SCREENING SPACE IN FILM ADAPTATIONS OF ESTONIAN HISTORICAL FICTION: “THE LAST RELIC” (1969) AND “BETWEEN THREE PLAGUES” (1970) Cover Image

SCREENING SPACE IN FILM ADAPTATIONS OF ESTONIAN HISTORICAL FICTION: “THE LAST RELIC” (1969) AND “BETWEEN THREE PLAGUES” (1970)
SCREENING SPACE IN FILM ADAPTATIONS OF ESTONIAN HISTORICAL FICTION: “THE LAST RELIC” (1969) AND “BETWEEN THREE PLAGUES” (1970)

Author(s): Eva Näripea
Subject(s): Cultural history, Estonian Literature, Evaluation research, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
Published by: Latvijas Kultūras akadēmija
Keywords: Estonian cinema; heritage film; spatial representations; “The Last Relic” (Viimne reliikvia 1969); “Between Three Plagues” (Kolme katku vahel 1970);

Summary/Abstract: This article analyses the spatial representations of “The Last Relic” (Viimne reliikvia, Grigori Kromanov, 1969) and “Between Three Plagues” (Kolme katku vahel, Virve Aruoja, 1970). While almost diametrically different in terms of intention, execution and reception, the films exemplify the complex interplay of the past and the present that is typical to screen adaptations of historical fiction. “The Last Relic” and “Between Three Plagues” belong to the same wave of cinematic works that was inspired by debates on the architectural heritage of Tallinn’s Old Town in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Using this historical urban environment, as well as its broader field of connotations, as a central point of reference, the films provide intriguing critiques of the late Soviet period that was characterised by negotiations of power, identity and history. As specimens of the heritage film genre, “The Last Relic” and “Between Three Plagues” open up a room for discussing the discursive intricacies of narrating the nation, demonstrating that industrial conditions, audio-visual structures and ideological undercurrents can sometimes lead to unexpected, even conflicting constellations.

  • Issue Year: 14/2019
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 81-91
  • Page Count: 11
  • Language: English
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