Directed by:
Ferenc KósaCinematography:
Sándor SáraComposer:
András SzőllősyCast:
Tibor Molnár, Gyöngyi Bürös, János Koltai, János Rajz, János Görbe, Sándor Siménfalvy, Anna Nagy, László Nyers, Péter Haumann, Ida Siménfalvy, István Széles (more)Plots(1)
This balladistic film encompasses three decades of a Hungarian village in the plains through the fate of the Széles family. The frequently tried friendship of Széles István and Bánó Fülöp form the focus of the film. Bánó was the godfather of the worker Széles' and Juli's child. Széles vowed to strangle his child if his life will not be better than his. When Bánó organised a workers' strike, Széles refused to join them. They both survived the world war in great poverty. Land distribution was led by the communist Bánó in the village, as he led the compulsory delivery as well a few years later. Széles, however, insisted on keeping his land and his ownership. Bánó (a party secretary by now) sends Széles to a forced labour camp. His wife gets news about him only years later and can only then visit him. After his release, their former friendship transforms into a cool contact, yet during the revolution it is Széles who offers asylum to Bánó and his family. The re-organisation of the co-operative is supported by not only Bánó, but the son of Széles as well. Széles joins the co-operative, but he wants to commit suicide in his despair. His wife saves his life in the last minute. Ä His son summarises what had happened and in his figure a new generation tries to overcome bitter past experiences. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (1)
This is a shame. So many great filmmaking ideas, so many beautifully executed shots for a story where there is much more pathetic talk and half-assed symbolism than real action and emotional experience. Hungarian cinema in the 1960s had great potential and extremely interesting filmmakers, but it was mired in a kind of (anti-)socialist expression, the pace of which is incredibly slow and does not have the unique ability to speak to future generations, as the best films of the Czech New Wave do. 65%
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