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

Abstract

This article analyses the spatial representations of “The Last Relic” (Viimne reliikvia, Grigori Kromanov, 1969) and “Between Three Plagues” (Kolme katku va? hel, 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 struc- tures and ideological undercurrents can sometimes lead to unexpected, even conflicting constellations.