An American Rhapsody, a film

[amicus]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_Rhapsody

“…An American Rhapsody is a 2001 motion picture that tells a story of 15-year-old American girl from a Hungarian immigrant family. The film is based on the true story of the director, Eva Gardos who also wrote the script.
The film stars Nastassja Kinski, Scarlett Johansson and others.

Synopsis
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
In 1950, a Hungarian couple, Peter and Margit, are forced to flee from the oppressive communist country for the USA with their eldest daughter Maria, but are forced to leave behind their infant daughter Suzanne who is raised by kindly foster couple. 6 years later, Peter and Margit arrange for the American Red Cross to bring Suzanne to their new home in Los Angeles where the perplexed youth is forced to accept her sudden change in home and country which leads to a troubled growing up. At age 15, the rebelious and unsure-of-herself Suzanne tries to come to terms with her roots and decides to travel back to Budapest, Hungary to find her true identity…”

~~~

I keep track of the offerings of the International Film Channel, always hoping to find something new and interesting to watch.

This particular film I had seen portions of twice before at various times, but this time watched in its entirety. I confess I was drawn by Natassaja Kinski and Scarlett Johannson, the leading actresses, both of whom I admire.

I didn’t think the film was particularly well done and confusing in some parts but somewhere along the way I had a small epiphany of sorts.

It is a tenuous connection and best and if I am able to relate it in words, I am certain you will reject it out of hand, but that is quite all right.

I have long questioned the almost polar mindsets of myself and the Europeans and European wannabees on this forum.(hi charlie & Lauren)

Not just the political differences but the artistic and literary ones also.

Generation upon generations, centuries of life lived under one form of totalitarian control in one or more aspects, Kings and Queens, Popes, Dictators, entrenched class structures notwithstanding; I finally had a clue as to why Europeans are different and will remain so.

One line in particular which I paraphrase, “we make fantasies and fairy stories to tell our children so they can at least imagine a ‘better life’”

Scarlett Johannson played the part of a girl sent to America as a child to escape Soviet Hungary. She is unhappy in America, seeking her true roots in Budapest with her ancestors and returns there at age fifteen or sixteen to discover her true self.

Quite different than the brash, shallow, fast paced life in America, she saw the ancient beauty and ritual of her homeland and her people and I felt the film could have turned in either direction at that point.

In a nutshell, to sum this up, I conclude that Europe is mired in the past in terms of an obedience mindset, acquiescing to power and order and seeking more and more control as a matter of survival.

I got a glimpse of just how alien American Independence must appear to most Europeans and it rather startled me.

This is in the most general of terms, of course, and by no means absolute and subject to many, many variations of theme along the way.

Reject the theme out of hand if you will, but if I have communicated just the glimmer of the conclusion well enough, perhaps a few will consider it and offer expanding ideas.

Then…perhaps not…


Amicus…

 

[amicus]

Fifteen visits and no comments...I thought at least there would be some fans of Kinski or Johannson...sighs...


amicus...

 

[Liar]

Fifteen visits and no comments...I thought at least there would be some fans of Kinski or Johannson...sighs...


amicus...

Haven't seen the movie, so I can't comment on that.

And your musings on the European zeitgeist takes a little bit more conscous thought to adress than I can muster right now. I'm in the middle of BA home stretch and my head is bogged down by cultural assessment norm theory. Bleah.

 

[CharleyH]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_American_Rhapsody

“…An American Rhapsody is a 2001 motion picture that tells a story of 15-year-old American girl from a Hungarian immigrant family. The film is based on the true story of the director, Eva Gardos who also wrote the script.
The film stars Nastassja Kinski, Scarlett Johansson and others.


This is in the most general of terms, of course, and by no means absolute and subject to many, many variations of theme along the way.

Reject the theme out of hand if you will, but if I have communicated just the glimmer of the conclusion well enough, perhaps a few will consider it and offer expanding ideas.

Then…perhaps not…

Amicus…

To set the record straight, Ami, I am a wannabe European and Lauren IS ONE without the wannabe part.

I have not seen this film and am a Kinski fan, so I am a little surprised that I haven't (especially since it's a 2001 release) even come across it. On the other hand my local Blokebuster, as much as it had a foreign section, did not have much of one, and a person like me was hard pressed to find Ingmar Bergman let alone Hungarian filmmakers like Gárdos.

Anyhow, you pick out this one quote to assert your opinion on why "Europeans are different and will remain so," (aside: I am not European, but my grands on mom's side come from Hungary/Germany) and which I find interesting

One line in particular which I paraphrase, “we make fantasies and fairy stories to tell our children so they can at least imagine a ‘better life’

