Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - full transcript

For Jumi

A film by

WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES

Ten o'clock! Closing up!

Gentlemen, please!

Just wait a bit for Valuska
to show us.

Leave it out!

Valuska. Come on.

Show us.

Let's make some room for Valuska
to show us!

You are the Sun.



The Sun doesn't move.
This is what it does.

You are the Earth.

The Earth is here for a start

and then the Earth moves
around the Sun.

And now...

we'll have an explanation
that simple folks like us

can also understand
about immortality.

All I ask is that you step with me
into the boundlessness

where constancy,

quietude

and peace,

infinite emptiness reign.

And just imagine that
in this infinite sonorous silence

everywhere
is an impenetrable darkness.



Here we only experience
general motion

and at first we don't notice
the events we are witnessing.

The brilliant light of the Sun

always sheds its heat and light
on that side of the Earth

which is just then turned towards it.

And we stand here
in its brilliance.

This is the Moon.

The Moon revolves around the Earth.

What is happening?

We suddenly see

that the disc of the Moon,
the disc of the Moon...

on the Sun's flaming sphere
makes an indentation

and this indentation,

the dark shadow, grows bigger...
and bigger.

And as it covers more and more,

slowly, only a narrow crescent
of the Sun remains,

a dazzling crescent.

And at the next moment...

the next moment, say that
it's around one in the afternoon,

a most dramatic
turn of events occurs.

At that moment...

the air suddenly turns cold.

Can you feel it?

The sky darkens

and then goes all dark.

The dogs howl,

rabbits hunch down,
the deer run in panic,

run, stampede in fright.

And in this awful,
incomprehensible dusk

even the birds...

the birds too are confused
and go to roost.

And then... complete silence.

Everything that lives is still.

Are the hills going to march off?

Will Heaven fall upon us?

Will the Earth open under us?
We don't know.

We don't know,

for a total eclipse has come upon us.

But...

but no need to fear, it's not over.

For across the Sun's glowing sphere

slowly the Moon swims away.

And the Sun once again bursts forth

and to the Earth slowly

there comes light again,

and warmth again floods the Earth.

Deep emotion pierces everyone.

They have escaped
the weight of darkness.

That's enough! Out of here,
you tubs of beer!

But Mr Hagelmayer,
it's still not over.

Mr Eszter!

Mr Eszter!

Uncle Gyuri come on.

You're getting cold.

Please come.

Your socks too.

Sleep well.

FANTASTIC:
THE WORLD'S LARGEST GIANT WHALE!

AND OTHER WONDERS OF NATURE!
GUEST STAR: THE PRINCE

Good evening.

Good evening Uncle B?la.

You're late today, J?nos.

How's J?nos?
How are things in the cosmos?

Everything is fine.

Thanks.

Family tragedies
come in succession.

One just after the other.

Now. If a family takes hold
of itself. They simply disappear.

And nobody knows anything about it.

Now don 't tell me that this is
normal. A normal proceeding.

The world has gone completely mad.

Now it's not down here but up there
where something's gone wrong.

For in November

the Radio says that it's 17 below.

There's a shortage of coal

and then to top it all.
There's the arrival of the circus.

They're bringing that horrible
great whale, and that Prince.

All of ten kilos.

They say he's carried in their arms,
has to be.

And for that matter,
he's got three eyes.

I don't know if that's true or not.

They say that he's taken
from town to town

and makes that godless,
monstrous speech.

Nobody knows for sure.

Even those who were there
don't understand it!

They say that
in the market square of Sarkad,

when they were bringing
the Prince around,

the clock of the church
began to go, just like that.

The clock that had stopped years ago,
and there it started all over again.

And the poplar tree fell.

A great crack

and out came its roots

from the concrete.

No wonder people are afraid.

There isn't anyone who dares
leave the house after dark.

They're afraid of being attacked,
burgled, robbed.

Plundered, stabbed, raped.
You have to keep a dog.

The mind just boggles.

You have to have a dog
for these rascals.

But once again

nothing is sacred.

They went and pulled down
the statues in the Gondocs Gardens.

They stole the headstones
from the graveyard.

So how can you explain
all this in normal terms?

