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Post by denise on Sept 29, 2020 20:23:02 GMT
I recently found an article that was published in the French film journal Positif in May 1998. It was written by Mago, whom Jerry hired for the set and costume design. He reminisced about his experiences working on the film that was never released. Below is my translation. As always, I ask you not to re-post this elsewhere.
Note: below is an improved translation, now that I have the original German as Mago wrote it. When I translated the Positif article from French, I did not yet know that I could obtain Mago's original text.
translation Memories of a film that was nev....pdf (101.58 KB)
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Post by Classickat on Sept 30, 2020 10:50:01 GMT
Wow a very important article and insight into the set design and atmosphere! Thank you!
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Post by Jessica on Sept 30, 2020 20:27:17 GMT
Thank you for the translation, Denise! There is also brief radio interview with Mago I have heard where he mentioned that Jerry had taken one of his sketches and signed his name on it, which he wasn't very pleased about. He said something Overall, he seemed to have had a good experience.
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Post by anarchistemma on Oct 1, 2020 14:17:14 GMT
thank you for this translation. truly more american audiences should know the story and details of this film and JL’s pioneering bravery to attempt it.
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Post by denise on Oct 2, 2020 16:13:13 GMT
Jessica: Thanks for that remark. I've now been able to track down and order the article in the original German, which I know a lot better than French! So an improved translation is forthcoming. The French text uses the words "tamponner" and "tampon" in describing that situation where Jerry did something to Mago's sketches. Not the words for "sign" or "signature" or "sticker" or "initialed". So I was pretty confused as to how to translate it halfway correctly. But you motivated me to search for the original article, which Mago wrote in German.
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Post by Jessica on Oct 2, 2020 16:17:39 GMT
Jessica : Thanks for that remark. I've now been able to track down and order the article in the original German, which I know a lot better than French! So an improved translation is forthcoming. The French text uses the words "tamponner" and "tampon" in describing that situation where Jerry did something to Mago's sketches. Not the words for "sign" or "signature" or "sticker" or "initialed". So I was pretty confused as to how to translate it halfway correctly. But you motivated me to search for the original article, which Mago wrote in German. Oh, that's great! Looking forward to see the german article. Translating can be so confusing at times when they use such unusual words to describe things.
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Post by denise on Oct 5, 2020 10:30:06 GMT
Jessica: I now have the original article in German. And I was right - the German also says "stamp", as in rubber stamp. Literally, the text reads: "Plötzlich hatte er einen Stempel gezückt und ihn auf die oberste Zeichnung gedrückt. Ehe ich es verhindern konnte, war auch die zweite bestempelt." Meaning, Jerry stamped Mago's drawings, although the text does not reveal what the little stamp said. At any rate, Mago was shocked, he had never experienced that before, not even from the great Bergman. In my original posting above, I replaced the old translation with the new one.
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Post by Jessica on Oct 5, 2020 18:30:47 GMT
Jessica : I now have the original article in German. And I was right - the German also says "stamp", as in rubber stamp. Literally, the text reads: "Plötzlich hatte er einen Stempel gezückt und ihn auf die oberste Zeichnung gedrückt. Ehe ich es verhindern konnte, war auch die zweite bestempelt." Meaning, Jerry stamped Mago's drawings, although the text does not reveal what the little stamp said. At any rate, Mago was shocked, he had never experienced that before, not even from the great Bergman. In my original posting above, I replaced the old translation with the new one. In the interview I heard, which was made in swedish, Mago also just mentioned that Jerry "stamped" his drawings. It was the interviewer who revealed that it had Jerry's signature and date on it. They only played a very brief clip of the interview. It's understandable it becomes difficult to translate when it is unlear what they even mean in the first place. I'm glad you were able to correct it. 
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Post by denise on Apr 12, 2022 7:16:53 GMT
Jessica : I happened to have another look today at Mago's original article in German, and I found one of his original sketches with Jerry's little stamp on it!

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