I understand your point about the ancient beauty and ritual in Europe because coming from Canada (and I will just say North America from now on) there is no ancient beauty and little ritual or tradition because North America is a modern continent (despite what the KKK and old money folks et al want to think) made up of hundreds of different cultures and religions from every corner of the earth and in this way, as aside, North America is unique and this is part of it's draw and charm. Indeed, it is a part of the "American Dream" to make a new start.

When it comes to Europe, there is a certain beauty in tradition and what's awesome about it is how tradition continues to play a part of life even as culture evolves. It reminds me of the survival of Judaism over the ages, which I find equally and even more fascinating. I am not certain North America, as a people, truly have a common sense of tradition, ancestry and brotherhood bond that is enduring and in this way, one wonders if America will actually survive time.

Anyhow, my 2 cents for now.

 

[gauchecritic]

I have long questioned the almost polar mindsets of myself and the Europeans and European wannabees on this forum.(hi charlie & Lauren)

Interesting that you put this in disparaging terms rather than seeing it as a symptom. Lots of people feel a requirement of belonging to history, it's often what defines us and our culture. The 'New World' simply cannot compete in terms of roots and a sense of evolution that lies beneath the 'arrogance' of European, Asian or far eastern modernness. For modernness read culture.

The US might very well "have it all" but it is built on sand. There's no historical foundation.

Generation upon generations, centuries of life lived under one form of totalitarian control in one or more aspects, Kings and Queens, Popes, Dictators, entrenched class structures notwithstanding; I finally had a clue as to why Europeans are different and will remain so.

You neglect to mention (not that you should, but history actually gives us Europeans this) the fact of daily life. Dictators, despots or benignities make absolutely no difference to the farmer and his family. The fields still need to be ploughed, the pigs fed and the eggs collected. There aren't many generations gone by that the majority of Europeans can look back less than the entire history of the US and find forebears that worked the land for generation after generation.

The US was born with railways, guns and savagery.

One line in particular which I paraphrase, “we make fantasies and fairy stories to tell our children so they can at least imagine a ‘better life’”

In the second half of the 20th C. these fantasies took the form of Dallas & Dynasty, Friends, Seinfeld and The OC. There's no difference there.

In a nutshell, to sum this up, I conclude that Europe is mired in the past in terms of an obedience mindset, acquiescing to power and order and seeking more and more control as a matter of survival.

You say mired, I say founded on. Survival (as I mentioned before) is about ploughing the fields and feeding the family.

I got a glimpse of just how alien American Independence must appear to most Europeans and it rather startled me.

Amicus…

It really isn't the independence that we take any note of. It's the brashness and 'weightless' way that your country gads about, seemingly without any thought at all about consequence. We know about consequence.

More than likely, you have a pretty decent appreciation of how we Europeans feel if you think back to the 'cold war'. Now there was an 'empire' not 50 years old much less 150, that kept beating you to the punch at every technological turn. (the space race) and with inferior technology but greater daring.

 

[CharleyH]

The US might very well "have it all" but it is built on sand. There's no historical foundation.

Cliche' but true

 

[amicus]

To set the record straight, Ami, I am a wannabe European and Lauren IS ONE without the wannabe part.

I have not seen this film and am a Kinski fan, so I am a little surprised that I haven't (especially since it's a 2001 release) even come across it. On the other hand my local Blokebuster, as much as it had a foreign section, did not have much of one, and a person like me was hard pressed to find Ingmar Bergman let alone Hungarian filmmakers like Gárdos.

Anyhow, you pick out this one quote to assert your opinion on why "Europeans are different and will remain so," (aside: I am not European, but my grands on mom's side come from Hungary/Germany) and which I find interesting

I understand your point about the ancient beauty and ritual in Europe because coming from Canada (and I will just say North America from now on) there is no ancient beauty and little ritual or tradition because North America is a modern continent (despite what the KKK and old money folks et al want to think) made up of hundreds of different cultures and religions from every corner of the earth and in this way, as aside, North America is unique and this is part of it's draw and charm. Indeed, it is a part of the "American Dream" to make a new start.

When it comes to Europe, there is a certain beauty in tradition and what's awesome about it is how tradition continues to play a part of life even as culture evolves. It reminds me of the survival of Judaism over the ages, which I find equally and even more fascinating. I am not certain North America, as a people, truly have a common sense of tradition, ancestry and brotherhood bond that is enduring and in this way, one wonders if America will actually survive time.

Anyhow, my 2 cents for now.

