Recitation...
I just posted and it vanished. Don't know what happened. Anyway, I was asking for anyone else's input on the scene in Fahrenheit 451 where Oskar Werner, as Montag, recites from a book in front of his wife and her friends. This leaves one woman in tears and the rest, including his wife, staring at him strangely. They seem to totally lack any understanding in what he has just done. With the exception, of course, of the one tearful woman. This is a very deep and profound scene and in multiple layers of meaning and message, not only in what Montage is reading, but in the way he reads it. Any input on this?

Before I answer the questions, I must say, I really loved that scene... but I have also one question: Does anyone know what he read?

Hello Forum Members, I'm not sure, but I think that this quote was from a Charles Dickens book "Little Dorritt." This was also a movie, I think starring Alec Guinness. OW's reading of the passage was full of feeling and pathos. It was great. All the best to all, Tina

The book you are referring to is Charles Dickens' "David Copperfield". This is the first book he begins reading. He reads it aloud in the initial scene. The recitation for "Linda" and her friends comes from the same book, but further into it when he is talking about the tragic death of his young wife, "Dora." The point of it was to make the women really feel something; to come out of their synthetic shells, circled round with all those huge television screens and the artificial people thereon. Speaking of this..... Ray Bradbury was really almost psychic...! Look at the mammoth television screens that are around now!!! His vision here is that too much of this overdone self involving "soap opera" business leads to a society of people who have lost their ability to think and reason for themselves! And, presto! what do you have but a nation that is, to a man or woman, completely brainwashed! If we look around the globe today, we can see this kind of brainwashing, sans the technology but sans a good education as well.

Hello Pamela and all other Forum members, I stand corrected, the quote, of course, was from David Copperfield. Thanks for straightening that out Pamela. My mistake.

Thank all of you for answering my question. I still find this one of the most moving scenes in that movie.

Hi, Please, can you help me understand. I did not find the translation could enable me to understand, and I did not find that text in English or in French. Josef Weinheber: Grinzinger Weinsteig (mp3 - 512 KB) http://www.oskarwerner.com/stimme.html I thank you for that assistance. Friendly, Marie-Jeanne

Oh well, to translate that poem will not be easy.. well, not with any translator at all, since this poem is written in dialect...

Hi Nici, :) I found nothing about it. Many thanks if you try to translate that poem. :) Friendly, Marie-Jeanne

Good evening my friends, :) To hear Oskar without understanding the language, but only recognize a few words here and there does not enjoy felt in the voices what he could say. Those words he knows how to live. Power then understand what he says, to hear the movements of her voice, to hear it time to catch its breath after successive exclamations, to hear and feel the intensity he brings in his words, the strength of tone, then I met a great performer that I felt even before understanding what it could say. His voice speaks before that the words do not speak in turn. The intensity is talking without need to put in words. The voice, breath express the depth of the person. Oskar is an excellent example. Friendly, Marie-Jeanne In French : Ecouter Oskar sans comprendre la langue, mais seulement reconnaître quelques mots ici et là, ne prive pas du plaisir à sentir à travers la voix ce qu’il pourrait dire. Ces mots qu'il sait faire vivre. Pouvoir ensuite comprendre ce qu’il dit, entendre les mouvements de sa voix, l'entendre reprendre son souffle après des exclamations successives, entendre et sentir l’intensité qu’il met dans ses mots, la force du ton, là je rencontre un grand interprète que je sentais déjà avant de comprendre ce qu’il pouvait dire. Sa voix parle avant que les mots ne parlent à leur tour. L’intensité parle sans qu’il est besoin de mettre des mots. La voix, le souffle expriment la profondeur de la personne. Oskar en est un excellent exemple.

Hello, my Friends, :) There is one of the texts that Oskar recited. Does someone could give me an approximate translation into English ? For my part, I requested from other people, if we can get a translation. Josef Weinheber, aus "Wien wörtlich" Der Phäake Ich hab sonst nix, drum hab ich gern ein gutes Papperl, liebe Herrn: Zum Gabelfrühstück gönn ich mir ein Tellerfleisch, ein Krügerl Bier, schieb an und ab ein Gollasch ein, (kann freilich auch ein Bruckfleisch sein), ein saftiges Beinfleisch, nicht zu fett, sonst hat man zu Mittag sein Gfrett. Dann mach ich - es is eh nicht lang mehr auf Mittag - mein' Gesundheitsgang, geh übern Grabn, den Kohlmarkt aus ins Michaeler Bierwirtshaus. Ein Hühnersupperl, tadellos, ein Beefsteak in Madeirasoß, ein Schweinspörkelt, ein Rehragout, Omletts mit Champignon dazu, hernach ein bisserl Kipfelkoch und allenfalls ein Torterl noch, zwei Seidel Göß - zum Trinken mag ich nicht viel nehmen zu Mittag - ein Flascherl Gumpolds, nicht zu kalt, und drei, vier Glaserl Wermut halt. Damit ich's recht verdauen kann, zünd ich mir mein Trabukerl an und lehn mich z'rück und schau in d' Höh, bevor ich auf mein' Schwarzen geh. Wann ich dann heimkomm, will ich Ruh, weil ich ein Randerl schlafen tu, damit ich mich, von zwei bis vier, die Decken über, rekreir. Zur Jausen geh ich in die Stadt und schau, wer schöne Stelzen hat, ein kaltes Ganserl, jung und frisch, ein Alzerl Käs, ein Stückerl Fisch, weil ich so früh am Nachmittag nicht schon was Warmes essen mag. Am Abend, muß ich Ihnen sagn, eß ich gern leicht, wegn meinen Magn, Hirn in Aspik, Kalbsfrikassee, ein kleines Züngerl mit Püree, Faschiertes und hin und wieder wohl zum Selchfleisch Kraut, zum Rumpsteak Kohl, erst später dann, beim Wein zur Not, ein nett garniertes Butterbrot. Glaubn S' nicht, ich könnt ein Fresser wern, ich hab sonst nix, drum leb ich gern, kein Haus, kein Auto, nicht einmal ein G'wehr im Überrumplungsfall. Wenn nicht das bissel Essen wär - - (Stimme des Volkes) Segn S', deswegen ham S' nix, liaber Herr! Friendly, Marie-Jeanne