The mysterious unknown plagues
are here.

Great frozen mountains of refuse
are everywhere.

People bolt the door and tremble,

dreading what is to come.

It's certain that
something is to come.

How's our J?nos?

Good morning Uncle Karcsi.

- Have you seen them?
- No. Who?

You don't know anything?

- No.
- Listen.

Apparently,

they came on the evening train
yesterday.

Because of the whale.

Well, you can never know.

You can never know
anything for sure.

Some say there's at least
three hundred of them,

someone else

that there's only two of them
actually,

and that the whole attraction

is the most frightening thing
that you would ever see.

It's also said that the whole thing
is just a cover-up for other things.

That when night comes,

they'll swoop down
on the peaceful inhabitants.

They also say...

the whale's got no part in it.

Then the next moment,

that the whale
is the cause of it all.

What's sure is that
they're already looting.

They broke the windows
of the clothing shop.

The stoker saw that
with his own eyes.

If I go that way,
I'll take a look.

Goodbye.

I have to make it clear
that not even for a moment

is there a doubt that
it is not a technical

but a philosophical question.

So that the tonal system in question,
through research,

has led us inevitably
to a test of faith,

in which we ask:

On what do we base our belief

that this harmony,

the core of every masterpiece,

referring to its own irrevocability,

actually exists or not?

From this it follows

that we should speak of,
not research into music,

but a unique realisation
of non-music

which for centuries
has been covered up

and a dreadful scandal

which we should disclose.

Hence the shameful situation

that all the intervals
in the masterpieces of many centuries

are false.

Which means

that music

and its harmony and echo,
its unsurpassable enchantment

is entirely based
on a false foundation.

Yes, we have to speak
of an indisputable deception,

even if those who are less sure,

a little moderate,

babble on about compromise.

But what kind of compromise,

when for the majority

pure musical tonality

is simply illusion,

and truly pure

musical intervals do not exist?

Here we have to acknowledge
the fact

that there were ages more
fortunate than ours,

those of Pythagoras
and Aristoxenes,

when our forefathers
were satisfied with the fact

that their purely tuned
instruments

were played in only some tones,

because they were not troubled
by doubts,

for they knew that heavenly harmonies
were the province of the gods.

Later, all this was not enough.

Unhinged arrogance

wished to take possession
of all the harmonies

of the gods.

And it was done in its own way.

Technicians were charged
with the solution,

a Praetorius, a Salinas,

and finally an Andreas Werckmeister,

who resolved the difficulty

by dividing the octave of the harmony
of the gods, the twelve half-tones,

into twelve equal parts.

Of two semi-tones, he falsified one.

Instead of ten black keys,
five were used

and that sealed the position.

We have to turn our backs on this
development of tuning instruments,

the so-called constant-tempered
and its sad history

and bring back
the naturally tuned instrument.

Carefully, we have to correct
Werckmeister's mistakes.

We have to concern ourselves
with these seven notes of the scale

but not as of the octave,

but

seven

distinct and independent qualities

like seven fraternal stars
in the heavens.

What we have to do then,

if we are aware,

is that this natural tuning
has its limits,

and it is a somewhat worrisome limit

that definitely excludes

the use of certain

higher signatures.

- How much?
- A hundred forints.

Thanks.

Tell me, what's in there?

People are chattering
about some Prince.

Certainly not, Mr ?rgyel?n.

A giant whale has arrived.

This mysterious creature from the sea
has come from the far-off oceans.

Most definitely
you have to see it too.

I don't like this at all, J?nos.

Nothing wrong with it,
Mr ?rgyel?n.

Just see what a gigantic animal...

...the Lord can create!

How mysterious is the Lord

that he amuses Himself
with such strange creatures.

It'll lead to trouble, J?nos.

How's J?nos?

Good morning Uncle Lajos.

Good morning Auntie T?nde.

How's J?nos?

I've come about very important
and serious business.

It's about my former husband.

I know that you are close to him,
that you are devoted to him.

I've done everything too for him.

No, I never ever wished him harm.

I made the greatest sacrifice
for him:

I moved out.

At his request.

So he can devote himself to his art.

