Mark Zala Movies
- 1986
Produced in 1969, the year after widespread student demonstrations in Europe, this amateur docudrama (made by students) is set in 1919 when the communists gained power in Hungary. Combining some brutal newsreel footage with debates held during this period, it becomes clear that the peasants of that day were worried about keeping their heads above water, while the upper crust -- still very much in evidence in the communist state -- had no such concerns. Needless to say, this film was banned in 1969.
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Gabor Body, György Cserhalmi, (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, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Zala, Kati Lazar, (more)
- 1972
Red Psalm, or Még kér a nép (literally: "The People Still Ask") is one of the great Hungarian film director Miklos Jancso's best-known films. It recounts quite poetically the story of a peasant uprising on an estate in Hungary in the 1890s. It examines the nature of revolt, and the issues of morality and violence. This film uses symbolic imagery and language involving the color red to great effect and was filmed in a virtuoso manner, using only 28 shots. Reviewers reported that Jancso's storytelling technique most closely resembled that used in ballet. The pacifistic peasants, who seek some basic rights, are in a standoff with local authorities and later, the army. Everyone takes a break in the confrontation in order to celebrate a festival. Afterwards, the peasants resume their strike and meet with a tragic end. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1971
This is one of the more inscrutable works by famed Hungarian director Miklos Jancso, better known for his film epic on the Russian Revolution, The Red and the White. His films still upset authorities in Eastern Europe, and he is considered to be both a political maverick and an extraordinary film stylist. This film, Egi Barany, or Agnus Dei, deals with the period in Hungary's history immediately following the overthrow of the Bela Kun Commune in 1919. Hungary, like the other units of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, suffered from chaos and civil war following the breakup of the empire at the end of World War I. For a short time, the Commune, a communist faction, governed Hungary. It had considerable military support from the new Bolshevik regime in Russia. The movie shows communards attempting to hold on to power in a rural area. They have (but do not welcome) the support of a wild, epileptic priest. The story is told using dialogue from Hungarian folklore and the Bible. Peasants are swept up in waves of violence as supporters of Admiral Horthy and the Reds struggle for control. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- 1970
A young communist boy is abandoned by his partisans when he is hunted down by the Nazis. Hiding out at the home of a friend, he convinces him to join him in a terrorist attack. When the friend dies in the incident, love develops between the boy and his dead friend's sister. He finally decides to try and lead a normal life, but the Nazis discover him and hunt him down like an animal in this symbolic wartime tragedy. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mark Zala, Andrea Drahota, (more)
Rating Systems
Blockbuster
BLOCKBUSTER name, design and related marks are trademarks of Blockbuster L.L.C.
2013 Blockbuster L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. 2013 Rovi Corporation.