This paper discusses the conflict between lustful desire leading to an extramarital affair and loyalty to one's partner. Drawing a parallel between the hero of Wagner's opera and the conductor-hero of the film Meeting Venus, the consequences of being an “outsider” are being considered. Whereas Tannhä user's conflict is resolved in that he finds salvation from the Virgin Mary, Szanto is abandoned by the woman he loved and by his wife. He remains an outsider and alone.

(Received 19 June 2008; accepted 13 December 2008)