By doing this
I gave up the position

due to me in the town.

Now it is his turn.

Now he has to make a sacrifice.

That's easy to understand.

You do understand, J?nos?

So with the police chief

and some more people of good will
we are establishing a movement

which will restore order,
create cleanliness

and we are procuring
the necessary funds.

You can see that a movement
like this needs a chairman,

a strong individual, who...

has influence over others,
who is persuasive.

And he,

he is such a personality.

Yes, and now two possibilities
offer themselves.

One is that he accepts
the chairmanship

and everything remains as it was.

The second is that he says no
and then...

Yes. And then

I'll have to move back in with him,

and...

to convince him
of my serious intention,

I'm sending my suitcase ahead of me.
All my things are in it.

Everything has been prepared.

Here is the list.

On it are all the people

of good will and standing
in the town.

He should seek them out
and win them round to the cause.

Just a few signatures,

and then he can sit back again
at his piano

and strum away.

Auntie T?nde, I...

I know that...

The fact is...

Uncle Gyuri isn't very well and...

I'd like to lie down
for a while myself,

because I worked all night
and I think that he won't be able

to take this on.

- But...
- So please don't be annoyed.

You have to understand that
there's no time to put this off.

If he doesn't collect
all the signatures

by 4 this afternoon at the latest,

then...

I'll move back in with him, no matter
how difficult it will be for me.

It's impossible
in that wretched hovel I live in

to organise all this.

Do you understand?

I see, but...

This is the time that

Uncle Gyuri likes to work and I...

Now wouldn't be a good time

for me to go to him, because...

you see,

I'm very tired.

But yes, he'll succeed,

so go and talk to him at home.

Just say that
what I'm waiting for him to do

is to show an example,

to come forward with money
for this movement.

And add to that, if he doesn't,

then

I'll be having supper with him

this very evening.

- Hello Lajos.
- Good morning Ma'am.

Good morning.

How's it going?

LAJOS HARRER Jr.
BOOT AND SHOEMAKER

Good morning Aunt Harrer.

How's J?nos? So you're here.

That I am.

What's happening outside?
What did you see on your way here?

- Will I be able to get home?
- Of course, you will.

There's talk that they're breaking
shop windows

and set fire to the hotel.

And the butcher got his head
cracked open.

No wonder an honest person doesn't
dare go out in the street.

Don't be afraid, Aunt Harrer.
Just be calm.

You can go home without any worry.

Being careful never hurt anybody.

I said not to get excited.
There's no problem.

You can go home easily.

On this perfectly tuned instrument
you yourself can hear

how grating is the E flat prelude

from the Wohltemperierties Klavier.

This is for you
from Auntie T?nde.

She asks you to get dressed

in your warm clothes
because it's very cold outside -

and to set off to find
these people and persuade them

to join the Clean Town Movement,
and you'll be chairman.

Because she and the Chief of Police
would like to restore order

in the town and because
the people won't say no to you.

She also says that
if you do not feel like doing that,

then she'll have supper here today,
"this very evening".

That's why she sends this case
with her clothes,

so that she won't have to carry it.

We're not going anywhere.

Neither now, nor later.

But...

Auntie T?nde says
you should do everything

- by 4 this afternoon...
- J?nos, just don't worry...

There will be no trouble.

We haven't yet
and we won't move from here.

Especially not for this stupid
slattern and her petty-minded

and evil command.

Aunt T?nde also says that
if you take on the chairmanship,

everything will remain as it was.

We're not going to do anything.

We're not going to make
the same mistake twice.

I'll be coming with you, see.

It's no big thing, Uncle Gyuri.

We'd better start.
We'll be late for four o'clock.

Aunt T?nde
doesn't mean you any harm.

See, we'll go there, arrange it all
in a couple of hours and come back.

And then she wouldn't come back here,
this evening or any other time...

Believe me Uncle Gyuri,

Auntie T?nde is very determined.

So this is serious, you think?

Yes.

Let's suppose I comply,

will you take the case back then?

Yes.

I'm finished for now, Mr Eszter.

Thank you Mrs Harrer.
Your money is on the writing table.

Thank you. I'll be here
at the usual time on Friday.

