Les garçons Witman

Like one of the previous reviewers, I also saw this Hungarian art movie at a film festival many years ago – I think it was the Mar del Plata film festival in 1997. I was very impressed by the film but since the movie was never released commercially in my country, nor I ever heard or read about it again, I sort of forgot about it (the fate of many good movies, unfortunately, especially those shown at film festivals, is that they are soon forgotten about). A few days ago, for some reason I remembered this film, and was lucky to find out that it was available for viewing on you tube in a very fine copy.

So now about the movie, this is set in Hungary in 1914, just before World War I. The protagonists of the film are two teenage brothers, Janos and Erno Witman. Just after the film begins, their father dies, and they resent their mother taking very soon a new husband, whom they hate. As the movie progresses, we realize more and more that the emotionally distant brothers are pretty disturbed individuals, as they torture animals, become friends with a prostitute, and feel increasingly estranged from their mother.

The slow, leisurely paced film is helped a lot by the very beautiful color photography, that contrasts the cozy interiors with the wintry streets outside. Also, by the fine reconstruction of its era. Director Janos Szasz hand is so assured I'm surprised this film is not better known (Szasz has only made a few films after this, none of them widely seen).

Witman fiuk is the most anoyingly depressing and slow movie I have ever seen. I am an operator at a local art-movie-house, and I wonder why I put time in these kind of moviess. The five visitors we had for this movie is still too large a crowd. My co-operator actually left the show because 'he was too much alive for this kind of movie'. I totally agree, was it not for the fact that someone has to stay next to the projector I would have left as well. The movie totally depends on the gloomy 'hungary by candlelight' look and has a story wich does not stimulate to keep on watching. Not only is the film depressing, it is frustrated aswell. Anyone under 70: avoid this movie!

I saw Witman fiuk five years ago at an Internacional Film Festival in my country. I went to this event with some friends. And after seeing almost 30 features, we were all sure that this hungarian film was the most incredible expierence. First of all, we should congratulate the cinematographer; the treatment of the light in this film is unique. Since "Barry Lyndon", nobody has worked with light candles in this way. And the story is amazing. It`s the kind of film you find funny and laugh a lot while you see it, but at the same time you know you wouldn`t be laughing at all. You might find that the time is slow, but it makes you entry at that bizarre enviroment.

Yes, it is slow, and could stand to be a bit faster, but the pace serves to convey the gloom of the boys' milieu quite well. Scenes in the Witman house are almost as painful for us as for the boys living in it. After the boys' father dies, they find themselves quite alone in a house where their mother has no concern other than who will replace her recently-deceased husband. Their home is devoid of love, laughter and even conversation. There's a gramophone that is never used.

The brothers Witman begin to relieve their boredom and anger by mistreating animals. Fortunately, what they do is talked about, but not shown.

A possibly humanizing turn of events begins as they became enamored of a local prostitute--or does it? It's worth watching.

See this when you're in the mood for an unhurried, not-quite-horror, not-quite coming-of-age foreign film.