Karoly Eperjes Movies

A virtuous man discovers just how deep corruption can run, and how easy one can succumb to it, in this satiric comedy-drama from Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo. When a scandal brings down the attorney general of a small but prosperous community near Budapest, Istvan Kopjass (Sandor Csanyi), a man with a clear record and impeccable ethics, is invited to take over the position. While his wife Lina (Ildiko Toth) is wary of the appointment and wants to avoid uprooting their children, Istvan is convinced he can make positive change and he accepts. However, only a few days after taking his new position, Istvan becomes aware of how challenging his job can be when the town's mayor (Oleg Tabakov) persuades him to abandon plans for a new tax schedule that would lower assessments for the poor. Istvan also discovers nearly everyone he meets claims to be some sort of distant relative, and as a consequence wants some sort of special consideration that he often finds difficult to refuse. Istvan's downfall begins when a less than honest banker (Karoly Eperjes) arranges for him to get a special deal on a large house in exchange for some favors, and things get much worse when the banker's attractive wife (Erika Marozsan) uses her charms to lure Istvan into some serious white collar crime. Rokonok (aka Relatives) was adapted from the novel of the same name by Zsigmond Moricz. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Frigyes Godros directs this look at 20th century Hungarian history as seen through the eyes of a single Jewish family. The film opens on Passover not long after WWI as the Vendel family celebrates their prosperous life running a furniture business. As the film progresses, the family endures WWII, Nazis, Communists, and 1956 Revolutionaries. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Fans of European football (which Americans call soccer) may get an extra kick from this Hungarian time-travel comedy. Rezso (Karoly Eperjes), a garbage man in Budapest, has to clear out the apartment of an old man who has recently died. In the process, he discovers a remarkable collection of football memorabilia, most related to a crucial 1953 Hungary vs. England championship match that was played the day Rezso was born. Discovering a team jersey from the game, Rezso tries it on for size and finds himself transported back to the day of the match, where he's bemused by Hungary's past come to life and eager to witness this moment in sports history with full knowledge of its outcome. 6:3 was shown as part of the 1999 Hungarian Film Week Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This Hungarian anthology is comprised of three unconnected short films by different directors that are united in their grim assessment of Hungary in the 1990s. The first, "Fire! Fire! ("Egavaros, Egahazis") is by Pal Sandor and portrays Budapest as a depressing hell on earth filled with desperately hungry homeless people who would sacrifice their lives for a crust of bread. Sandor's Budapest is frequently compared to Sodom and Gomorrah and in the a huge fire destroys it all. Karoly Makk's "Hungarian Pizza" is infused with ironic humor and offers an only slightly less grim view of a pair of starved homeless people (one of whom was a college professor) who hold a family living in a Budapest apartment hostage for a freshly delivered pizza. Negotiations ensue, but the story ends with bloodshed. Miklos Jancso makes fun of his reputation for creating exceptional visuals in "The Great Brain Death." It is the most difficult vignette and while visually stunning, remains difficult to decipher. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

An Iranian girl living in Hungary discovers that her father is alive and living in Persia in this drama. Teenager Maria and her mother, a Hungarian, were forced to leave Iran when the Iran-Iraq war broke out. Maria is a freshman at Budapest's Economic Sciences University. There she learns that her father is alive and living in Tehran. Because her homelife is problematic, Maria decides to go to Persia to discover her roots and find her father. Maria begins to wear traditional Muslim clothing and begins fantasize about her forgotten homeland and her father. In the film, Iran is idealized. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Everyone around him thinks that Tamas (Károly Eperjes) is a little soft in the head, because he'd rather spend his time alone in the woods. He is a gentle man, who freely helps even the bullies who toy with him and mock him. In this drama, it seems that he is right to try to isolate himself, because when he gets involved with Hajnal (Zsuzsa Németh) a gypsy girl, she breaks his heart, steals his mother's life savings, and even comes back to seek his protection from another wronged lover, and his lot is one tragedy after another. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In 1919, shortly after World War I, a communist government briefly achieved power after a revolution. In this historical drama, the effects that revolution had on Hungary's citizens is shown in the lives of a troupe of sideshow performers at a circus. Filmed in black and white, this movie uses that long-ago episode as a vehicle for making comments on Hungary's more recent period under communist rule. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In 1956, there was an uprising of Hungarians against their Russian overlords, which the Russians briefly allowed to flower and then ruthlessly suppressed. One suspects that the country's rulers knew about the uprising in advance and permitted it to continue so as to be able to identify who was most actively involved. In this film, it is 1958, and five very different men are waiting in their prison cells to be taken out and executed. Their dreams, fantasies and recollection relieve what might otherwise seem to be an unnecessarily repetitive situation. The internationally known French star Matthieu Carrière plays one of the condemned men. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

For a while after the discovery and publishing of Anne Frank's moving diary, it appeared that another Anne had also written a diary detailing her experiences in hiding from the Nazis. Instead, Anna Herman's diary, which briefly attained some reknown, was proved to have been written by her guilt-ridden mother Esther (Eszter Nagy Kalozy) in order to atone for her having abandoned her family in order to escape to freedom with her second husband. This film follows Esther from her realization that her daughter is dead, through her punishing guilt, to the writing of the diary. Alas, this only staves off, but does not prevent, her final act of penance. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This film is not quite a docudrama, but it is apparently intended as a slice out of the lives of its two main female protagonists, for the story takes place in their own real-life apartment, and throughout they wear their own clothes and the character names are their own. Further, the screenplay was developed out of discussions with the girls about their lives. In the story, Margo (Margo Kiwan) and Ildi (Ildiko Deim) share an apartment and the habit of enhancing their incomes with a bit of sex-for-hire with the occasional tourist. One of Ildi's old boyfriends has been in prison for some time, contemplating his relationship with her. He knows about her part-time prostitution, and feels betrayed by it. When he is released, he looks her up, and a bad time is had by all. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In this children's musical, a lad just like any other lad (except that he is an alien) lands on Earth in a space ship that's actually an old suitcase with a helicopter blade. He's placed in an orphanage, from which an actress (Judit Halasz) adopts him. There are some sight gags, but the story is chiefly a vehicle for songs and music composed by Janus Brody and sung by Halasz. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Based on a true story, Istvan Szabo's Hanussen centers on an Austrian soldier (Klaus Maria Brandauer) who becomes clairvoyant after he is shot in the head during World War I. He is able to read minds and predict the future. Before long, he has foreseen Hitler and the Nazis' rise to power, and he soon finds himself in danger. Hanussen is the third of Szabo and Brandauer's collaborations, following Mephisto and Colonel Redl. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi