LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

"1612"

The Russians called the period following the death of Ivan the Terrible the Time of Troubles, which seems to coincide to a degree with Poland's Deluge. But this is seen from the perspective of Russians, and the Poles are the villains without question (though the villain in the film appears to me to actually be Lithuanian). This is a Polish-Lithuanian war of territorial conquest at the expense of the Russias -- which in the following 300 year regime of the Romanovs certainly got their own back; by the end there literally was no Poland any longer. 


"The Polish-Muscovite War (1605–1618) is often referred to by other names, such as the Polish–Russian War of 1605–1618. The war is also divided into the First Dymitriad (1605–1606) and Second Dymitriad (1607–1609) and the Polish-Muscovite (Russian) War (1609–1618), which can subsequently be divided into two wars of 1609–1611 and 1617–1618. In Polish historiography, the wars are usually referred to as the Dymitriady, and may or may not include the 1617–1618 campaign, which is sometimes referred to as Chodkiewicz [Muscovite] campaign. According to Russianhistoriography, the chaotic events of the war fall into the " Time of Troubles" (смутное время). The conflict with Poles is commonly called the Polish invasion, Polish intervention, or more specifically the Polish intervention of the early-17th century."

It's a 2008 film, from Russia, titled "1612", English subtitles. Without some background it's impossible to know what's going on. Additionally, there's a unicorn, and folk magic, and, most of all the spirit of a SPANIARD, who guides / inhabits our Russian serf hero. Not to mention the collision of Roman and Greek Catholicism, with the Roman Catholic Papa up against a Greek Orthodox priest mystic; not to mention the RC priest the Pope pulls from his mission to convert the Indians of presumably Canada. (I've been struck over and over how much the great regions of Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, the Russias, and the inhabitants have in common with the still new discoveries of the northern New World regions and their inhabitants.)

Though the Polish Husaria -- 'winged cavalary' -- gets smashed with great glee in this film, you wanna see feathers? and the 'angels' murdering the very children who see them as angels? you've got it.




It's a great movie to look at, though it doesn't necessarily make any sense, even when you possess some conception of the historical era which it supposedly depicts. A good companion film to the Jerzy Hoffman films of the Sienkiewicz trilogy.

No comments: