“Tonight When The Moon Rises The Whole World Will Turn To Silver”
That is a line from the radio transmission heard by No.6 whilst sitting on the outlook atop of the cliffs. It has been assumed, by me amongst others as well as No.6, for it was that message which sent him down to the beach looking for a sign from his world. A light, a boat, a plane, that the message was meant for the dead man found on the beach. Well of course it might have been, but clearly that radio message was not meant for No.6, and perhaps it wasn't even meant for the dead man on the beach.
Because if you look at one particular line contained within that message "If our torment is to end, if liberty is to be restored, we must grasp the nettle even though it makes our hands bleed" which suggests that the message might be transmitted somewhere within the Village, as it contains words such as "torment" and "liberty." Is it not more likely that whilst No.6 was tuning in that radio, he picked up a message transmitted from a country somewhere behind the Iron Curtain, Hungary Bulgaria
I'll be seeing you
The message content of course is ambivalent and, most likely, wasn't directed to No. 6 himself. No one could have foreseen he'd find a radio. Not so its use in that scene placed purposefully by the script. - BCNU!
ReplyDeleteHello Arno,
DeleteQuite right, the message wasn't purposely directed at No.6. No.6 was down on the beach simply on the off chance of someone turning up, or at least to see a sign from his world.
To my mind the message N.6 heard on the radio was meant for No.34, the man No.6 found dead in the water. Who was possibly a plant in the Village, seeing as it was No.34 who had possession of the radio in the first place!
Very Kind regards
David
BCNU
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteI think there might be some more connections to the film Orphée apart from the idea for the subscripted messages. In Orphee the writer (Orphée) recieved such messages from a dead artist to lure him. Dead herself makes the artist send those messages because she adores Orpheus. The writer would collect those lines to write them down as his own lyrics, in fact he became addicted to them. Those lines heard in this episode might be of the same origin. They seem to tell the prisoner what he wants to hear. Also, just like in Orphée the radio becomes the source of all further troubles and the reason for his own rendezvous with death.
Best wishes,
Jana
BCNU
Hello Jana,
DeleteI have not seen the film 'Orphee.' But 'Orpheus In The Underworld,' yes parallels between this and 'Dance of the Dead' have been drawn before. And interesting comment.
Sorry I am not on top form at all today, didn't have a good night, in fact it was an awful night, and the day has not improved my health!
Very kind regards
David
BCNU