Eva Ruttkai Movies
- 1986
This 1956 film was banned in Hungary shortly after it was completed and just before the Soviet tanks rolled in to quell the Hungarian uprising. And small wonder -- its "hero" is a Party faithful whose corruption and lack of morality is disgusting, and its "antihero" is someone honest and good, imprisoned for his anti-Party stance. Sztanko (Ferenc Bessenyej) is in charge of a housing project that is due to bring him a huge promotion if it is completed on budget and brought in on schedule. Sztanko hears that his old friend Palocz (Miklos Gabor) has been released from prison and needs some financial help. So he looks Palocz up and asks him to give some of his expert advice on the building project. Their friendship blossoms again until Palocz tells Sztanko that due to his cutting corners in the budget, the building is not safe for habitation. Irate at this input, Sztanko chooses to ignore this admonition. And sure enough, disaster happens, but the crafty and unscrupulous Sztanko has a way of exonerating himself and getting back at Palocz at the same time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ferenc Bessenyei, Miklos Gabor, (more)
- 1985
In a surreal collage of vignettes that add up to nothing in particular, director Peter Gothar starts his experimental film with a family heading off for a vacation at Lake Balaton, the famous Hungarian resort area. When they arrive at their destination, the hotel is partially submerged in water and totally devoid of guests. At check-in time, they are asked to comment on the service in the hotel before going to their room -- one single room for the whole family. Is Gothar commenting on absurdities in the society or government? Viewers will have to decide for themselves. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mark Zala, Kati Lazar, (more)
- 1976
The problems of leadership are exposed in this movie, which shows a film director attempting to make a movie despite the idiosyncrasies of his actors and difficulties with the script. The real-life director pokes fun at himself by having the story's director working on a complex and word-heavy film. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Istvan Avar, Eva Ruttkai, (more)
- 1975
Two women, a mother-in-law and her son's wife, discover that their common experiences bind them together in a deep complicity, so that when their husbands return from merchant marine assignments, they will not speak of what went on (and a lot did) during their absence. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lili Monori, Eva Ruttkai, (more)
- 1971
This lavish Hungarian film chronicles the exploits of a Magyar Casanova in the early years of the 20th century. Sensual Szindbad (Zoltan Latinovitz) leaves behind broken hearts and fond memories when he moves from one woman to another. Some of them, overwhelmed by their tragic attachment, seek to have him join them in a suicide pact, others carelessly toss their lives away. He remains fundamentally untouched, but he finally gets his comeuppance at a grand dinner in a fine restaurant. The headwaiter confides in him at great length about troubles he is having with his wife, who was one of Szindbad's conquests. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1970
Frigyes Karinthy (Zoltan Latinovits) is a Hungarian Jewish writer who begins to hear the sound of an oncoming train in this head. When the sounds reoccur, he goes in for a series of medical tests that reveal a brain tumor. He travels to Stockholm where he undergoes surgery with a local anesthetic. The operation scene provides a surrealistic dream sequence where a circus clown puts together a complicated machine. The writer then sees himself as an aristocratic judge who comments on his own writing and has flashbacks of his childhood. As he recovers, he spends the next two years completing the novel that is the basis for this film. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zoltan Latinovits, Imre Sinkovits, (more)
- 1969
Hungary deals with the invasion of the bellicose Turks who threatened the nation in the 16th century. A young man and woman fall in love but must separate when the battles begin. The enemy tries to scale the walls of a fortress as the defenders pour molten lead on them, and all are engulfed in a hail of fiery arrows as the fierce battle ensues. Appeals to the Pope in Rome fail to bring about peace. When the Turks are defeated, the young couple reunites only to be tracked by a one-eyed warrior seeking revenge for theft of his coveted talisman during the melee. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Imre Sinkovits, Istvan Kovacs, (more)
- 1968
A 40-year-old sculptor returns home to witness the baptism of his young nephew. His return prompts a series of flashbacks to his youth and the political upheaval experienced by his family and friends. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zoltan Latinovits, Janos Koltai, (more)
- 1966
Kati Kabaok (Eva Ruttkay) gave up her acting career to marry an actor. After ten years of marriage, she is offered a leading role in a stage play and her performance is met with rave reviews. The majority of the film is told in flashbacks as Kati recalls the ups and downs of her marriage and homelife. The film style recalls some of the French comedies released in the 1960s. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Ruttkai, Lajos Basti, (more)
- 1963
This espionage action feature from Hungary tells about a secret service man who gets himself involved in a gang to uncover their operation. He finds that behind the front of a photo shop, the group retreives top-secret information on atomic weapons for a foreign client. As he gets closer to exposing the ring, the undercover agent finds much more than he had expected. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zoltan Latinovits, Eva Ruttkai, (more)
- 1960
Set in Hungary just before and during World War II, this standard drama seems geared to primarily Magyar audiences and also has a limited scope -the life of its main protagonist, a conservative, entrenched militarist. The Major (Miklos Gabor) who is the focus of attention starts his career under the dictatorship and continues in his profession regardless of any corruption or other immoral conduct on the part of the powers that be. The perspective on his story both before and during the war years ends up being a pro-Russian viewpoint that may not have been shared by all Hungarian viewers at the time this film was released, though the criticism of a blind militarism can be readily accepted by most people. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Miklos Gabor, Adam Szirtes, (more)
- 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)
- 1958
3DSobalvany3D was released in non-Hungarian markets as 3DPillar of Salt3D. There is nothing Biblical about the story, however, which revolves around a dedicated young doctor. The trouble is that the doctor is 3Dtoo3D dedicated, and thus blind to the sociopolitical upheavals all around him. Only when it is nearly too late does our hero come to realize that he must take a stand in 3Dthis3D world, and not bury himself exclusively in the world of medicine. Though a popular entry in the 1958 Karlovy Vary Film Festival, 3DSobalvany3D wasn't a likely candidate for US showings, in the light of recent political tensions between America and the Communist Hungarian government. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antal Pager, Eva Ruttkai, (more)
- 1956
Egy Pikolo Vilagos (A Half-Pint of Beer) is a semicomic look at life among the younger set in communist Hungary. The hero (T. Bitskey) is in love with the heroine (Eva Ruttkay), but her family wants no part of him. Not only is he a juvenile delinquent, but he also expects her to "put out" without benefit of clergy. Before a happy ending can be reached, both boy and girl are going to have to go through the time-honored "coming of age" process. Filmed in a quasi-realistic fashion, Egy Pikolo Vilagos has a lot more going for it than most American teen-angst films of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Ruttkai, Tibor Bitskey, (more)
- 1951
The Goose Boy is of historical importance as the first color production from the newly nationalized Hungarian movie industry. Inspired by Mihaly Fazekas' epic poem, the film stars Imre Soos as Matty, a Hungarian Robin Hood type who turns outlaw after suffering mightily from the oppression of the aristocrats. On three different occasions, Matty administers a beating on one of his former tormentors (Teri Horvath), and in each instance the scene is bizarrely played for laughs! Goose Boy was filmed in Gezacolor, a European color process that rendered pleasing exterior views, but was somewhat lacking when used indoors. Goose Boy might have fared better in the U.S. with stronger names in the leading roles. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Imre Soos, Teri Horvath, (more)
