Transcendence in literature and film: The case of Krasznahorkai’s and Tarr’s Sátántangó1

The aim of the article is to compare the ways in which transcendence is portrayed in literature and cinema, using the example of László Krasznahorkai’s novel Sátántangó and its film adaptation directed by Béla Tarr. The introduction outlines the current state of research on this topic, followed by a detailed comparative analysis of the different levels at which transcendence manifests in the novel and the film. These levels include: (1) the implied author (titles of the works and chapters, character names and narrative structures); (2) the characters – to what extent they are rooted in religion; (3) ‘miracles’ or supernatural events and (4) the linguistic level. In the latter, I reference theories of portraying transcendence in literature and cinema. The conclusion is that there are significant differences in the ways transcendence is depicted in the novel and the film, largely resulting from the distinct nature of their artistic mediums. The film seems to make greater use of the potential for transcendence inherent in the cinematic medium than the novel does in relation to the material of literature. Additionally, the novel emphasizes descending transcendence, while the film highlights ascending transcendence.