The story takes place in Güllen, a once
prosperous industrial
town which has lost its original lustre due to an
economic downturn. The impoverished and forgotten inhabitants of Güllen have
gotten used to their meek lives and spend their days mainly thinking of better
times - until one day the arrival of the "old lady" abruptly changes
their very beings.Claire Zachanasian, a native of Güllen who
through marriages with oil magnates, artists and industrialists has become exceedingly
wealthy, as well as her strange entourage (comprised of two blind servants, two
former gangsters, a butler and her seventh husband) are well-received at Güllen’s
train station by the townspeople. These down-trodden folk are hoping for a
charitable contribution from Claire, which would hopefully breath some life
into the ailing economy while raising everyone’s standard of living. And they
are not to be disappointed. Claire promises the town one billion dollars…with
one condition: they must murder their fellow townsman and
local shop owner,
ill. Claire and Ill had been lovers many years before,
yet after Claire became pregnant she had to take Ill to court so that he would
accept his responsibility as the father of their child. With the help of two
local drunks – Claire’s now blind servants –, however, Ill is
able to have the claim dismissed. As a result Claire had to leave Güllen in
disgrace and lived as a prostitute until she met her first husband. Ill’s present-day,
stipulated murder is actually a well-prepared revenge against him and the
townsfolk for her former disgrace. It
turns out that through the course of time and
Claire’s industrial dealings, she has bought the town and was the architect of
its ruin. The townsfolk’s first reaction to Claire’s
billion-dollar offer is to rally in support of Ill. Their
support, however,
begins to crumble very quickly as their opinion of him begins
to change from “you poor man, who simply committed a youthful sin” to “you
immoral and irresponsible evil-doer!” At
the same time they begin indulging in items of luxury, which they purchase on
credit and are represented by the new yellow shoes which relatively quickly are
worn by everyone from Ill’s
fellow townsfolk, to the police, and even the mayor. Even Ill’s
own family becomes sucked into the appeal of the possible money to be had: his
wife buys a new fur coat, his son an automobile, and his daughter begins taking
tennis lessons. Initially a local teacher appeals to the town’s humanity,
albeit in a rather cowardly fashion, yet in the
end he is unable to change any
minds and turns to alcohol as his solace. In the end Ill gives
in to his fate and at a staged town meeting he accepts a judgment against
himself, which is immediately carried out.
“The
Visit”, a tragic comedy in three acts was released in 1956.
More reviews about the The Visit