Subject
New Laughter in the Dark film (fwd)
Date
Body
To: Vladimir Nabokov Forum <NABOKV-L@UCSBVM.ucsb.edu>
Subject: New Laughter in the Dark film
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Peter A. Kartsev" <petr@glas.apc.org>
"New" is relative, but I don't think the film was ever mentioned
before on this forum. It was made in Azerbaijan in 1995 by Ayaz
Salaev. The plot was transferred to Baku in the 20s. The title
was changed. I don't know Azerbaijani, but it was something that
in Russian meant "Letuchaya mysh'" - and that's rather more poetic
and less sinister than the English equivalent, "The Bat". The film
was shown at the Berlin Film Festival either the same year, or a
year later. A friend who saw it (and who is responsible for the
authenticity of all this information) says that the plot also
utilized elements from "Mateo Falcone", a novella by Mirimie,
from something by Thomas Mann, and from various other works.
I don't know what to make of it. The same friend says,
understandably, that it was pretentious nonsense, but apparently
there were also critics who acclaimed it as a masterpiece.
--
Peter A. Kartsev
Moscow, Russia
Phone: (095) 471-5457
E-mail: petr@glas.apc.org
En cada instante puede revelarte su amor Helena de Troya. -- JLB
---------------------------------------
EDITOR's Comment. As an aside, I mention that there is also a published
dramatic version of LD in Vietnamese.
Subject: New Laughter in the Dark film
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "Peter A. Kartsev" <petr@glas.apc.org>
"New" is relative, but I don't think the film was ever mentioned
before on this forum. It was made in Azerbaijan in 1995 by Ayaz
Salaev. The plot was transferred to Baku in the 20s. The title
was changed. I don't know Azerbaijani, but it was something that
in Russian meant "Letuchaya mysh'" - and that's rather more poetic
and less sinister than the English equivalent, "The Bat". The film
was shown at the Berlin Film Festival either the same year, or a
year later. A friend who saw it (and who is responsible for the
authenticity of all this information) says that the plot also
utilized elements from "Mateo Falcone", a novella by Mirimie,
from something by Thomas Mann, and from various other works.
I don't know what to make of it. The same friend says,
understandably, that it was pretentious nonsense, but apparently
there were also critics who acclaimed it as a masterpiece.
--
Peter A. Kartsev
Moscow, Russia
Phone: (095) 471-5457
E-mail: petr@glas.apc.org
En cada instante puede revelarte su amor Helena de Troya. -- JLB
---------------------------------------
EDITOR's Comment. As an aside, I mention that there is also a published
dramatic version of LD in Vietnamese.