A little fresh air won't hurt you.

Goodbye.

J?nos, would you be so kind

as to get that out of here?

Go and find
the furthest point in the house

and put it there.

Right away.

Come on then, Uncle Gyuri.

So if we're going like this,
I can fetch your lunch.

I knew she wouldn't give up,
she couldn't stand it

and that she'd be in contact
sometime.

For a moment of madness,
what a price to pay.

It's all the same in the end.

I've paid for it and I may pay
for it all my life.

I'll split the slut's skull
"this very evening".

Uncle Gyuri, let's go
towards the market square

and then you can see for yourself
the giant whale,

as long as twenty metres
and you can see into its throat,

and it really stinks.

And all a man can do
is look upon it

and see how great is the Lord's
creative impulse

and power, and how omnipotence
is reflected in that animal.

That's what has to be looked at,
must be seen, Uncle Gyuri.

First let's finish
with this damned list.

- Good afternoon Mr Eszter, J?nos.
- It's you I was looking for.

Good afternoon Mr Eszter.

- Something has to be done.
- We can't count on the power supply,

the school and the town hall
are closed.

Because of the shortage of coal,
the problems of heating homes

have taken on terrible dimensions...

There are no medicines,
travelling by bus or car is finished.

The telephones have gone dead.
There's no street lighting...

And to top it all
here comes this circus

with this horrendous whale
and Prince!

With blasphemous words
inciting people to riot!

When we don't know if the world's
coming to an end by tomorrow!

And to allow in that motley nightmare
with that stinking monster,

when the town itself is under threat?

Who can think of amusement
in this chaos?

I'd like to draw your attention
to the need for solidarity.

Common sense is the most important...

We can't look on passively while
catastrophe swoops down on us...

Children and mothers are in tears...

The Earth is in dire peril!

A moment, gentlemen.

Uncle Gyuri, take it easy.

Not now...

From your despondent words,
the situation must be serious,

and in the interest of restoring
order we have to take action.

So Uncle Gyuri, I'll run off and get
your lunch before the kitchen closes.

Off you go.

Now then, gentlemen,

Here is...

Here is this list.

Now then, let's go through it,

before

every one of us lose our heads,

and try to rise above
the threat hanging over us.

Good afternoon!

- How's our J?nos?
- Good afternoon.

You're late, J?nos.
We want to get off home.

Good afternoon.

Right.

- Here you are. Take care...
- Thank you.

- Good bye, Uncle Karcsi.
- Bye bye, J?nos.

What's going to happen to the whale?

My friend,
it'll be four o'clock in a minute.

The most important thing
you can do is go to her

and tell her that I've done
what she asked.

- But...
- It would have been good

to meet this excellent being

to scrutinise him - a point
on the evolutionary scale

where I would have happily stopped.

A meeting both pleasurable
and entertaining.

But...

this walk has exhausted me,

and

a meeting with this whale of yours

may well be, I think,
just as captivating tomorrow.

Goodbye.

All the best to you. Bye!

Hey kid!

What are you doing here?

Who are you?

J?nos Valuska.

What do you want here?

I'm...

I'm on an errand, I'm the...

Mr Eszter told me to...

- Mr Eszter...
- Aha.

...who on Auntie T?nde's request...

- Drink this.
- Just that...

Let's hear it.

He was requested to go
and Auntie T?nde when she arrives...

Your attention please!
Our show is over for today.

For technical reasons

the appearance of the Prince
has been cancelled.

All the best then until our ticket
office opens tomorrow morning.

I thank you for your attention,

and commend our company again to you.

So, please go home.

Go!

Filthy gang! No class!

Swine!

Dirty swine! Rabble!

Rogues!

Good evening Auntie T?nde.

Uncle Gyuri sent me
to tell Auntie T?nde

that all that you asked
has been arranged,

and the organising of the whole
thing is under way,

so I'm to bring your case here
this evening, right away.

That doesn't concern us now, J?nos.

Are they ripping the square apart?

Or setting it on fire?

The whale, the great sensation
of the century has arrived,

a gigantic, wonderful whale, and...

Wait a moment.

The whole squad advances! Attack!

Bastards!