~~~

Thanks Liar...good luck on your final semester...

Hi Charlie, thank you also for taking the time. I was partly on of your stories I read that came to mind as I watched this film and had the thoughts, your descriptions of a 'castle-like' interior and grounds I think and also, the decadence of the class system supporting the opulent and lavish lifestyle of those you wrote about.

My apologies to Lauren as I suspect a 'North American' is about the last thing she would want to be.

I think you did get the gist of my post, although I see that you and Gauche obviously both disagree with my conclusions such as they were.

I did fail to administer the coup-de-gras in my presentation however thus I must make another assault as I truly think I have a grasp on an idea with some import.

Almost all of the culture of North and for that matter, South America came from the old world and I am first in line to acknowledge the contributions of the ancient Chinese, Persians, Greeks and even Dark Age Europeans.

Exploration and discovery played a large role, what with trade routes and commodities exchanged all over the known world, disseminating aspects of various cultures in all directions.

So much has been written about the Kings and Queens of Europe, Court life, love and intrigue and about Rome and the Vatican, Popes and the relationship with neighboring nations, Dukes and Grand Dukes, conflicts and wars lasting decades, hatreds generations and centuries. The 'old world' concepts are romanticized, I think, by writers and artists of all kind and when I look into the motivations behind the art and the poetry, I sense a 'yearning' to return to those glorious days.

A brief digression here that will add support to my point; there are a few other films about American girls going to Europe to marry a Prince and the general, underlying theme is always the same, brash uncultured Americans and fancy ritual driven cultured Europeans.

It really is an amazing thing, to look back on the Colonization era of European powers in the last several centuries and realize that the sun truly never did set on European influence around the world.

The Spanish, Portuguese and Germans transported culture and Catholicism to South and Central America, the Dutch and French to not just the South Pacific and Asia, but to Africa as well.

Perhaps because of the unique location of the American continents, isolated from the rest of the civilized world (sorry Cloudy), the mixture had different ingredients absent those strong and entrenched peoples of the old world in general.

Be that as it may, and not to beat a dead horse here; after much struggle in the 'new world' America left behind the Kings and Queens, the Guilds, the Royal families and the Class structure of inherited wealth and, most importantly, the cruel power of mandatory state religion.

I often call upon the words of the Declaration of Independence as a key factor in determining the budding future of this former colony and there is truth in that, but not the whole truth as the concepts were known long before that.

I flashed upon a whole generation of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway and many others, who glorified European culture and the shallowness of America in general.

It is unique in all of human history, I think, how these events came together in the thirteen colonies and coalesced into a 'union' of like minded but very dissimilar communities of immigrants from Europe.

It has taken a goodly amount of time, but the other 'bad' things brought from the 'old world'; human slavery and the oppression of women, were also discarded in favor of a more refined understanding of 'individual rights and human liberty'.

It has been said many, many times that the United States is a work in progress, constantly changing and growing, and surely it remains so.

It seems to be mainly the intelligentia of the world that is critical of America, as the general population of the entire world would move here tomorrow if possible.

I think, from time to time, surely these very smart folks here on this forum do not really yearn for a King and Queen again? Surely they do not want to oppress women as in the middle east; surely they do not want all private property to became the province of the state to administer?

So what is it, Charlie, that you and so many others yearn for that Europe has and America does not?

The security of a well ordered 'class system', wherein every citizen knows his 'proper place' in the scheme of things? Where religion and ritual plays a daily role in their lives?

The economic discussion, while fundamental in this exhortation is one I choose not to deal with at this moment although I perhaps should.

Suffice it to say that an economic system reflects a society's vision and practice of individual rights and liberties.

There are far too many variables involved for anyone to accurately predict of forecast the future. However, lacking a major natural disaster, a new ice age or climate change events, the United States will continue to remain 'the' world power in all aspects of human civilization.

There is a time coming soon, I think, wherein American's will be called upon to examine their roots and reinforce those values that brought us to center stage.

The key element will be a reinstitution of the concepts, 'of, for and by the people..' it is that aspect of America that Europeans and most of the rest of the world simply don't understand.

