The Saragossa Manuscript
1965 ‘Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie’ Directed by Wojciech Has
Synopsis
In the Napoleonic wars, an officer finds an old book that relates his grandfather's story, Alfons van Worden, captain in the Walloon guard. A man of honor and courage, he seeks the shortest route through the Sierra Morena. At an inn, the Venta Quemada, he sups with two Islamic princesses. They call him their cousin and seduce him; he wakes beside corpses under a gallows. He meets a hermit priest and a goatherd; each tells his story; he wakes again by the gallows. He's rescued from the Inquisition, meets a cabalist and hears more stories within stories, usually of love. He returns to Venta Quemada, the women await with astonishing news. Written by jhailey@hotmail.com
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Popular reviews
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Polish folklore, mystery, adventure and the supernatural await you when glimpsing through the pages of the Saragossa Manuscript. It is a film full of epic tales (way more than one) and narrational devices that could easily leave your head spinning but somehow miraculously work.
"The Saragossa Manuscript" is divided into two parts. The first beginning on the very first level of narration with two warring soldiers from opposite sides held up in a old tavern where they discovered the manuscript and read it intently. In doing so they immerse themselves into the story without ever going back and reaching our second level of narration. The second level is a story of a Captain of the Walloon guard who is trying…
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Recent reviews
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The movie weaves a complex tapestry of tales. Very interesting, but I really need to watch it again to better keep track of the myriad of characters.
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Just a incredible and magical piece of cinema. A masterclass in storytelling and interweaving narrative structure, featuring stunning cinematography, meticulous direction and a superb use of mise en scene.
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Polish folklore, mystery, adventure and the supernatural await you when glimpsing through the pages of the Saragossa Manuscript. It is a film full of epic tales (way more than one) and narrational devices that could easily leave your head spinning but somehow miraculously work.
"The Saragossa Manuscript" is divided into two parts. The first beginning on the very first level of narration with two warring soldiers from opposite sides held up in a old tavern where they discovered the manuscript and read it intently. In doing so they immerse themselves into the story without ever going back and reaching our second level of narration. The second level is a story of a Captain of the Walloon guard who is trying…
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Swirming story in a story in a story in a story in a story....
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BEYOND THE LEGEND!!!!!!!!!
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Has its share of eye candy (cinematography and gypsy cleavages) and credit is due for the ambitious narrational device of nesting stories within stories where several of the strands become interconnected later on. This gimmick surely holds great potential, but unfortunately the individual stories did not appeal to me whatsoever (other than in the two ways listed initially). Also, the film is too long and it features a brand of humor that I don't really care for.
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http://www.strangethingsarehappening.com/saragossamanuscript.html