. He encourages people to destroy and kill; those who question or think are cowards. The people get excited, they’re drunk and angry, and they go on a rampage. The police make lots of noise and threats but they do nothing. The army is self-indulgent in ostentation and privilege, and they have no idea what they are doing. In great confusion people go out and attack the most vulnerable. They don’t stop until everything is destroyed and they have made the most weak and vulnerable suffer.
Werkmeister Harmonies or the principles of Werkmeister Harmonies refers to philosophy of music which questions condensing down of the seamless spectrum of notes into 8 separate notes; an octave. Perhaps this refers to the vast spectrum of individualism and ways of living in the universe and how humans, in order to understand it, condense it down to a few ideologies like democracy, socialism or fascism, which are open to control and exploitation rather than allowing people to better themselves and live in harmony.
The film is shot in black and white and it contains very long scenes of people marching or walking or running, as if to say that time still passes and humanity trudges on. The music is incredible and at times the melodies are so sad and beautiful in a way that ‘zings’ your heart. This film is an emotional journey through the life cycle of a revolution and it will leave you feeling empty at the uselessness of it all. This is something no amount of historical statistics and facts can do.
A whale
came into town, carried in a long circus truck. Everyone is
curious: there is an electric tension in the air. The whale is
accompanied by a sideshow of a “prince”. What is this “prince”? compared
with the magnificent whale?: a man-made institution without any inherent value but
the deluded people confer on him.Werkmeister Harmonies is a cinematic portrayal of magical realism similar to the works of Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabella Allende. While Marquez and Allende deal with revolutions in South America, Werkmeister Harmonies deals with the Soviet occupation of Hungary. In doing so, it looks at the feebleness and absurdity of human existence in the face of the great and wondrous universe.
The film opens with a sweet interpretive dance by an unlikely crowd: a tavern full of men, each dancing as a planet in our solar system. Despite the modest and barren surroundings the narrative and the dance together brings home the message how amazing the universe is and the beauty of co-existence of humans in harmony. With this underlying message, the rest of the film goes on to expose human existence as a mixture of the humble, poignant, violent and absurd. The daily routines, the dreams, the revolution, the destruction and the futility of it all. It would drive anyone insane.
The whale symbolises an ideology that excites people. Physically it’s a dead whale trapped in a giant trailer but it brings excitement and hope. The film exposes the beauty of an idea or a dream but also how it can be used for good or evil. The prince uses the attraction of the whale to incite riots and violence; he is a fascist and sadist. He encourages people to destroy and kill; those who question or think are cowards. The people get excited, they’re drunk and angry, and they go on a rampage. The police make lots of noise and threats but they do nothing. The army is self-indulgent in ostentation and privilege, and they have no idea what they are doing. In great confusion people go out and attack the most vulnerable. They don’t stop until everything is destroyed and they have made the most weak and vulnerable suffer.
Werkmeister Harmonies or the principles of Werkmeister Harmonies refers to philosophy of music which questions condensing down of the seamless spectrum of notes into 8 separate notes; an octave. Perhaps this refers to the vast spectrum of individualism and ways of living in the universe and how humans, in order to understand it, condense it down to a few ideologies like democracy, socialism or fascism, which are open to control and exploitation rather than allowing people to better themselves and live in harmony.
The film is shot in black and white and it contains very long scenes of people marching or walking or running, as if to say that time still passes and humanity trudges on. The music is incredible and at times the melodies are so sad and beautiful in a way that ‘zings’ your heart. This film is an emotional journey through the life cycle of a revolution and it will leave you feeling empty at the uselessness of it all. This is something no amount of historical statistics and facts can do.
