REPENTANCE
RepentancelPGl(TengizAbuladze. USSR. 19841Avtandil Makharadze. lya Ninidze. MerabNinidze. 150 mins. Conceived in1981. madein1984 with the encouragementofEduard Shevardnaze. andfinallyreleased in 1986. Repentance hasbecome an international emblem ofglasnost: celluloidproofofaliberalisationthat allowsforthere-examination and criticism ofthepastwithoutfearof reprisals in the present. It is therefore difficulttodivorce Abuladze's epic allegory.thelastsegmentinatrilogy. from its status as an importantpolitical and culturaleventAsafilmitisa weightyblending ofstylesandideas: sometimesimaginative. sometimes ponderous. decidedly overlong but always engrossingand thought—provoking.
The storybegins withthedeath of Varlam Aravidze.the elderly mayorofa smallGeorgianprovince. Hisfuneralis marked bvallthe pompand ceremony duetoabeloved localdignitary.The nextmorning howeverhis corpse has beenplaced inhisson'sgarden. Secretly reburied. it appears again the followingday.The police are calledin andthegrave enclosed byacage of steel butoncegainthecorpseis transferred to the garden. Eventually the authorities andthe mayor's grands-ofthe in waitandthe gram 15erisapprehended.Ather
trial .3111explainsthatheractionswere
‘l‘i \1111_1:111.' l l'l‘» ll l. 1" '\l ts. (1“ \1 \ 1\ \l; - \ IN .. '1 “l. 1‘ 111 1‘11 R1 } .1 \ l‘. \ 'l
IOrphee 1.1.1. l:.:1..3 “l’ V1\.11\l1'-l\ \11'1_l)1.l\~1111.1
\_1ll 11111'.1..1... 6.11:1;1111: '1 \1 11:1 1t-i ll 11V 1‘ r 11 1 1i ~11 ~1 l.'.11t" l11:1.:
lThePrincessBride-l’lu 11<1~1<.r11:.: l\ .‘1‘ if .11'. l‘.~..'~,\l 11:.1'. [’1111.}.11:. l’.1.r I .111. \l.'l\:1.11?. lw‘il' 12-111 “‘1 :1111'» \. l’.111."1 111 ~ .111 \1‘.111::;::.1L'.\l:c.1 1 11111.11: 1.11.11 1 .1::1:‘ \" '.:.'l'.1i. 1.1111111. IPrizzi'sHonour- * 11 E.1.11_-1~ 1s. ““V‘N 1.» “\1@,. .x l. .K “‘1. ;:1'..'
\l .11.: \ 1| 1 .\11~\'.1 ' 11 ‘1111 11v 1" 1'. 1‘. 3.111111 ‘ A1 '
lPumpinglron 1’1 1.11 1. 11: 111.-..
1x~".'.l.w. 1\ ,1 \.1.1~.1
[511.311.18'1‘
on behalf of all the innocent victims to suffer underAravidze's despotic reign. Through a series of flashbacks a picture develops of a capricious. dangerous buffoon who used the state apparatus to crush any challenge to his authority. whether real or imagined. The story she recounts has a profound effect on the province and Aravidze's increasingly uneasy family.
Using a figure said to resemble Beria. Abuladze presents an overwhelming case against the Stalinist excesses when arbitrary arrest. false confessions. exile or death were the penalty forthose 'enemies of the state' who dared to challenge or question the authority of their leaders. By giving Aravidze the physical characteristics of a Hitler
"u: ‘_ 1'1 ', l. 1.1;
\. l l\1 1131‘}: 1!. 1.“ 11 1:11 1111-» i: l‘.\ l‘ 1’ ‘w. -;1 11‘. .Ii"11 ’ \ ‘,'.'. 1f .11:i.':1.11 1.1 lRabid ll“. ‘1 (1112.1.1 1\l1l l \11 1. \11'..' \1 lull 1 i111 1W1 :1: 11‘ 1.... .1’..‘1'. 1.11' \111~ 1\_ .. \\":.:1.:lll1r:11: 271\ lRepenlanceliw l\\l\‘ I‘i‘vi \xl 1: 1'. '\'. .' '11
\11'.113.‘. \l.:1“\11:‘..‘ ‘s. l’.11‘..'l (Il,1\.' (11
l1lt:.::
ISammyand Rosie GelLaid 1:\Il7‘1}\f"\lk‘:.5'lé‘\.l¥“'
l1 11:..xll.1'1x: \11' '15 11".. ::,111\ flux? 1:111‘111.1 .1'
l 1112.111118. l_1l.'11:1‘ "1.'11:.11:.l1‘111.11:1111.11111.:
"11“. 1517;1'l11111..1:1i 1'
l.1~-\1: 1“1l111\'\.11;_1:1:
1’121111. ‘1l.1311 1 iss'11111 .111 1"»1111 1111 L 11', ‘1 11 .31 1': . l ‘l 1 ( .1ll‘1k'
moustache and Stalin boots and a guard of knights in armour. he invites us to move from the specific to the universal in his condemnation of any dictatorship or repression of liberty. With his eccentric habit of singing opera arias to his victims. his genial affability and propensity for illogical. murderous whim. Aravidze is a chilling embodiment of tyranny.
