GLORY
Bulgaria, 2016, 101 minutes, Colour.
Stefan Denolyubov, Margita Gosheva.
Directed by Christina Groseva, Petar Valchanov.
Glory is an interesting drama about integrity and political corruption. The setting is Bulgaria, a city, a small town, railway tracks, shared accommodation for the workers.
The central character is a worker who on his inspection of the lines discovers money. He makes the decision to hand it over to the authorities. While this does have some significant consequences for him as he is feted as something of a hero, there are also some dire consequences where, while is being promoted by the authorities, he is left alone and his watch disappears.
This might seem insignificant in itself, it is important for the man who pursues the case, is in trouble with the woman who is in charge of the whole affair and who tries to cover it up, eventually going to visit the man at his home and trying to make everything smooth. But, with the worker getting headlines, there is criticism of the management of the railways and the lines and his fellow workers attack him.
While the film is contemporary, it also harks back to the bureaucratic days of Communist regimes, totalitarian bosses on the make, exploitation of the workers despite the ideology in favour of them, a depressing society.
1. A Bulgarian story, universal story?
2. The Bulgarian city, the background of shacks compared with apartments, government offices, the railways, the tracks? PR conferences? Bars? TV Studios? The musical score?
3. The title, the irony that the it referred to the watch? The watch as the core of the opening up of the drama, the tragic dimensions?
4. The opening, time on the phone, setting the watch? the watch as gift of his father? Wearing it? The irony of Julia taking it, losing it, the gift of the new watch and its running slow, digital and difficult? The substitute watch, a fake Glory, running too fast? Julia finding the actual watch in the car, taking it to Tzanko’s house after all the difficulties?
5. Tzanko, rugged look, hair and beard, at home, the rabbits, walking the line, the wrench and the screws, the money, discovering the big haul, his momentary dilemma? His honesty and calling in the situation, the police, the transport ministry and Julia, filming, deciding to make a hero of Tzanko, creating a media stunt – in the light of the journalist exposing corruption in his television programs?
6. Julia, tough talking, PR, her staff, loyal to the minister and saving him, antipathy towards the journalist? Her treatment of her staff, spin doctor, her expertise, tense and angry, blaming others?
7. Julia and her husband, the interview with the doctor, the tests, the option of eggs or embryos, the mutual consent? Her daily injections, her forgetting, her tolerant husband, bringing the injections, her making a fuss? The range of injections, her husband and his consistency? Eventually going to the tests, watching the television and seeing the expose, her leaving, coming back, the reprimand of the doctor, yet the successful embryos?
8. The portrait of Julia’s husband, with the doctor and her continually taking phone calls? Being at her beck and call, the injections, picking up Tzanko, bringing him? The arguments at home, her kissing him? His wanting to have the child? Finally taking her to see Tzanko and waiting in the car – and the radio music playing and the final sound effect of a slamming door?
9. Tzanko’s friendship with the lady at the bar, about how to use the phone, feeding the rabbits? The co-workers at the bar and conversations with him?
10. At the site, the television interview and the realisation that he stammered badly? The crew laughing, editing him? Appearing on television, the hero? The preparation for the event, his getting spruced up, eating in the street, the husband picking him up, all the executives, spilling the drink on his trousers, Julia demanding everybody to volunteer their trousers? Going to the room, the details of the setting, where the cameras were? The boy and his reciting the heroic poem? The speech of the Minister? The award, the new watch after Julia taking his and his anxiety? The photo shoot and the details? The cocktail party, the food and drink? His going to search for the watch? In the toilets, the trousers taken, his waiting?
11. Tzanko and his talking to the Minister, the small talk, giving him information about the fuel and diesel thefts, offering names and dates?
12. The meeting with the journalist?
13. The frustration of his phone calls to the Ministry about the watch, being put on hold, the music, the background with Julia with her staff and putting him off? Tomorrow and tomorrow…? Leaving the watch at reception, his coming in, the fake watch, still trying to phone?
14. His going to the TV station, the journalist using him after their meeting, the drinks? The text, about the Minister, telling him the details, the theft of the diesel? The addition about the watch? Julia watching this on television, her immediate reactions, wanting to see Tzanko, wanting a retraction? Getting the gang of toughs, searching Sanko’s house, planting the money, the threats, urging him to apologise on TV and go free? His doing so?
15. His fellow workers, hearing him on television, his denunciation, that bashing him? Julia and her hearing of the linesman being killed and her anxiety about Tzanko?
16. Her finally going to see him, offering the watch? His head shaven, beard, the bruises? His picking up the piping – and the end of the film? The door slamming on the car? His hitting her? His taking the watch and letting her go free? Or…?
