Bela Tarr and U/Dys-topian Vision

GR - Graduate

This course will be an examination of the later work of Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr. A major figure in what has been called slow cinema, Tarr's films deploy extremely long takes and complex moving camerawork in order to create philosophical narratives about the breakdown of social structures or ideological belief systems. They are also philosophical meditations on our relationship to time - whether its cyclical repetition, its apocalyptic end, or its utopian potential for liberation. Boredom, hope, despair and expectation are some of the affects Tarr explores and embodies in his work. While Tarr's work suggests a dystopian vision of our social and political world, it also evokes a utopian conception of moving images' aesthetic power to reflect humanity's crises.

We will screen Satantango (1994) in its entirety as well as Damnation (1988), Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) and Turin Horse (2011). Students will be required to read one of the three books on Tarr and /or analyze his filmmaking strategies in relation to the textual source material by writer Lazlo Krasnahorkai. Readings will be provided before the class begins, and students must attend ALL class sessions.