Blending human drama. black humour and fantasy with questions of guilt. justice. the legacy ofthe past and personal responsibility. Abuladze has created a uniquely flavoured and extremely singilicant piece about issues that are timeless and topical. (Allan Hunter)
mSatyricon i'li: l- :1 \l.1:
lulltiri.
111: l’wllp' l111.11:.
l\.i1" 1 1;"1: ""31111‘s l.'l111:111‘ 11.:11‘1 l\'~:1.. 1‘~ T't. 11:11 111. 1":.:1,'1211T'«. “13.1%
‘.1~111'.1:1.11.111111:.."11.'.11:. . I..1"11:1\13;.”11171111 1.11.1l 11,111-:.11"\;1xa.x~1:l11.11l1‘11x11111
\ \1 " 11111. ~11111ll'. 11 Ill 1111-. 1'! .1 l) l \ 1K) .1“
l Someoneto Watch OverMe L~ :11
11~ \ l~..i'3.‘:.*1‘_":.\l.:1.1 l“ ': 1: 11"...11 .‘v’ :1.11. ‘3"1 l\ 1i(_)_l.'1' ll 11M 111 .1111.1lx'.11111'\ 111 111 11} \11‘11111.» 1l '1 11‘. '11“ 117' '. '1 1."\ .‘z1s11'1 11» a \._ '1 v.1..1llwxxi11 11. \fgtill.t."l‘ 1.11 l.1:1.111\1'11!1~111
1.1:.‘.1:1:.1:‘ g 1:11.11: 11.11 11.1. 11111111\
111‘: 7:.1' .::.‘111.' (.111:.1l(.1111.1'1‘. .11:1:1~1: 13.111111
l Something Wild 1 ~~ 1.1111111,1111).-11~.111.q
is 111111111»-
311.11"
\l1‘l 11:11'1111111111.
1. l 11 1.1 .. ..‘1'; 11. 11111111; 11:11:" 1: 1:;1‘311l;'.1f.'.1\
'\1-\11_ I‘.1lll1’l~l\'.‘.lHlli_'l\ 112‘. l ll_\l\ ‘l .11.1r111\~l,'111111.“ 111 111x II1H 11‘. 1i\k1111.'1'11111m ‘. 11.11r1.1:1.".1.111.51‘1s\.\\1‘..'111'\\11. 111. . 1. 1111111‘11‘1 .11111 '1'.1111.1
'111 ,1:_ 1:11.111'."\l1'11_i.w.f '11. \11; ~~.11t1‘:: 11111.1] 111.11.211s \1~1 '- 11.1».111111g1411l'l lStammheim .‘ ~1x'.11‘.'.1:1fll.1'.111 \\
11. :'1..1. "W1 .' “ :1111'x lv11'111111’. '1'1’11' 1.1:” "1‘ .11 11.1:1i\1~1\1.11111:1:
.7'11l1113;1l“1.1115.'1\lg111111111 W \(r 111.1:l'i.~.1:‘.‘.11:1..‘1 *1 1’1 :.11.1;.::;!_\11'._1l1l31.1\111'.11
.111i11: 1‘111'11‘1111.1.1.1=.1l
111.1111er ml 131; 1‘11l1111‘.1l .1111: 1.111 \\\IL‘llllt‘ .1~11\11t.-: '11"..-11111111111iiis11111:.»\11111‘l1 ‘xl1‘1\'l‘.1\'.1llxi'_'Y‘\‘ll\311.lll\\'. .1111l.1l111111 111.'11111\l.‘:.11\1 11 1711‘s. \\3111\\,1111p1211‘ 1:14111.111‘1'111111'31111111l11‘1111l1‘11l'.
