Scene Selection

The story line of The Saragossa Manuscript challenges established and traditional narrative pattern in film.

With its multiple plot line, meta-story structure (story within a story), The Saragossa Manuscript forms a narrative labyrinth for the viewer to travel through. However, despite its complexities, the film actually occurs over a simple 5 day period, but it is the juxtaposition of several time dimensions within these five days which makes it seem otherwise.

Time is consistently a major topic for Wojciech Has. In fact, his films and his style have been called by some “temporal Cubism”. Przylipiak writes as follows of the director’s formula of alternative time in Sanatorium pod klepsydra / The Hourglass Sanatorium:

“The singularity of Has’s films lies in his juxtaposition of several time dimensions. One could call this a kind of temporal ‘Cubism.’ Just as Cubism in painting consists of ‘assembling’ canvasses from various spatial aspects of reality, so ‘temporal Cubism’ consists of introducing several time dimensions into a single scene.” Culture.pl

Alternatively the plotline to The Saragossa Manuscript can be considered to be like Russian dolls (Matryushka) – the handpainted figurines that come in a set all fitting inside each other.

Be patient, watch the film a couple of times, and gradually everything will begin to fall into place. Though many studies on The Saragossa Manuscript concentrate on structuring the story line, there is also much to be gained by not attempting to do so and by leaving the film to explain itself.

If you wish to analyse the storyline, below is the DVD scene selection (Mr Bongo release).

DVD Scenes

1. Opening credits

2. The manuscript is found in Saragossa

3. 1st day: Alphonse van Worden wakes up on the road to Madrid

4. Alphonse travels to the Venta Quemade Inn

5. Alphonse meets Emina and Zibelda

6. Emina and Zibelda’s story

7. 2nd day: Alphonse wakes up under the gallows

8. Alphonse meets the Hermit and Pasheko

9. Alphonse’s father’s story

10. Alphonse’s story

11. Pasheko’s story

12. A night in the chapel

13. 3rd day: Alphonse is captured by the Inquisition

14. Alphonse is rescued

15. Alphonse returns to the Venta Quemade with Emina and Zibelda

16. 4th day: Alphonse wakes up under the gallows; He and a cabalist return to the Venta Quemada

17. Alphonse and the cabalist meet Don Pedro; All three ride to the cabalist’s castle

End of Part One

18. Arrival at the castle

19. Alphonse finds the manuscript in the castle; Arrival of the gypsies

20. The gypsy chief Senor Avadoro begins his story

21. Captain Toledo’s story

22. Avadoro’s story is interrupted

23. Avadoro continues with his story

24. Lopez Suarez’s story

25. Suarez’s father’s story

26. Back to Lopez Suarez’s story: He meets Don Roque Busqueros

27. Don Roque’s story: He meets Frasquita Salero

28. Frasquita’s story

29. Back to Lopez Suarez’s story

30. Back to Don Roque’s story

31. Back to Lopez Suarez’s story: He enters Toledo’s story

32. Back to Avadoro’s story: He leaves to find Toledo

33. Avadoro’s story is interrupted once again: Comments from his audience

34. Avadoro continues with his story: He meets Don Roque

35. Don Roque meets Lopez Suarez’s father and solves two problems

36. Don Roque and Toledo meet

37. Don Roque continues the story of Frasquita

38. The three men realize who Frasquita is

39. Avadoro and Don Roque see Alphonse’s father duelling

40. Avadoro’s story ends

41. Alphonse leaves the castle and rides to Venta Quemada

42. Alphonse once again meets Emina and Zibelda and is given the manuscript

43. 5th day: Alphonse wakes up under the gallows

44. Alphonse leaves the manuscript in Saragossa

End of Part 2