What. The. Absolute. Fuck?!
I’m guessing every home media distributor in the entire universe is too scared to generate copies of this staggering work of pure art, and critics daren’t even admit to having seen the damn thing.
You will find out why.
Both the above scenarios are also probably why I’ve never heard of the film until now, and why it isn’t considered one of the greatest ever made.
What a horrible shame.
Whether higher or lower, I feel as though I have reached a new state of consciousness after my viewing. Honestly. No other piece of culture has burrowed into my brain and tinkered about so terrifyingly.
For the uninitiated, this series of posts is where I attempt to watch a foreign-language film without the aid of an English dub or subtitles. Often this is simply due to neither being available, such as in this case. At other times, it’s just because I find it fun to play detective, with only the language of cinema as evidence.
I’m going to play this one a little differently though, as I won’t be looking up a detailed synopsis to find out the truth. I feel as though that would ruin it for me somehow. I found the surrealism greatly heightened by my inability to fully understand what was going on, and I recommend you do the same. Still, I shall provide you with my best guess, which has never been so difficult.
Right, here we go…
…deep breath…
I believe Angyali üdvözlet features a representation of mythological breeding pair Adam and Eve being expelled from their homeland of Eden, a subjective paradise built on a foundation of willing-ignorance, only to be shown nightmarish visions of a dystopian future (hence the cities and loudhailers and tools of execution and bowler hats), where society has broken down due to Abrahamic morality not being submissively adhered to and violently enforced.
Or something.
It’s also what it would be like if the “valley of forgotten children” portion of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome was actually interesting.
Populated entirely by a cast of gloriously-intense child actors, all of whom’s parents must have been either very carefree or stood just out of shot at all times, this is absolutely the most disturbing thing I’ve ever experienced. And I’ve seen Cars 2. Basically, think Ken Russell meets Werner Herzog, only way way way way way way way way way way way way way fucking darker. And I bet you didn’t think that was even possible.
I initially had a theory that some cinematic visual trickery was being deployed, such as the use of scale-doubles and forced perspective, to ensure that the vulnerable performers were never put in hazardous or provocative situations. And to keep the authorities at bay. But I am now severely doubting this.
They just fucking did it.
I abandoned my first attempt of a screening halfway through, in order to begin again from the start and complete it in one sitting. Now that was a tough decision to make! I just felt I had to experience it as a singular piece, rather than allowing my short attention span to carve it up in its usual disrespectful fashion. I am glad I did now, but my already-weak state of mind definitely did start to fracture two-thirds of the way through. I even half-expected to let out a mad scream at one point, such as a raving lunatic would be want to do, but I kept my composure.
I won’t say much else, as I’m still deep in therapy, but I will try to find a few worthy screenshots to include below. However, the visuals do seem to have been specifically designed to mess with my incurable, hereditary, degenerative eye disease, so it’ll be tricky. I just know there are loads in there just waiting. Also, due to the regularly-sparse costuming, I will need to tread incredibly carefully.
If there’s any justice in the world, Angyali üdvözlet will eventually be rediscovered and projected onto an art gallery wall on a permanent loop, with a fancy frame placed around the flickering images. I already want to watch it again, and I’m still shaking with unease from the experience.
Astonishingly, you can find it here, so kudos to YouTube for being so cool about it.
Approach with a great deal of caution.
I beg you.
Do stay in touch, darlings.
Toodles!
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