Slow Places in Béla Tarr's Films: The Intersection of Geography, Ecology and Slow Cinema

Description

Slow Places in Béla Tarr’s Films explores Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr’s approach to creating geographies of indifference through slow cinema techniques. Through a close examination of Tarr’s filmography, Clara Orban observes that his interiors provide claustrophobic environments in which human relationships have difficult flourishing, while his exteriors become landscapes through which characters wander endlessly. Furthermore, Orban argues, Tarr’s sparse use of animals provides contrast to the humans who inhabit these spaces, as they, too, are indifferent to humans’ fates. Orban utilizes close readings of Tarr’s films—including his earlier short films—along with relevant poems, a thorough filmography, and an interview with Tarr about aspects of this book to aid in her analysis. Ultimately, this book offers an accessible but detailed look at the geographic locations and ecological implications of the entire compendium of Tarr’s productions. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Contents List of Illustrations List of Illustrations Acknowledgments Chapter 1: Introduction: Tarr in the Anthropocene Overlapping Territories Our Roadmap Notes Chapter 2: Slow Cinema, Tarr’s Places, and Hungarian Cinema Slow Cinema Slow Cinema Examples—Before and Beyond Tarr Slow Places: Hungarian Film Spaces, and Tarr’s Trajectory Notes Chapter 3: The Claustrophobic Indoors Urban versus Rural Interiors Notes Chapter 4: The Empty Outdoors Public Spaces The Wilderness, Man-Made and Otherwise Rain and Wind Ecology and Outdoor Spaces Notes Chapter 5: Animals Domestic Animals in the Town and on the (Collective) Farm Sea Creatures in a Landlocked Country Domestic Animals Mirror Human Lives Notes Chapter 6: Short Films and Segments: Further Experimentation Hotel Magnezit Journey on the Plain The Last Boat Prologue After Retirement: Missing People Notes Chapter 7: Conclusion: Visions of Loneliness Note Appendix A: Petőfi Poems Notes Appendix B: Transcript of Interview with Béla Tarr Filmography Family Nest (Családi tűzfészek 1977) Hotel Magnézit (1978) The Outsider (Szabadgyalog 1981) The Prefab People (Panelkapcsolat 1982) Macbeth (1982) Almanac of Fall (Öszi almanach 1985) Damnation (Kárhozat 1988) City Life (1990) Segment: The Last Boat (Az utolsó hajó) Sátántangó (1994) Journey on the Plain (Utazás az alföldön 1995) Werckmeister Harmonies (Werckmeister harmóniák 2000) Visions of Europe Segment: Prologue (2004) The Man from London (A londoni férfi 2007) The Turin Horse (A torinói ló 2011) Bibliography Index About the Author