Satantango
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Satantango (Sátántangó) is a film directed by Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr. Shot in black-and-white, completed in 1994, it runs an epic 7 1/2 hours in length. It is based on the novel Sátántangó by Hungarian novelist László Krasznahorkai, who has been providing Tarr with stories since his 1988 film Kárhozat (Damnation, 1988). Tarr had wanted to make the film since 1985 but was unable to proceed with the production due to the strict political environment in Hungary.
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[edit] Plot Synopsis, Structure & The Style of Film-making
The plot deals with the collapse of a collective farm in Hungary near the end of Communism. Several people on the farm are eager to leave with the cash they will receive for closing down the community, but they hear that the smooth-talking and charismatic Irimias, who had disappeared over two years ago and whom they thought to be dead, is returning. Much of the film's plot concentrates on the impact and consequences of Irimias' return through multiple POVs as the communers must cope not only with Irimias' scheming, but that of each other's.
The structure of the film is based on that of the novel, which borrows, as its title suggest, 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). The twelve parts are titled as follows (in original Hungarian):
- A hír, hogy jönnek
- Feltámadunk
- Valamit tudri
- A pók dolga I.
- Felfeslok
- A pók dolga II (Ördögcsecs, sátántangó)
- Irimiás beszédet mond
- A távlat, na szemböl
- Mennybe menni? Lázálmodni?
- A távlat, ha hátulvól
- Csak a gond, a munka
- A kör bezárul
The film is filled with numerous long takes, a trait almost synonymous with Tarr's work. With his adoption of this lingering style, many people have begun to draw parallels between Tarr and Andrei Tarkovsky. Both of whom, as witnessed on Tarr's behalf here in "Satantango", usually opt(ed) to let their films play out at a more meditative pace. According to Tarr himself, there are roughly only 150 shots in the entire film[1]. Many shots last up to nearly 10-11 minutes, such as several dance sequences, during which the camera rarely moves, but we see the main characters dance and drink. (Tarr has said that the cast was actually drunk during these scenes)[2]
The opening shot, in which the camera trucks alongside a herd of cows, lasts nearly 8 minutes. There are numerous shots depicting main characters walking (and talking) for minutes at a time, unimpeded by a cut. Whereas films that feature long takes usually have many short takes to offset the long ones, this film does not.
Also worth mentioning is that although this film is based on literary sources and Tarr and his team did write a screenplay, much of it was still improvised on set. Tarr had this to say on the subject of having a screenplay, but on his filming method in general:
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- No, we never use the script. We just write it for the foundations and the producers and we use it
- when looking for the money. The pre-production is a very simple thing. It takes always a minimum of one year.
- We spend a year looking all around and we see everything. We have a story but I think the story is only
- a little part of the whole movie.[3]
[edit] Reception, Influence & Availability
The film, understandably, has developed a cult following. In part due to its artistry and length, but mainly because it isn't available on DVD (only bootlegs transferred from old VHS sources exist). Thus, much of its reputation today has spread among film enthusiasts thanks to the word-of-mouth on the Internet.
Included among its admirers are American filmmaker Gus Van Sant. His films Gerry (Tarr has a thank-you credit in the closing credits) and Elephant draw Satantango in many different ways. Gerry uses lengthy tracking shots, and Elephant tells the story from different points of view like Satantango. Both films also make an experimental use of unfamiliar sounds in the background.
The film was praised by many critics who considered it a crack in the face to the 90s "friendly foreign" film. The critics argued that Satantango was made for the art of film, as opposed to many foreign films in the 1990s, which seemed more concerned with reaching a crossover audience than making a deeply artistic film.[citation needed]
The film has been the subject of controversy. The film has a sequence, in which a child tortures and poisons her cat. This led to some difficulties in getting the film shown in the UK because of legislation protecting animals from cruelty, and the British Board of Film Censors refusing to certify such films. Tarr has insisted that there was a veterinarian on the set at all times, and that the cat was under the vet's supervision. Tarr has also said that the cat is now his pet.[2]
The film was briefly out on VHS and DVD in the 1990s, but went out of print very quickly. It is infrequently shown due to its lengthy running time. It is sometimes shown in two parts, or in its entirety with two intermissions. Tarr has said the film should be shown without any interruption, but this is usually impossible to do. [citation needed] It is considered a masterpiece by critics, and people who have seen it are usually astonished by its ambition, its artistry, and its uncompromising vision.
Considering its status as a cult film similar to Rainer Werner Fassbinder's Berlin Alexanderplatz, it has had endless speculation regarding its release on DVD. Facets was going to release the film on DVD in November 2006, but the release has been delayed, and no new release date (as of December 2006) has been announced. Artificial Eye released Satantango on November 14th, 2006.
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/30/belatarr1.html — A Bright Light Film Journal Interview with Béla Tarr
- ^ a b http://film.guardian.co.uk/interview/interviewpages/0,6737,461921,00.html — A Film Guardian Interview with Béla Tarr
- ^ http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/01/12/tarr.html — Waiting For the Prince: An Interview with Béla Tarr, by Fergus Daly and Maximilian Le Cain
