Valahol Európában

Besides of doused with Communist propaganda - part of the foreplay which led to a terrible dictatorship in a few years, yet still playing nice and democratic - this is also a terribly bad movie. Those who think I might be wrong because it was voted among the best Hungarian movies, think again. Of course it was - in the Communist times. If you view it that way, then it's indeed a good movie, it fulfills all the requirements of Stalin's and Rakosi's approval. But anyway...

There is no established storyline in this piece of awfulness. The kids run away from an orphanage. For some reason the orphanage contains a theme park with a panopticum of Nazi leaders, in which Hitler is melting during a bombing raid. After a set of forced symbolics, our heroes are on the road - leading nowhere. They meet an old musician who teaches them about how great the French Revolution was, and we also see a former Nazi putting away his uniform and taking up a new role in a new society. And so, what else? The entire story leads nowhere, it's shallow and illogical.

Technically the movie is also a disaster. There are basic editing mistakes, eg. there is a scene which was inserted reversed (see the boat under the bridge actually going backwards), the camera sometimes goes out of focus, equipment gets visible, animals stare at the crew (ie. a dog in the foreground). It's a school example of how the Communists recruited all-thumbs amateurs to replace the great experts of Hungarian movie industry who all fled abroad or died during the war. In its time this movie was heralded as the "greatest movie of all times", its makers were celebrated countrywide, and this lie is kept alive even today, with all the hype around this crap. It's OK to watch if you wish to see something North Korea would produce these days, in a contemporary fashion. But as a movie - forget about it.

Bela Balazs returned to Hungary after the War to help rebuild its film industry. He scripted this film which has been classified by some as an example of 'socialist realism' because he was a committed Marxist. This is debatable as Balazs was dismissed amid hardening political attitudes and died alas, in 1949. If one has to attach a label then I think that of 'neorealism' is far more appropriate as I sense there is more than a passing nod here to Rossellini's 'Rome, Open City' of 1945. It also calls to mind de Sica's 'Shoeshine' of 1946 especially in its depiction of the children. Just a theory of course. The children in this have been utterly dehumanised by the horrors of war. They are gradually made to feel worthwhile and given hope for the future by the philosophy and civilising influence of Artur Somlay as an elderly classical musician despite their initially wanting to hang him! The run down castle that they have made their home is attacked by fascists and to give themselves courage they whistle the 'Marseillaise' that he has taught them. A truly marvellous moment. The scene where Suszsa Banki as Eva shoots her abuser is a splendid piece of film making. Director Geza Radvanyi and his cinematographer Barnabas Hegyi have given us some wonderful images here especially in the grouping of the children. The editing alas leaves a lot to be desired and the score is rather intrusive especially in the earlier sequences. Radvanyi changed his style in the 1950's with varying results but he would never again match this in terms of immediacy, vitality and above all, 'heart'. Good to know that the talent and vision of Bela Balazs were recognised in 1957 by the founding of a studio bearing his name.

Ugh, I hated this movie! It's a crappy communistic propaganda, nothing else.

The old wise man is teaching the kids humanism and French revolution, even though this movie was done after the Russians invaded Hungary (I'm sorry, "freed" us), and stayed here for almost 50 years. So you can imagine how much freedom we had here! The Russian army raped over 100 thousand women in the country in '44. They killed a lot of civilians too.

Besides, the movie is full of editing mistakes. There is barely any story here, just not obnoxious kids and grownups. Shitty music score as well. I can't understand how can they consider this as one of the best Hungarian movies?

Do not watch it if you don't want to be brainwashed.