“My Twentieth Century”, Whimsical Story of Identical Twins on Different Journeys
March 10, 2020
The Hungarian film,“My Twentieth Century,” was featured on Friday, March 6 at Sonoma State’s very own Warren Theatre, as Director Ildikó Enyedi exceptionally elevates the black-and-white filmography artistry throughout each scene. The whimsical film was awarded the Camera d’Or at Cannes in 1989.
Jone Stone from the San Francisco Chronicle reviewed the film, as he said, “Serendipitous is the word for Ildiko Enyedi’s ‘My 20th Century,’ an effervescent Hungarian celebration of electricity, love, movies and the infinite possibilities of man, woman and the chimpanzee.”
The imagination of film Director Enyedi begins when the stars in the dark sky speak to each other, transitioning Thomas Edison’s invention of the light bulb, as a young single mother in a humble cottage gives birth to twin identical girls named Dora and Lili.
Orphaned, Dora and Lili walk downtown on a snowy day selling matches and fall asleep near a statue. Dreaming of a donkey rescuing them, two men approach them during their sleep. On a flip of a coin each men decides on which one to take. The unsettling scene leaves the audience wondering what will happen to each girl.
Actress Dorotha Segda portrays both, now 20-year old women living in Budapest during the 1880s. Dora, wearing fur and feathered hats, is described as a “hedonistic courtesan.” Indulging in fine wine and food, she hones in on wealthy men.
In contrast, Lili is a timid anarchist. Despite her shyness and fragile persona, she embarks on a dangerous quest smuggling messages in a cage with carrier pigeons.
Both women are on trains traveling opposite of one another. Dora, wearing a little black dress, seduces heavy-pocket men in the dining car on the Orient Express. Meanwhile, Lili is traveling in a third-class car filled with peasants and animals, cradling the pigeon cage.
A man identified as “Z” is mesmerized by Dora’s flirtation on the train. She visits him during his sleep to wake him up for a carnal embrace. Later on, he upsettingly hears her through the wall enjoying herself with another man.
Oblivious to the fact that Lili and Dora are different women, “Z” meets Lili during her journey, as he walks her to a wall that she needs to hop over and harasses her, thinking it’s Dora. Lili, calling him a bastard, slaps him in return. Then, realizing that she needs a boost over the wall, she hesitantly asks for his assistance. Once Lili is on the other side and blocks away, he confesses his love for her.
In the final scene, Dora wittingly steals expensive jewelry. Lili, on the other hand, fails to light a bomb. Both women go into a hall of mirrors and are reunited by a donkey that leads them to each other.
The humourous donkey exits and runs into “Z,” stealing his hat. He walks behind the donkey into the hall of mirrors and is surprised to find both women napping on the floor. Adding a layer of oddity, the stars in the sky ask each other which woman will he choose for himself.
Audiences benefit from watching the film more than once to understand and make sense of the odd symbolism and unusual techniques. The audience digests and deciphers the meaning behind the female and male characters.
Talented film director and screenwriter Iidikó Enyedi has created six short films and nine feature films. Her upcoming internationally co-produced drama film,“The Story of My Wife,” will be released in Hungary on Sept. 20.
