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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
DVD Scene Selection
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
And if
that still isn't enough for you, we recommend you view following
videoclip and check out the links below that also attempt to explain
The Saragossa Manuscript incredible storyline structure.
(Advertorial)
Central
Eastern European Film – The Saragossa Manuscript
(527 Words)
The
Saragossa Manuscript - Outline by Martin A. Schell
(9000 Words)
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