From self-colonisation to conquest in Eastern European postcommunist musicals

ABSTRACT

This article examines four Eastern European musicals made during the period of postcommunism, but presenting life under state socialism, Czech Šakali leta (Big Beat, 1993), directed by Jan Hřebejk, Hungarian Made in Hungaria (2009), directed by Gergely Fonyó, and two Polish films, Córki dancingu (The Lure, 2015), directed by Agnieszka Smoczyńska and Zimna wojna (Cold War, 2018), directed by Paweł Pawlikowski, from the perspective of their attitude to both western and their own culture and popular music. The argument is that each film assesses this culture differently and this assessment can be seen as a reflection of the period when these films were made and which they depict, the aspect of Western culture they focus on, as well as the position of indigenous popular music in the communist period. An additional reason to put these films together is that they use the trope of somebody returning to his native country from the real or imaginary West. The piece draws on the history of Eastern Europe and its popular music and the concept of self-colonisation.

KEYWORDS:

• Eastern European musical
• self-colonisation
• Jan Hřebejk
• Gergely Fonyó
• Agnieszka Smoczyńska
• Paweł Pawlikowski

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Their value lies not only in supporting the narrative, but also working as music clips which can be watched repeatedly on YouTube. Made in Hungaria tapped into such watching habits and reaped the reward.

2. The name is a reference to the first volume of poems by the Polish poet Adam Mickiewicz, whose publication in 1822 is regarded as a symbolic beginning of Polish Romanticism.

3. In the Polish documentary Beats of Freedom (2010), directed by Wojciech Gnoiński and Leszek Słota we find an opinion that people like Edward Gierek (the Party leader in the 1970s) did not like rock; their favourite music was that of Boney M.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ewa Mazierska

Ewa Mazierska is professor of film studies at the University of Central Lancashire. She has published over 30 monographs and edited collections of film and popular music, focusing on Eastern European and British cinema and music. Email: [email protected]