Without the centuries of culture and custom you find it impossible to see how those basic guiding principles of this Republic can be renewed every four years, again and again with violence and conflict.

But they are, and will be.

amicus...

 

[amicus]

Interesting that you put this in disparaging terms rather than seeing it as a symptom. Lots of people feel a requirement of belonging to history, it's often what defines us and our culture. The 'New World' simply cannot compete in terms of roots and a sense of evolution that lies beneath the 'arrogance' of European, Asian or far eastern modernness. For modernness read culture.

The US might very well "have it all" but it is built on sand. There's no historical foundation.



You neglect to mention (not that you should, but history actually gives us Europeans this) the fact of daily life. Dictators, despots or benignities make absolutely no difference to the farmer and his family. The fields still need to be ploughed, the pigs fed and the eggs collected. There aren't many generations gone by that the majority of Europeans can look back less than the entire history of the US and find forebears that worked the land for generation after generation.

The US was born with railways, guns and savagery.



In the second half of the 20th C. these fantasies took the form of Dallas & Dynasty, Friends, Seinfeld and The OC. There's no difference there.



You say mired, I say founded on. Survival (as I mentioned before) is about ploughing the fields and feeding the family.




It really isn't the independence that we take any note of. It's the brashness and 'weightless' way that your country gads about, seemingly without any thought at all about consequence. We know about consequence.

More than likely, you have a pretty decent appreciation of how we Europeans feel if you think back to the 'cold war'. Now there was an 'empire' not 50 years old much less 150, that kept beating you to the punch at every technological turn. (the space race) and with inferior technology but greater daring.

~~~

Hello Gauche and thank you for the comments.

The overall tone of your post is at least consistent with most of what you write in regards to my ideas and that is comforting, I suppose, but hardly surprising.

However, my dear, your slip is showing a bit here in your continual reference to minding the fields and the beasts. You expose what I have many times pointed out as a love affair with pastoral, agricultural motivations about society in general and the lore of living on the land and flourishing.

It is an era long gone and not to return.

As for American culture being 'built on sand' as you said and Charlie agreed; you could not be more wrong.

The 'sand' of a nation is not as you imply, the foundation of the Church or Royalty, or communal ownership of the means of production. Far from it.

The 'foundation' of the United States of America is the codification of the right of each man to his own life. The recognition that human life, the basic value is protected and cherished here.

And while the continents may shift and crumble, those concepts of human liberty will travel into the stars as a heritage of America.

As far as the 'cold war' and the former Soviet Union, I can only surmise you speak in jest as the graveyard of the human spirit that was once Russia was disemboweled by communism.

The Russian people have a marvelous pre communist history of art and music and literature and challenged the early modern world as the center of culture.

Your snide comment about American culture being reflected by soap opera television is also a slip showing event as one can surmise where you learned about the United States, by watching the tube.


Oh, yes, the 'space race'; the Soviets kidnapped more of the German scientists than immigrated to the US. The Russian communists couldn't even produce enough food on the collectives to feed their own people and sold the industrial foundation of a dozen eastern European nations so they could buy American wheat and beets.

amicus....

 

[gauchecritic]

Your snide comment about American culture being reflected by soap opera television is also a slip showing event as one can surmise where you learned about the United States, by watching the tube.
amicus....

No it wasn't snide MiAmico. It was purely reference to tales of 'a better life'. In the new world they're passed on through TV, instead of orally. Tales of morality or aspiration, just a different medium.

 

[CharleyH]

~~~

Thanks Liar...good luck on your final semester...

Hi Charlie, thank you also for taking the time. I was partly on of your stories I read that came to mind as I watched this film and had the thoughts, your descriptions of a 'castle-like' interior and grounds I think and also, the decadence of the class system supporting the opulent and lavish lifestyle of those you wrote about.

My apologies to Lauren as I suspect a 'North American' is about the last thing she would want to be.

I think you did get the gist of my post, although I see that you and Gauche obviously both disagree with my conclusions such as they were.

I did fail to administer the coup-de-gras in my presentation however thus I must make another assault as I truly think I have a grasp on an idea with some import.

Almost all of the culture of North and for that matter, South America came from the old world and I am first in line to acknowledge the contributions of the ancient Chinese, Persians, Greeks and even Dark Age Europeans.

Exploration and discovery played a large role, what with trade routes and commodities exchanged all over the known world, disseminating aspects of various cultures in all directions.

