Martha's Dream, from The Proposition

An amateur video accompanying the song, "Martha's Dream," by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis which is from The Proposition, a film set in the Australian outback which was also written by Nick Cave. The video features stills of the Australian outback and other images related to the setting of the movie. 

See below the video for the transcription of the erie dream Martha describes to her husband, Morris that gives the song not only its title, but also, its mood.

"There's something I want to tell you. I've been having a dream, most nights. I've kept it from you, but I don't suppose it matters now... I'm in a room, it's our bedroom I think. I'm searching for something and then suddenly I feel a presence in the room, and I stand up, and I turn around, and there in the doorway is Eliza Hopkins, and she looks frightful. Her...her dress is all creased and torn, and covered in blood and her face, too. All... battered and bruised, and splashed with blood."

"Martha-"

"But listen to this. In her arms, she's holding something. I can't see what it is. It's covered by her hair. And then she walks towards me, very slowly, and... she hands me a tiny bundle... And I look down, and I see it, it's a baby. A newborn. And this baby, oh it's a beautiful baby, Morris. And it, it opens its eyes, and then I feel a pressure on my hand and I look down and I see that the baby has taken hold of my finger and it's squeezing it tight in its tiny fist... and then I wake up.

"But after I wake it's the strangest thing. I can still feel, I can still feel the pressure of that dream baby's hand. What do you think of that?"

Squirrels in Human Form

Martin dreamed he was on the underground.  It was a Circle-line train, the sort of carriage where all the seats face the aisle.  At first he was the only passenger, but soon people began to get on, and he found himself staring at his knees to avoid looking at the crotch of the man crowded against him.  He wasn’t sure what station he was supposed to get off at; since it was the Circle line they would all come round again and again, so he stayed where he was, trying to remember where he was going.

Martin heard peculiar noises coming from the seats directly across from him—crunching, ripping, chewing sounds, which increased in volume as the train went on.  Martin began to be anxious—the sounds worked on his nerves like grinding teeth.  Something rolled up against his foot.  He looked down.  It was a walnut.

The train stopped at Monument and quite a few people got off.  Now he could see across the aisle.  Two young women sat together.  They wore scuffed white trainers and medial scrubs, and each had a shopping bag resting on her lap.  Both women had protruding eyes and pronounced overbites.  They wore wary expressions, as though prepared to defend their bags against thieves.  Both women delved into the bags with shovel-like hands, scooping out walnuts and ripping them open with their huge teeth.

“Wotchalookin’ at?” said one to Martin.  He could hear walnuts rolling all over the floor.  No one else seemed to notice.  Martin shook his head, unable to speak.  To his horror, the women got up and seated themselves on either side of him.  The one who had spoken before leaned over and put her mouth to his ear.

“We’re squirrels in human form,” she whispered. “And so are you.”         

From Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger

Five Day Reminder (for issue #3)

FIVE DAYS LEFT TO SUBMIT

( to issue #3; the upcoming issue ) 

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Blood and Roses / Et mourir de plaisir

I love this dream sequence.  It is so well done and dream-like.  Reality is just a bit... off...