Elma Bulla Movies
Love and heartbreak are not just for the young, as this Hungarian film shows. Nominated for the 1974 Academy Award for "Best Foreign Film," it tells the story of two sixtyish sisters. The younger sister, a singing teacher, has remained in Hungary, and the older one lives in West Germany. Despite many requests from her older sister, the teacher remains in Hungary at least partly due to her love for a retired opera singer. As letters pass between the two sisters, many flashbacks tell the story of their childhood. When the younger sister discovers that the opera singer has a new girlfriend, she takes drastic action to deal with her rejection. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1971
The subject of this bleak German historical film is the deterioration of the life of a man who failed to adapt to the changes in Austria after the World War I. Trotta (Andras Balint) is a minor nobleman, who, along with his peers, cheers the advent of the war. The war causes many financial reverses for his family, and his marriage becomes chaotic; his wife leaves him to live with a woman, though she comes back to his bed from time to time. As conditions worsen, he is forced to rent rooms in what had been his family's mansion. His wife, who had returned to live with him during a pregnancy, leaves again, and he contemplates suicide. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Emilia (Gabrielle Szabo) is the 17 year old newcomer to a school for girls. Her rebellious nature soon turns the headmistress against her as she organizes protests against the Establishment. Emilia is chosen by the headmistress to represent her class in a gathering in Budapest, knowing her peers will be jealous and resent the new girl. Emilia tries to think of a way out of her dilemma as she contemplates suicide. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elma Bulla
- 1967
In this Hungarian melodrama, Semjen recently freed from a Nazi concentration camp destroyed by Russian tanks marries her idealistic sweetheart Sinkovits. Initially, they are very happy. But then her husband is locked up by the Stalinists. The pragmatic Semjen then reunites with Sztankai, her childhood love. He is now a proletarian poet. Many years pass; Sinkovits is finally freed. Unfortunately, he and his wife have drifted apart. The year is 1956 as Russian tanks rumble through Hungary. Semjen begins to remember the times she shared with Sinkovits after she was freed. She returns to him and they begin building a worker's paradise in their homeland. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1959
The "sleepless years" in this propaganda piece by director Felix Marlassy occur on Csepel Island, an island south of Budapest that is home to an armaments factory. The factory workers are shown being exploited by imperialists, capitalists gone berserk, and fascists, more or less in that exact chronological sequence. The heavy-handed approach does much to undercut the belief that when socialism finally takes over, the lives of the workers are brought up to a human level. In this instance, audiences might prefer a more nuanced and subtle statement, no matter what the message. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Ruttkai, Geza Tordy, (more)
- 1957
This easy-to-take Hungarian drama is also known as Two Wishes. The prinicipal characters are a pair of juvenile delinquents, who may still be redeemable. The sullen duo is befriended by a kindly police inspector, who takes it upon himself to straighten out the boys. What follows cannot be termed surprsingly or innovative, though it is immensely satisfying. Of interest is the fact that a Communist-bloc film would admit to a delinquency problem in the so-called Worker's Paradise. Ket Vallomas was the Hungarian entry in the 1957 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marianne Krencsey
- 1936
En Voltam (I Did It) was based on Confession, a play by Rose Meller. Elma Bulla repeats her stage role as a young woman who takes the blame for a theft which she believes was committed by her lover. The ungrateful jerk assumes that she did commit the crime, and further supposes that she did it on behalf of his romantic rival. Throughout the rest of the film, Bulla tries to revoke her confession, only to find that no one will believe her. Only when the genuine culprit is revealed is Bulla cleared and reunited with her sweetheart -- though if ever there was a man unworthy of her devotion, it is surely this one! Devotees of newcomer Elma Bulla were thoroughly satisfied with this screen version of her theatrical triumph. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elma Bulla, Theodore Uray, (more)
- 1936
Love Whispers is the English-language title of this Hungarian romantic comedy. Stage favorite Elma Bulla makes her film debut as a successful -- and gorgeous -- French lawyer. She is accosted at a train station by Gustav Frolich, a young masher whose technique consists of planting kisses on pretty strangers then claiming that he's mistaken them for his cousin. This time, however Frolich falls deeply in love with Bulla, but when she finds out that he's used his "mistaken identity" ploy on others, she instigates legal action against him. Inevitably, the courtroom trial segues into an "instant" marriage ceremony. It's an old-fashioned story, delivered in an old-fashioned manner. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elma Bulla, Gustav Fröhlich, (more)
