kerjoska

This film is much more than a customary movie about opera, though opera lovers get first-rate extracts from Wagner's Tannhauser as well. The action takes place in an imaginary "Opera Europe" in Paris. István Szabó, the excellent film director is really interested here in fanatic people of the theater who came from several countries of Europe to unite their talent in order to create a successful performance of Wagner's youthful masterpiece. The ensemble is a mixture of multinational people: the head of the company (a Spaniard, a former hero of the Spanish Civil War,) her private secretary and mistress (descendant of a noble Russian family,) the conductor (a talented young Hungarian who suffers from inferiority complex because of his East-block origin,) the singer who plays Tannhauser (a permanently offended dumpy man from the DDR with beautiful voice,) the French theatrical technician (a pig headed trade unionist who causes much trouble,) etc. They carry with themselves all good and vicious habits and traditions of their origin which cause many conflicts but humorous episodes as well during the rehearsals. There is a remarkable scene when at a dinner party the protagonists put aside all of their conflicts and sing together a song called "Suliko" which was once Stalin's favorite. (They sing it not because they love Stalin, but because of a certain nostalgia for their youth.) In the center of the story stands the Hungarian conductor's and a Nordic singer's (played by Glenn Close) stormy love affair which ends in diminuendo (using here deliberately this term of music.) Strongly recommended for everyone who loves art and theater.

Even the starting point of the story is rather peculiar: from the office where she works a typist girl under the influence of nervous breakdown walks out to the street stark naked. A young physician goes by accidentally and tries to help her, spreading his coat over her nude body. Unfortunately it happens at a very special spot of the city, where politically oppositional, anti-communist people always demonstrate against the regime. Therefore this episode becomes a political matter, the young physician, though completely innocent is arrested by the suspicious police and his stable life turns upside down in a moment. The film tells the story of the disillusioned young man, who (after released by the police) tries to rearrange his own life. He rejects a scholarship given by the communist state, uncovers his boss' dirty tricks in the hospital where he works, breaks with his mistress, a spoiled wife of a communist chief, etc. At the end all the persons involved in the story take part in a Bunuel-like surrealist ring dance in "Lipótmezõ" that is the bedlam in Hungary. The film is full of sarcastic criticism and amusing episodes about socialist system in Hungary. Recommended mainly for those people who like sarcastic humour and a bit of surrealism.

This film shows a very vivid, some times comic, some times sad picture about young Hungarian intellectuals in the socialist Hungary. Especially important that it was made in 1978, only eleven years before the end of socialist period when party guidelines were not so severe. Therefore the film expresses a rather strong criticism about conditions, way of life etc. For example a friendly company of young people nearly expels their friend who just entered the communist party... At the same time it is very amusing, full of good humour. It is the best film of the talented Hungarian movie director, Rezsõ Szörény who died rather young. Strongly recommended.