For Jumi
Starring
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!
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 Béla.
You're late today, János.
How's János? 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 János?
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 Árgyelán.
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, János.
Nothing wrong with it, Mr Árgyelán.
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, János.
How's János?
Good morning Uncle Lajos.
Good morning Auntie Tünde.
How's János?
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, János?
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 Tünde, 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 János? 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 Tünde.
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 Tünde says you should do everything
- by 4 this afternoon... - János, 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 Tünde 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 Tünde 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 Tünde 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.
János, 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, János. - 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 János? - Good afternoon.
You're late, János. We want to get off home.
Good afternoon.
Right.
- Here you are. Take care... - Thank you.
- Good bye, Uncle Karcsi. - Bye bye, János.
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?
János 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 Tünde's request...
- Drink this. - Just that...
Let's hear it.
He was requested to go and Auntie Tünde 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 Tünde.
Uncle Gyuri sent me to tell Auntie Tünde
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, János.
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!
Tünde!
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 Tünde. 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!
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.
Go to bed both of you!
I don't want to.
I'll be hard on you.
Good evening Uncle Lajos.
How's it going... what are you doing here János?
Auntie Tünde 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 János, 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, János.
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 János? - 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, János.
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, János.
- 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 Árgyelán.
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