1~l‘1‘:p\\11\1:‘ linlltwl 1119\c s11..‘111111'\.\1lT 111'.111.1;1f.111‘\1.‘1 \.:1111'.\.'11.':\111.1" \11\1\\.111.'1‘.1 \\1‘:'.-.p1l11‘1'1:. .'151‘.1\1..1l 11111.‘1 \ ~1111.'i.'11'1\11‘;'11'11:11.1lf\11:411'1' .1111‘111.1\'11.11‘.1'.11:.2:1‘.1x': 1111’.1 1'.1:111i11.111c\ Il\'\\.1ll111‘.1\..111.11111'11':1i1\.11\\11»1t .1ll\‘f‘1\.1t1‘1\ (11.1\;‘~\\ t1l l l11111l11111'l1. Illflllii‘ll\\
lSlar801 '.\Iil-‘1~'\l l \. l‘lV‘l \l.111.'l111-1111111'uV1.1 :1.l\’11‘11311\.( I111 Rwl‘ulwi: W.‘ 11111;» 1:131. 1:11gs1111'1 111 /’.'11‘. .1 1111111111?.1 [)1'1111I1‘. \1:.111.1:xx:.1
1111111~\11'\1.11|c1 1‘1.'~..1\111111111'1p113-x \‘.1l1\11\l‘1~1.1:1.1:1l ::\1.1\11.:11‘1'111111.111 1.11g1'1 11:11t.'l.1111\::\~311[‘\\111111111411~1l'111'! ll1>:'1i.11‘1»'.111:21..'. ~l1ws111111113 \\1‘]l .11lp1‘.’
1.1111'1‘1‘11111\.1\1>:11\1:11.101111
\-‘.‘.1ll‘1111'111'\lil‘c‘l\]\\ll\.\'1\3
11:*-1.'.‘~1 11w. .11_11,11H(,1‘l\.1..1_\
(12 '\\\
ISugarbaby1'\1.l’.-1.x \1111~1_\\ \l1:1.11111;\.1;'1':‘:1.‘111
l 1‘11111111‘ \1~.11111»
l1; 1111111411. :1
"11'1\.\p1'11.11‘ 11\1‘t‘.\_‘1;'311. 11111l1ilp .1131 1f
dink-11.11am \.1\*~l‘sl 1111.11‘1i.1\1v‘.111's11’~‘.‘. 1'. 11:1‘11-11\11:1'1'11:'.1L'111:'111.11111‘.1~.11111:}.'\. 1111.11111' 1\11.1111'. “1‘1'111l1111'\szr. 1iv:11.‘ \.\.1::111\ .11~1\'.1111‘:'.11111\111'1111‘. 1;;n'll.1:l. 111.1111111 .'\11\1111u .'\..111‘.1111'1~:11 11'1'111111xw1 \1'\.11.1‘111\.1111‘.5. 1:.1'111111‘1. l1l111l‘1111'11 | '1 ISwanninLove .~ 1\1. ~...111111111111. [1.111..-\\ (1.".‘11' " '1:11‘.l11»1:\ (>311.'ll.1\11;‘1 ‘.!.111, -. L. 1111‘» (1111111'111..< ' W. l' H 1'1. .111 111‘1l\;'\\l1‘.l11 lfl'l\.1~75 .1:1\1- 1:.11 1111,1"1.1'.'1‘.' ‘.', .1 1.11\ \11111 11111.'111:.'. lt.::' lTaxiDriven1—»1‘111-u. 1. .1 $1,
.‘l‘lwlx’wlu'flll. l '.'1.'\...1':1.'11l. '1 \h \. 1'1. \l 1‘» 11\. 1.1. ‘1 l.
11‘. 1. .:,13::1111 1*. ll. llt fill 111‘. 11 ’l’ \1 1' “ 1 1
‘1‘1 (‘ll llherese 1‘1
x11.11711.1.1::1‘:'_ -;;,. .11111 111‘1‘11111111wl1‘11 .11 l11111'“ 1' l‘\
IThree MenAndABaliy - K1-
\1.'1:11\ '1 ‘1 \. (11111.11’M' it
w
\ 1‘? ‘1' 1' I! 1\L‘ 1. 11 1‘ 1I .1 l~.‘ .' '111 .17
ll. \.l 1 l' \l
l\. 1l'.:~' 1’ \\ 111."..1? 1‘} ll
1:111 \ 11,1
1 '1l1 ll‘ 11 1
_.1:.T'\\l\11111': 3:: w 1.. 1111.31. '.'\1111.1111'..\w1“‘: 1:11' '. f ':.11..\ l 1111111111;.111'l‘. 1.1.1.112. 1.. 1:.1s1111 1111.1111111111'111L..“..1i:.f.,. '.1.\l.‘\~
1|.11311.111'\.1M'1.11111 111:1.1-11w‘.11..-.~“\11.:1::1 1" " IMU‘I‘C 121111111:111‘111.11.1l\1\1.:"1'1."\
.1l\1~.1l.1111c
.__-J
11.111111. lill111.'1111f1t;.‘ 1.1. -