Rita Bekes Movies
- 1976
- R
Hungarian director Istvan Szabó's 1976 feature Budapest Tales (AKA Budapesti mesék) unfolds in a purely allegorical, dreamlike realm, rich with indigenous symbolism. Following some great catastrophic onslaught - its exact nature unknown - a number of individuals emerge from hiding and discover a dilapidated old trolley car awash on a river bank. They instinctively begin loading all of their worldly goods onto the vehicle and pushing it along its tracks, destination unknown. In time, even the concept of a destination becomes secondary to the trek itself, and a number of key events befall the passenger/participants: a few lose all energy and fall by the wayside; the travelers run headfirst into a river that runs across a section of track, and must break the trolley down and move the pieces across, one at a time; occasional accidents and calamities arise, including the arrival of brigands. The life cycle, however, continues unabated: while one of the passengers dies, sacrificing his own life to ensure the continuation of the journey, a woman on board gives birth to twins. In time, the passengers (who have painted the trolley yellow and designated it with the number '1') enter the vicinity of a massive city, and discover that theirs is only one of a large number of indistinguishable trolleys approaching the metropolis. Many critics read Budapest Tales as a metaphor for the post-WWII history of Hungary; its overall reception was somewhat poor. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 1976
The Hungarian The Fifth Seal is a study in depersonalization. The story takes place in the twilight of World War II: the five protagonists are buddies who try to have as much fun as possible without treading on anyone's toes. One of the five, however, makes an offhand remark which proves insulting to a military functionary. The boys are arrested, and forced to perform a series of tasks to test their loyalty. In the process, the friends struggle to stay in touch with their own inbred ideals and sense of individualism, with varying degrees of success. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sandor Horvath
Hungarian filmmaker István Szabó's moving drama concerns the occupants of an old house who gather on the eve of its demolition to reflect on their lives from World War II to the present. Among the residents are Mrs. Gaskoy (Rita Bekes), a baker's wife who hid people from the Nazis in the house's attic, and Maria (Lucyna Winnicka), who remembers her wartime arrest. The house's occupants recall the events of the previous 40 years in fragments, dealing as much with their personal lives as with the sweeping changes brought by the war and the 1956 revolt. The result is a stirring, memorable portrait of human will and perseverance in the face of incredible obstacles. ~ Robert Firsching, Rovi
Childhood sweethearts are reunited in France after they are separated during the 1956 Russian invasion of Hungary. Jansci (Andras Balint) boards a train bound for Paris to see Kata (Judit Halasz), who fled during the conflict. He recalls his past during the trip as he remembers the dead and the people like Kata who were forced to leave. The two engage in a passionate love affair that joins them after many years and allows them to reckon with their past. They attend a party where more Hungarian expatriates discuss their recollections of the invasion. The two lovers are content to be reunited and heal the wounds of the past. They both end up married to other people but often visit each other in the years to follow in this triumphant story of survival and emotional healing. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andras Balint, Judit Halasz, (more)
- 1968
Esther (Judit Halasz) is a teacher who learns her husband wants out of their marriage. His girlfriend has moved in with the couple in their apartment. Word spreads quickly about the demise of the marriage, and the beautiful Esther is suddenly besieged with potential suitors. She leaves the apartment to be picked up by a man who believes she is a hooker. Once her situation is clarified to the man, the two hit it off and Esther decides to move in with him. Upon her arrival, she discovers the man is already married, and she rejects him. The film deals with the overcrowded living conditions and easy access to divorce that became prevalent in post-World War II Hungary. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judit Halasz
In The Father (Apa), Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo invests a great deal of poetry and warmth in a story that, in lesser hands, might have become a wallow in bathos. After his father is killed in World War II, a young Hungarian boy named Tako concocts a fantasy image of the parent he never really knew. Convincing himself of his father's unstinting bravery, the boy grows into a man (Andras Balint) who hopes to emulate his dad's heroism. During the 1956 uprising, our hero falls in love with Jewish refugee Anni (Kati Solyom). Apprised of the horrors experienced by Anni's people during the Holocaust, Tako decides to find out whether or not his father was truly the noble warrior he's imagined him to be. It turns out that the father was neither wholly good nor wholly evil, just an average Hungarian hoping to make the best of a difficult world. At long last, Tako is able to divest himself of his father's shadow and become a man on his own terms. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andras Balint, Miklos Gabor, (more)
