Janos Zach Movies

The Boys of Paul Street is an antiwar allegory set in the streets of Budapest. Two rival gangs of young boys lay claim to a vacant lot. The hostilities escalate yet never quite boil over into actual violence. Just when things do get out of hand, however, the problem is "solved" by the city government, which takes over the lot for future development. Based on a story by Ferenc Molnar, The Boys of Paul Street was filmed in Hungary then picked up for American distribution by 20th Century-Fox. A 1934 version of the story was produced by Columbia under the title No Greater Glory. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Andras Kovacs, a leading light of the new Hungarian cinema, brought his "docudrama" technique to his 1966 film Cold Days. The story deals with the systematic slaughter of Jews and Serbians by Hungarian fascists during World War II. Kovacs is not quite a revisionist historian, but he does cast doubt on the "official" interpretations of this horrible human-rights violation. Nor is the audience allowed to slip into complacency: it comes as a shock to discover that many of the characters whom we're rooting for turn out to be the villains! Both written and directed by Kovacs, Cold Days was originally released as Hideg Napok. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Based on a novel by Dezso Kosztolani, this Hungarian drama is set at the turn of the 20th century. A young, homely woman lives at home with her mother and retired father. Because of all the care the girl provides for her parents, the couple becomes detached from the world outside their home. When the girl leaves for a short visit to her uncle's home, the parents realize the extent of their separation from society and their selfish feelings toward their own daughter. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi

Kerekes (Antal Pager) believes he is wanted by the police when his friends play a practical joke in this unusual comedy drama. He returns to his hometown where he was accused of turning a Jewish druggist and the druggist's wife over to the Nazis. With his friends following him, Kerekes tries to find out what became of the couple after they were deported. After being subjected to a mock trial by his friends -- and found guilty -- Kerekes becomes despondent and attempts to kill himself. Flashbacks and hallucinations are employed to tell this story that occurs during the Eichmann trial. Both the film and Antal Pager gained some unwanted publicity when a Variety article from April 23rd, 1967 accused Pager of being a Nazi collaborator for his role in an anti-Semitic film during World War II. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi