A vizsga

"The Exam" from 2011 has to do with a time in Hungarian history, 1957 to be exact. I suggest to anyone who wants to see this, or even if they have, to read up on the revolution, the counterrevolution, and Communism in Hungary.

In Budapest, a young agent, Andras (Zsolt Nagy) is watched from across the street and recorded by his mentor Marko (János Kulka) and others as he is being tested and doesn't know it. According to what I read, these "exams" existed during the Soviet reign, but this one was concocted by the writer, Norbert Köbli.

People come to see Andras in this official apartment under the pretext of having German lessons. They're all reporting to him. It's Christmas Eve, but Andras is still working. To the surprise of those watching him, he has a visit from a woman, Eva (Gabriella Hámori). It appears that he is having an affair with her, but is that what it is, or is he really spying on her?

This is a wonderful film with a neat twist and is somewhat reminiscent from the remarkable film, "The Lives of Others." This film is smaller but has that same, miserable, stark look, and we really get an idea of Big Brother watching.

The acting is marvelous, particularly from Janos Kulka, who was always the choice to play Marko. Solid and quiet in his demeanor, he exudes authority. Gabriella Hamori is as good an actress as she is beautiful, and that's excellent! I liked all the performances but especially those two.

A stunning accomplishment.

The Chicago Film festival Gold Hugo award citation says it all: "A film which combines the intricate plotting of a Cold War secret agent thriller with the serious undercurrent concerning deeper issues of personal loyalty versus the police state; it exudes a quiet confidence, remarkable in a new filmmaker."

I'm always skeptical about Hungarian movies, because one in every five years meets the standards of other European films, but "A vizsga" left me amazed. The script is written by Norbert Köbli, who's known for translating Syd Field's work to Hungarian, and apparently he took Field's advices. Köbli is outstanding at creating conflicts, exposing character backstories and he's written a couple of great twists. The directing is also great, building up tension nicely, but Köbli's script is making this movie a masterpiece. Gergely Parádi's score is also worth mentioning, only the actors seem a bit unprofessional in this movie.

Foreign viewers, who are unfamiliar with the communist regimes in Central Europe, may struggle with understanding the historical background, but the film is a great portrayal of these times.

I've only given a rating of 10 maybe 10-15 times in my life to a movie, but this one is a 10. It's as good as the Oscar-winning "Das Leben der Anderen" (The Lives of Others), which revolves around a quite similar topic.