So much has been written about the Kings and Queens of Europe, Court life, love and intrigue and about Rome and the Vatican, Popes and the relationship with neighboring nations, Dukes and Grand Dukes, conflicts and wars lasting decades, hatreds generations and centuries. The 'old world' concepts are romanticized, I think, by writers and artists of all kind and when I look into the motivations behind the art and the poetry, I sense a 'yearning' to return to those glorious days.

A brief digression here that will add support to my point; there are a few other films about American girls going to Europe to marry a Prince and the general, underlying theme is always the same, brash uncultured Americans and fancy ritual driven cultured Europeans.

It really is an amazing thing, to look back on the Colonization era of European powers in the last several centuries and realize that the sun truly never did set on European influence around the world.

The Spanish, Portuguese and Germans transported culture and Catholicism to South and Central America, the Dutch and French to not just the South Pacific and Asia, but to Africa as well.

Perhaps because of the unique location of the American continents, isolated from the rest of the civilized world (sorry Cloudy), the mixture had different ingredients absent those strong and entrenched peoples of the old world in general.

Be that as it may, and not to beat a dead horse here; after much struggle in the 'new world' America left behind the Kings and Queens, the Guilds, the Royal families and the Class structure of inherited wealth and, most importantly, the cruel power of mandatory state religion.

I often call upon the words of the Declaration of Independence as a key factor in determining the budding future of this former colony and there is truth in that, but not the whole truth as the concepts were known long before that.

I flashed upon a whole generation of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway and many others, who glorified European culture and the shallowness of America in general.

It is unique in all of human history, I think, how these events came together in the thirteen colonies and coalesced into a 'union' of like minded but very dissimilar communities of immigrants from Europe.

It has taken a goodly amount of time, but the other 'bad' things brought from the 'old world'; human slavery and the oppression of women, were also discarded in favor of a more refined understanding of 'individual rights and human liberty'.

It has been said many, many times that the United States is a work in progress, constantly changing and growing, and surely it remains so.

It seems to be mainly the intelligentia of the world that is critical of America, as the general population of the entire world would move here tomorrow if possible.

I think, from time to time, surely these very smart folks here on this forum do not really yearn for a King and Queen again? Surely they do not want to oppress women as in the middle east; surely they do not want all private property to became the province of the state to administer?

So what is it, Charlie, that you and so many others yearn for that Europe has and America does not?

The security of a well ordered 'class system', wherein every citizen knows his 'proper place' in the scheme of things? Where religion and ritual plays a daily role in their lives?

The economic discussion, while fundamental in this exhortation is one I choose not to deal with at this moment although I perhaps should.

Suffice it to say that an economic system reflects a society's vision and practice of individual rights and liberties.

There are far too many variables involved for anyone to accurately predict of forecast the future. However, lacking a major natural disaster, a new ice age or climate change events, the United States will continue to remain 'the' world power in all aspects of human civilization.

There is a time coming soon, I think, wherein American's will be called upon to examine their roots and reinforce those values that brought us to center stage.

The key element will be a reinstitution of the concepts, 'of, for and by the people..' it is that aspect of America that Europeans and most of the rest of the world simply don't understand.

Without the centuries of culture and custom you find it impossible to see how those basic guiding principles of this Republic can be renewed every four years, again and again with violence and conflict.

But they are, and will be.

amicus...

Thank you for your response, Ami (more than I expected). I really do 'get you' and I am not so sure we are disagreeing (not me and you and probably not Gauche, either, but I can't speak for him as I know he thinks me blonde - lol ). I am not sure we ever "really" do disagree, yet I think we have different ways of communicating our opinions.

I know that the Americas are made up of cross cultures and it is what makes the Americas unique - much more unique than any European country that I can currently think of. You began your post by discussing a movie and one I have not personally seen, but you do inspire me to see it.

Aside from movies, I think you must be a bit disillusioned to think that America is "THE" world power any more. Certainly, if world power equals economics, America pales. If world power equals a democratic vote (democracy, you know) then I do not think that the USA would be the top choice on anyone's list. When it comes to the military? Sure, the US is tops, primo and premium, but if the government is putting their mighty dollar there, well, what does that say about "of, for and by the people?" Not much.

You ask me: "So what is it, Charlie, that you and so many others yearn for that Europe has and America does not?"

Well, Europe doesn't have an attitude problem and that's a start. Seriously ... Europe is a place where all men are created equal and endowed with certain unalienable rights, such as Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. I am not so certain that the same could be said in the Americas.