Final Report

Sometimes it takes me a lot of time to think about the title of the post. If I would name this post Zárójelentés, you would just run away, scared of those weird letters. But that is how Final Report is written in Hungarian. A movie I watched some months ago in the cinema, and I still can say - I remember how nice it was because it brought some beautiful music to the audience.

I don't usually watch TV at home, I suppose you all already know that. Just when we have got some series or a movie/documentary we choose. The other option how to watch movies is to go to the cinema. So, last year, there was a period of time we used to go to the local small cinema where less known European movies could be seen. You could choose a day when the movie was projected in its native tongue or in the Spanish version, the next day. I would definitely not watch a Hungarian movie in Spanish, I would rather skip it then.

I didn't know anything about this film when I bought the ticket. I went just because of the title and because of the director was István Szabó (winner of the Oscar for the best foreign movie Mephisto, a long time ago, forty years ago). Also, the cast is interesting and from the old school. The main character, a doctor from Budapest, that had to retire as the hospital where he worked closed was played by the actor Klaus Maria Brandauer.

The situation that he unexpectedly faced, the question of how to fill the days without his lifelong work, made him change his habits. What to do if you don't have to go to work? The doctor from our movie enjoyed listening to the music, going to the opera and theatre, and playing tennis. He lived in harmony with his wife, an opera singer in their home in Budapest.

Though, that phase didn't last for a long time. I guess it was not easy to accept life without work... that is how we all are doing. I do like vacations, the long ones, that last for two or three months, but I know I would probably work again after some time! Similarly, our protagonist, Dr Stephanus decided to move to the village where he grew up and work as a doctor. His mother still lived there and some of his old friends, from his school days. For example, the priest.

It is not easy to go back to a smaller place to live after you have lived in a big centre. Not just because life goes by a different pace, but because not everyone would accept you back. And if some new people appeared around, and took some important role (like being a major of the village) you will have to adapt to them. Or not. Well, then all sorts of drama can spice up your days.

Talking about spicing up your days... Wouldn't music and some nice feelings do that too? Dr Stephanus met the music teacher, who gave all her efforts to music teaching and interpretation. Her curse was that she was pretty. And you know what people are like, envious and conspiring, and moreover in small communities. She was misunderstood, probably sad too, and her only refuge was the school choir, and her new friend, the doctor who was a real music lover.

In this movie, music linked all the drama but the humouristic scenes too. In fact, a drama it was, a genre I like a lot, but the funny scenes were not in lack either. So, that connection that the music made was exceptional. We could hear parts of classical music pieces, both as background and as an integral part of the scenes. When he was visiting the opera or when the children from the school sang with the teacher. When they were looking to make harmony, in their lives and in the life of that village. Wagner and the excerpts from his opera Tannhäuser made the whole movie even more interesting to me. I do remember I was so excited listening to that Tannhäuser Overture in the final scene, and when the movie finished, when the lights were put on, I was still sitting there, glued to the seat. I didn't want to stand up and go home!

In the end, I had to go, otherwise, the owners of the small local cinema would throw me out {or the gaze of the doctor on the screen would scare me away eventually}. And although this movie was all the time here around, in my memory, I couldn't get to bring it to hive before. I didn't want to write just a movie review, I have never done it before, but the impact that the music part of it made was great. Even the beginning of the trailer starts with a cello tune, actually an arrangement of the Cello Suite composed by Bach that makes me feel so optimistic. I know, not the original version of Bach's composition, but nobody can deny it is the same piece (even if it is changed a bit :D )

When I finally decided to put this post from my mind to the screen, I was still around hive feed, trying to distract myself from the work and writing! I had nothing, 191 words, but then a comment encouraged me to focus and get this done.

Many times, movies would not have that huge impact on us without the soundtracks. It makes an additional connection, the emotional response from us is higher, at least I feel it that way. And maybe this movie was not the best one I watched in my life, for sure that it was not, it somehow stayed in my memory and pending to share it with you.

Do you think that soundtracks have an important role in the movies, and they achieve a better connection and emotional impact on us? If you like it, let me know what is one of the movies you watched lately and did it contain music that made you feel different? That made the whole production more special and memorable?