János Ács

For this austere, clear and sharp telefeature, Judit Elek focused on the last months of Martinovics’ life: his interrogation by the Austrians, the examining Magistrate Schilling in particular, shown as a battle of wits as well as delusions on both sides. Elek had wanted to make this film in the early 1970s, but wasn’t allowed to. When she finally got the chance, the reactions were predictable, as the parallels with recent Hungarian history were simply too obvious for officialdom not to feel anxious. History may not repeat itself, but the variations look eerily similar.

Ce film, adapté de la pièce de Shakespeare, a été réalisé pour la télévision hongroise. On y retrouve l’acteur de L’Outsider, le violoniste András Szabó. Le film est constitué de deux plans séquence : un de 5 minutes, sorte de pré-générique, et un autre de 67 minutes. L’action principale se déroule devant nous, la caméra traquant à travers le brouillard et la lumière des flambeaux, les machinations et les mouvements des personnages.

He starts going, carrying a dinner-can. His eyes are suddenly arrested by the breasts of the girl on the bicycle, riding towards him. Prompted by the strange movements of the girl as well as by seeing another girl in a wheel-chair, his imagination starts working. In his dream, as he follows a young woman dressed in white, he comes to a tunnel. On its wall, which is full of candles, he reads the sign, "Memories Prohibited". Yet he is still able to enter the Tunnel of Memories.