Meshes of the Afternoon

(Giorgio de Chirico, Mystère et mélancolie d'une rue, 1914)

We can briefly note the back of a person somewhere on the right. A person dressed as a nun, a black mantle with a hood: passing the street, taking the corner, disappearing.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house, holding the flower in her hand. We can see only her shadow on the wall.

She's unlocking, going inside.

Maya' s going toward the stairs to the bedroom. The phone is lying on the stairs out of cradle. She is passing around it and continues her way up the stairs to the bedroom. We can see only her shadow.
The bed is in a mess. The black veil is moving slowly in front of the open window.
She's going down to the living room. We can see only her shadow. A gramophone is on a small table near an armchair. The gramophone is running, without a sound. She's stopping it.
She's sitting down in the armchair, closing her eyes.
The story seems to move behind her eyelids.

Maya is following the nun. Now we can see her, no more her shadow. The nun is taking the corner, disappears.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house. She's pushing the door, going in.
She's advancing to the stairs inside. The huge knife is lying on the stairs. She is passing around it and continues her way up the stairs to the bedroom.
The bed is in a mess, the phone is lying on the bed, out of cradle. We can spot the shadow of the huge knife under the quilt.

She's going down to the living room.
The gramophone is there, on the small table near the armchair. The gramophone is running, without a sound. She's stopping it.
The first Maya is still lying in the armchair, seemingly dreaming.
The second Maya is at the window, watching the street where...

Maya is following the nun. The nun is taking the corner, disappears.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house.
The Maya that is at the window shows the key between her lips.

Meanwhile the Maya from the door is pushing the handle, going in.
The huge knife is lying on the small table near the armchair where the first Maya is sleeping.
The person dressed as a nun is raising the stairs up to the bedroom, holding the flower in her hand.

The person dressed as a nun enters the bedroom. The bed is in a mess. She is laying the flower on the bed. There is no face under her hood, but a small mirror.
Maya is still lying in the armchair. The new Maya is watching her from somewhere near the ceiling. Then she is approaching the window, watching the street where...
The person dressed as a nun is passing the street, holding the flower in her hand. We see her from the back. She's turning her face toward us, we can see that there is no face under her hood, but void. Void, or a mirror?
Maya is following the nun. The nun is taking the corner, disappears.
Maya is taking the stairs up to her house.

She's playing with the key, between the lips, in her hand, between the lips, in her hand.
The key becomes a huge knife, the huge knife becomes a key, the key becomes a huge knife, the huge knife becomes a key.
Meanwhile the Maya from the door is pushing the handle, going in.

The first Maya is still lying in the armchair.
The three clones are watching the huge knife that is lying on the table. The huge knife becomes a key. The key becomes a huge knife. The huge knife becomes a key. The key becomes a huge knife. They look at each other more and more horrified.

Maya opens the eyes, and notes her clone with the huge knife just near her throat.
The clone becomes suddenly a man, Alexander Hammid, Maya's husband. He's bowing towards Maya.

The man is again out, taking the stairs up to the house. The flower is lying on the stairs. The man is taking the flower, opens the door and goes in. There are newspapers in a mess on the floor. Maya is lying on the armchair. She's dead. Her throw has just been cut and blood is still flowing.
(video by Supercinema77)
(Maya's Song)
Labels: Chirico, Maya Deren
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