Possibly the most enigmatic moment of this movie is the final scene. At least that was the subject of discussion when I saw this movie with other members of an informal film society. I will attempt to provide an interpretation of the meaning of the final scene here.
This film's cultural setting and subject matter is an exploration of Greek Orthodox Christian culture, religious history, experience and practices. In addition, there is the historical setting of Greece during the period when under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
The main aspects of Orthodoxy which are explored are the monastic, ascetic practices of the Nunnery and the experiences of Mysticism. The high level of cinematic aestheticism is reflective of mysticism and Orthodox aestheticism, specifically icon paintings, architecture etc.
In particular, emphasis is given to the nexus between asceticism, ecstasy (Anthi's self-harm leading to his/her ecstatic, visionary states) and eroticism. Cf. E.g. Teresa of Avila's self-harming asceticism; the erotic language in which Teresa described the love of Christ that she experienced in her mystical states and visions.
The film features a number of rectangular rooms and spaces which resemble the tomb of Christ. Cells in which the inhabitant is shown sleeping or wounded (i.e. In a deathlike state) and from which they are resurrected.
The Janissary is chained. He is healed and escapes.
Anthi's cell is a scene of regular nocturnal self-harming ascetic practices that are the path to experience mystical visions and dreams. Anthi was an orphan initially sheltered by the nunnery, but the nunnery has become a prison and a tomb from which s/he must escape. Both the Janissary and Anthi find escape and resurrection in the woods near the nunnery. In an earlier dream of Anthi's s/he dreamt of woods and water in a dream in which Salvation and natural imagery were combined.
The imagery of the woods also opens out into a pagan, naturalistic world and reminds us of the pagan elements which have always accompanied and been syncretized into Christianity.
Anthi is intersex as is evidenced by the fact that despite appearing to be his/her late teens, early twenties, Anthi has no facial hair even after spending days in the woods and there are no signs on her/his face of ever having been shaved.
Once the imagery of tombs and resurrection is established, there occurs a scene in which the proud, worldly nun who became pregnant hangs herself. The nun's suicide is immediately followed by a wake - another type of resurrection - performed by the rest of the nuns. The music of the nuns' wake is a heavy, hard rhythmical music of banging metal cups upon the table which perhaps resembles the rhythmic blues of Black Christian USA in a world separated by history and distance but not wholly dissimilar(?).
This brings us to the final chapters of the film leading to the final scene. The Janissary and Anthi choose to turn away from the temporal world entirely and instead head back to the woods and the river. (N. B. at that point, a great deal of wealth had suddenly fallen into their hands. The bag of gold coins; the expensive and difficult to obtain Janissary long-distance scout and pursuit horses in addition to new load-bearing pack horses; the high social-status symbols of the Janissary arms and armour; tents and travelling gear with which they could make good their escape.)
Anthi and the Janissary turn their back on all of this and instead head into the woods.
The eventual physical consummation of their relationship is just as awkward, dissonant and discordant as their relationship has been throughout. On this point - as well on Anthi's gender identity - cf. E.g. Lacan's and Zizek's "there is no sexual relationship".
To be part of a romantic couple is not the object of Anthi's quest. Nor that of the Janissary who runs away and disappears.
Anthi then rises and searches the woods. S/he finds a tree which s/he circles. Her/his face lights up. The camera then shows us what s/he saw that gave her/him the object of her/his quest. S/he sees an image of her/him self looking back as if reflected in an interior mirror. To this point in her/his life there was no unity and identity of self-hood.
S/he then enters into another enclosed space. The hollow of the ancient tree that s/he had been circling. S/he lies down within its embrace in sanctum and in solace. As with the previous spaces, we know s/he will be resurrected and find salvation.
On this note of salvation and rebirth the film ends.
This film's cultural setting and subject matter is an exploration of Greek Orthodox Christian culture, religious history, experience and practices. In addition, there is the historical setting of Greece during the period when under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
The main aspects of Orthodoxy which are explored are the monastic, ascetic practices of the Nunnery and the experiences of Mysticism. The high level of cinematic aestheticism is reflective of mysticism and Orthodox aestheticism, specifically icon paintings, architecture etc.
In particular, emphasis is given to the nexus between asceticism, ecstasy (Anthi's self-harm leading to his/her ecstatic, visionary states) and eroticism. Cf. E.g. Teresa of Avila's self-harming asceticism; the erotic language in which Teresa described the love of Christ that she experienced in her mystical states and visions.
The film features a number of rectangular rooms and spaces which resemble the tomb of Christ. Cells in which the inhabitant is shown sleeping or wounded (i.e. In a deathlike state) and from which they are resurrected.
The Janissary is chained. He is healed and escapes.
Anthi's cell is a scene of regular nocturnal self-harming ascetic practices that are the path to experience mystical visions and dreams. Anthi was an orphan initially sheltered by the nunnery, but the nunnery has become a prison and a tomb from which s/he must escape. Both the Janissary and Anthi find escape and resurrection in the woods near the nunnery. In an earlier dream of Anthi's s/he dreamt of woods and water in a dream in which Salvation and natural imagery were combined.
The imagery of the woods also opens out into a pagan, naturalistic world and reminds us of the pagan elements which have always accompanied and been syncretized into Christianity.
Anthi is intersex as is evidenced by the fact that despite appearing to be his/her late teens, early twenties, Anthi has no facial hair even after spending days in the woods and there are no signs on her/his face of ever having been shaved.
Once the imagery of tombs and resurrection is established, there occurs a scene in which the proud, worldly nun who became pregnant hangs herself. The nun's suicide is immediately followed by a wake - another type of resurrection - performed by the rest of the nuns. The music of the nuns' wake is a heavy, hard rhythmical music of banging metal cups upon the table which perhaps resembles the rhythmic blues of Black Christian USA in a world separated by history and distance but not wholly dissimilar(?).
This brings us to the final chapters of the film leading to the final scene. The Janissary and Anthi choose to turn away from the temporal world entirely and instead head back to the woods and the river. (N. B. at that point, a great deal of wealth had suddenly fallen into their hands. The bag of gold coins; the expensive and difficult to obtain Janissary long-distance scout and pursuit horses in addition to new load-bearing pack horses; the high social-status symbols of the Janissary arms and armour; tents and travelling gear with which they could make good their escape.)
Anthi and the Janissary turn their back on all of this and instead head into the woods.
The eventual physical consummation of their relationship is just as awkward, dissonant and discordant as their relationship has been throughout. On this point - as well on Anthi's gender identity - cf. E.g. Lacan's and Zizek's "there is no sexual relationship".
To be part of a romantic couple is not the object of Anthi's quest. Nor that of the Janissary who runs away and disappears.
Anthi then rises and searches the woods. S/he finds a tree which s/he circles. Her/his face lights up. The camera then shows us what s/he saw that gave her/him the object of her/his quest. S/he sees an image of her/him self looking back as if reflected in an interior mirror. To this point in her/his life there was no unity and identity of self-hood.
S/he then enters into another enclosed space. The hollow of the ancient tree that s/he had been circling. S/he lies down within its embrace in sanctum and in solace. As with the previous spaces, we know s/he will be resurrected and find salvation.
On this note of salvation and rebirth the film ends.