The following is an adapted version of an article written by Dániel Német, originally published in Magyar Krónika.
Historical events have been portrayed very differently in each era. More recent productions focus on building a heroic myth or on reality, while before the regime change, 15 March and its aftermath were rather wrapped in a subtle critique of socialism.
The Round-Up (Szegénylegények, 1966)
Before the regime change, it was often the case that artists criticized the current powers by framing their message through the representation of a historical period—this way, there was little the censors could do about it. Miklós Jancsó made use of this device in more than one of his films, as he did in his most famous and perhaps most outstanding work. The film, nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, is set in 1869 when the search was underway for all those who had taken part in the fight for freedom alongside Sándor Rózsa. The story follows the inhuman physical and psychological methods used in the Great Hungarian Plain to break prisoners and make them betray each other, as was the way in which ordinary people were treated under communism when they were considered dangerous. The Round-Up is one of those classics that has not lost its power over time: the film’s drama and tense atmosphere remain intense even today, after almost 60 years, when the stimulation threshold is much higher.
Available to watch on Filmio.
Petőfi ’73 (1973)
Ferenc Kardos, in what he called his freest and most playful production defined as a revolutionary passion play, has students at a secondary school in Pápa put together a play to commemorate the 1848–49 Revolution. As the play unfolds, the events come to life and are seen in different lights. Made to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Sándor Petőfi’s birth, the production, just like The Round-Up, was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes and it is no coincidence that it has been able to appeal even to viewers with little or no knowledge of the history of our country. The film was released in the same year as Jesus Christ Superstar, and the young people in jeans, fired up by the desire for freedom, perfectly rhymed with the hippie movement of the time. Kardos was also clearly inspired by the works of Miklós Jancsó, such as The Confrontation (Fényes szelek), but more interestingly, although we have no idea how censorship allowed it, it is a very sharp critique of the system. In fact, in a longer segment, the students talk about how society is much more apathetic, inert, powerless, and resigned than the revolutionaries of the era they portray.
Available to watch on Filmio.
80 Hussars (80 huszár)
Sándor Sára, who is primarily a documentary filmmaker, followed up his satirical parody of the workings of socialism, Tomorrow There Will Be Pheasant (Holnap lesz fácán), with one of the most ambitious and talked-about historical productions of all time. 80 Hussars is the story of the real-life Lenkey Company, which learned about the 1848–49 Revolution while stationed in Poland and part of an Austrian unit. On hearing the news, the soldiers headed home, and on the way, they had to face not only the forces of nature but also the army that was hunting them.
The 1978 classic may seem a little dated in some respects: the exposition is unduly long, the plot is sometimes jerky, and the dialogue is theatrical and too recited. However, the beauty of the rugged natural landscape, the subtle interplay of visual and sound effects, as well as several large-scale action scenes are all impressive, furthermore, great actors such as György Cserhalmi, József Madaras, and Géza Tordy give a remarkable performance.
Available to watch on Filmio.
Guerilla (2019)
A young man searches for his younger brother after the Surrender at Világos and finds him among soldiers hiding in the woods—however, the isolated army corps does not believe him that the freedom fight is over. As he tries to gain their trust, he must conceal the fact that he has fled the enrolment back then and his brother has enlisted in his place.
György Mór Kárpáti’s debut feature is an excellent example of how to make a historical film on a shoestring, without the need for expensive sets in remote locations, and although sometimes guns are fired, the human-centred, dramatic approach is mostly dominated by words or the lack of them, rather than the sound of gunfire.
Guerilla is also a film of great acting discoveries. We had not seen Gergely Váradi on the screen before, but by now, with The Informer (A besúgó) and Mesterjátszma (Mastergame), half the country has got to know his face; Benett Vilmányi, who plays his brother, has already proved himself as a troubled youth in the series Therapy (Terápia); and a few years later, in Larry, it became clear that he is perhaps the most talented of his generation.
Available to watch on Filmio.
Now or Never! (Most vagy soha!, 2024)
With a budget of seven billion forints, Now or Never!, the most expensive Hungarian film of all time, provoked a heated debate last year. The production itself, which undoubtedly has its merits and shortcomings, is somewhat overshadowed by scenes of predominantly public debate. We cannot blame the film for not being historically accurate in its depiction of the events of a day that in reality was rather peaceful, and for having a fictional thread and character with a lot of action scenes to appeal to young people and make the plot more dynamic—even though they are not very imaginative and sometimes clumsy. However, the young actors are likeable; the depiction of contemporary Pest is cozy and spectacular; the humour, even if it does not make you laugh out loud, at least makes you smile; and the pace, while sometimes jerky, mostly manages to hold the attention. From our compilation, this film probably has the best chance of attracting the attention of primary and secondary school pupils to the historical event under discussion, so that they can then learn about the period in a more nuanced and realistic way through the other films.
Available on Netflix from 18 March.
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