24. "RE: Well, you got one more person to watch it..." In response to In response to 22
>Since some of you have seen Tarr's other work, does this >movie strike you as being political/historical in theme or is >it more about humanity and nature (or both)?
I read that Tarr made the movie partly in response to the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia.
With the Aunt Tunde story and Prince figure, it's hard not to see the film about Eastern Europe's socio-political history. Tarr says the movie is not an allegory, but it's just speculation on my part that Tarr just says so to not limit one's engagement w/ the movie.
I think it's also about humanity and nature (social and cosmic order; social and cosmic harmony).
Like you noted, the mob's decision to stop rioting (what an indelible image!) showed that they had an ounce of humanity in them. Janos' zest for life, nature, and God (the classic eclipse scene; his wonderment at the whale) is telling, IMHO.
As for order and harmony, its brought up by the eclipse scene, Uncle Eszter's music theory monologue, and the social unrest.
Masterpiece.
As for Tarr's other films, I think you can call his early social realist/fictional documentary films political.
I'd think Satantango (believe it or not, a just as good as or better film than Werckmeister) is a bit political, but less overt than Werckmeister I think.