There is a moment, toward the end of Tarr’s film The Prefab People (1981), when the very unhappily married couple is at a dance. The camera tells us everything about how ill-suited for each other they will always be no matter how hard they try to “make it work.” This scene is forever imprinted in my mind: a searing, unforgettable moment in cinema.
I often think about this movie and I’m not entirely certain why it resonates so much and in so many ways because it’s not easy to watch. Or perhaps that’s exactly why.
From the opening scene onward, you and the characters are trapped in a doom of their own making. The wife, Feleség, is played with shrill emotionality by Judit Pogány. This woman is always on the verge of tears or an internal hysterical scream, and she’s stuck in a small apartment with an unavailable, selfish husband and two demanding young children. She longs to be like everyone else — other women cheerily pushing their prams and getting their hair done — but she isn’t. She is a person defeated by circumstances, gripping the bars of her cage and knowing no one is listening. We don’t necessarily know what kind of a life she truly longs for, but it’s definitely not what she has. And unfortunately for her, husband Férj (Róbert Koltai) is as inaccessible to her as the dream of a fulfilling life, whatever that is. He’s as unwilling to understand her feelings and frustrations as she is unwilling to see his emotional limitations.
These two actors (who were married when this film was made) portray this domestic nightmare scenario in a way that offers no relief from its visceral realness. By the time we get to the haunting dance scene and the equally haunting ending, we’re relieved it isn’t our nightmare. But it is devastating to understand that Feleség and Férj will go on living it.
Something must also be said about the way the dance scene is shot. The restless moving camera, Judit Pogány’s sustained performance of quiet anguish as she watches her husband and everyone else enjoying themselves. It all adds up to a cinematic moment that I will forever carry in my soul. Watch it below - would love to hear what you think of it.
P.S. If you’re a fan of demanding films, outstanding on-screen performances, and inspiring cinematography, take a trip into Tarr’s universe.