Show no mercy!
Shoot right into them.

I've called for the tanks.

Don't!

Don't.

- What are you trying to do?
- Lie down and go to sleep.

Stop it! Get away from me!

No time for sleeping, resting!

- Out of the question!
- That's enough! Go and lie down!

Now wait!

Just wait!

Pull yourself together,
act like a man!

Stay!

Stay. Don't go!

T?nde!

I have something important
I want you to do.

Go to the police chief's home
and put his children to bed.

Tell them he's going to be late,

then go to the main square,
take a look around,

observe how many there are,
who is talking to who and what about,

then come back here
and tell us everything.

Delighted to oblige, Auntie T?nde.
I'll go and take a look around.

I'll gladly observe
and tell you everything,

who is talking to who, then.

I've just come from there,

I'd like to find out
just what this strange secret is.

- Off you go.
- Goodbye.

Now my little witch,
do you know who wrote this piece?

Do you like it?

Just dance!

Just dance!

Do you like it?

Off to bed with you!

- I don't want to go to bed!
- Off to bed!

I'm not going to bed!

- Go and get into bed!
- No!

That was just a pat.

I didn't really hit you.

I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.

Go to bed both of you!

I don't want to.

I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.
I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.
I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.
I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.

I'll be hard on you.
I'll be hard on you.

Good evening Uncle Lajos.

How's it going...
what are you doing here J?nos?

Auntie T?nde sent me.

She said to go to the market square,

and take a look around
to see what was happening

and tell her about everything, who's
doing what, who's talking to who.

Don't go there J?nos,
this is not for us...

They'll have to get the army in.

There's nothing we can do now.

I'll watch out.

Be careful, J?nos.

Goodbye, Uncle Lajos.

Good evening.

Sorry.

The whale...

Can't I see the whale now?

Or in the morning?

Fuck off out of here.

See how much trouble you've caused!

Even though you haven't been able
to harm anyone for a long time.

...and not from the whole.
As the Director imagines.

I don't imagine anything.
But I know

that if he doesn't calm them.
But fires them up.

Then the whole thing is going
to start all over again!

And tell him this too.
That I take his impudence badly.

- Translate that!
- Why?!

So that it'll get through
that infantile skull of his

that he cannot go out. That you
aren't going to take him out.

You're not going to pick him up
and translate for him.

But he sticks to me!

I won't stand for his stirring up
the rabble with his lies.

T ell him that we have finished now
once and for all.

He never wished to go anywhere.
The Director takes him.

I engaged him to show himself,
and not to stir and incite.

I won't let him out
and let him speak. Translate that.

No point.

No one can stop him
whatever they do.

I won't stand for his tearing
the town apart with these bandits.

I am not willing to risk
the good name of the company.

The last time
was positively the last.

No way!

Ridiculous!

He doesn't recognise any superior
authority. Nothing of that kind.

In the eyes of his followers
out there, he is the Prince.

No ordinary force can hold him,
he has magnetic power!

His magnetic power is a
disfigurement! He is an aberration!

A born freak who knows nothing
about anything!

The title of Prince I bestowed on him
for commercial reasons.

Tell him that I invented him.

His followers are waiting outside!

They are losing patience.
To them he is the Prince!

- Then he is fired!
- Fine!

From now, he seeks independence.
He's taking me with him.

- You!
- Me.

I shall do what he wants,
because he means money.

You are poor.
The Prince means money for you.

Will you stop poncing about!

Why don't we try
to arrange something?

Tell him...

that I'll let him out,
on one condition.

That he doesn't open his mouth,
not even a single word,

and he is to be as silent
as the grave.

Tell him that.

The Director cannot lay down
any rules!

The Director gets the money,
the Prince gets his followers.

There's no point in arguing!
The Prince alone sees the whole.

And the whole is nothing.

Completely in ruins.

What they build
and what they will build,

what they do and what they will do,
is delusion and lies.

Under construction,
everything is only half complete.

In ruins, all is complete.

What they think is ridiculous.
They think because they are afraid.

And he who is afraid knows nothing.

The Director doesn't understand

that his followers are not afraid
and do understand him.

His followers are going
to make ruins of everything!

Confused drivel!

Tell that to the rabble
and not to me.

I won't listen to this any more.
I'll wash my hands of him,

I won't take responsibility
for what he does.

You gentlemen
from this moment on are free.

You can do what you want.

If they destroy the towns,

after a while, there will be
nowhere left for him to go.

Does he know that?

His followers do. Tell him.
There is disillusion in everything.

They don't understand why.

But the Prince knows full well

that it is because the whole
is nothing. They are finished.

We crush them with our fury!

We punish them!
We will be pitiless!

The day has come!

There will be nothing left!

Fury overcomes all!

Their silver and gold...

cannot protect them!

We'll take possession
of their houses!

Terror is here! Massacre!

Show no mercy! Slaughter!

Arson. Slaughter!

When the clamour died down.

The Prince said this:

"What they build

"and what they will build.

"What they do

"and what they will do.

"Is delusion and lies.

"What they think

"and what they will think.

"Is ridiculous.

"They think because they are afraid.

"And he who is afraid.
Knows nothing."

He says he likes it

when things fall apart.

"There is construction
in all ruins..."

"A single emotion for destruction,
implacable, deadly.

"We didn't find the real object
of our abhorrence and despair,

"so we rushed at everything we came
across with wilder and wilder fury.

"We destroyed the shops,
threw out and trampled everything

"that was movable
and what we couldn't move

"we broke up with slats
of shutters and iron bars.

"We turned over cars in the streets,

"tore off the miserable sign-boards,

"destroyed the telephone centre

"because we saw the lights inside,

"and we had the two post office girls

"and we left only

"when they had fainted
and like two used rags,

"lifeless,
hands clasped between knees,

"hunched over,
they slipped off the bloody table..."

- Hello there.
- Hello...

- Doing OK?
- Fine.

Just a moment...

Allow me to introduce

Mrs Eszter.

Privilege, ma'am.

Ma'am.

Is this where
you were thinking of?

Here.

And if here?

Possible, but not really.

And...

what about here?

Here!

Then will you join us, ma'am?
In the car?

Yes. I'm coming.

Follow us.

FANTASTIC:
THE WORLD'S LARGEST GIANT WHALE!

AND OTHER WONDERS OF NATURE!
GUEST STAR: THE PRINCE

Uncle Lajos...

- How's J?nos?
- Good morning.

You didn't see my Lajos?

There's been no sign of him
since last night.

I saw him in the square
last night.

I'm sure he got mixed up
somehow in that ruction.

He always has to be
where he shouldn't.

He'll never have any sense. He's
always poking his nose in everywhere.

So are you, J?nos.

So are you.

They're looking for you as well.

They came here
and I saw your name on the list.

You'll hang for it in the end, J?nos.

- I haven't done anything.
- That means nothing to them.

They recognise neither man nor god.

Get away from the town
as soon as you can.

Head for the rail tracks.
They're not being guarded.

Try and hide somewhere,
and we'll see what happens.

Got that?

Yes, Aunt Harrer.

If you see my Lajos,
tell him to come immediately.

It's horrible here and
he's wandering about out there.

And I've so much to do here.

Goodbye Aunt Harrer.

Take care of yourself.

LAJOS HARRER Jr.
BOOT AND SHOEMAKER

I've made a place for you.

You'll see it if you come out.

I'm living in the summer kitchen.

Because that woman...

and the police chief have taken it
on themselves to move in

and have taken the whole place over.

But we'll get by all right
with the summer kitchen outside.

The sofa with the green blanket
will be yours.

In the top part of the cupboard

I'll make some space for you.

The windows will have to be done.

There are draughts

and it's cold.

I'm sleeping there
for the second day now.

And, thank God, out there

you can't hear a thing.

Absolute silence.

I've retuned the piano.

Now, once again,
it's like any other.

Once again,
you can play anything on it.

And if we run short of money

it's much easier this way.

I took my grey overcoat
over to ?rgyel?n.

He promised he'd tailor it for you.

Whenever you come out

it will be ready.

Nothing counts.

Nothing counts at all.

Take care of yourself

I am coming again tomorrow,
at the usual time

Take care of yourself