Egymásra nézve (1982)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Károly Makk
János Xantus (co-director)

Writers:

Erzsébet Galgóczi (novel)
Károly Makk (writer)

Release Date:

19 May 1983 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Political and sexual repression in Hungary, just after the revolution of 1956. In 1958, the body of Eva Szalanczky...

Plot Keywords:

Political | Lesbianism | Lesbian Scene | Jealous Husband | Lesbian

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieslak	...	Éva Szalánczky (as Jadwiga Jankowska)
Ildikó Bánsági	...	Éva Szalánczky (voice)
Grazyna Szapolowska	...	Livia Horváth
Judit Hernádi	...	Livia Horváth (voice)
Jozef Króner	...	Erdõs elvtárs
Gyula Szabó	...	Erdõs elvtárs (voice)
Péter Andorai	...	Dönci Horváth - Lívia férje
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anette Antal		(as Antal Anetta)
Ferenc Bács	...	Szlabonya
Zoltán Benkóczy
Györgyi Fáy
Éva Igó	...	Pincérnõ
Ágnes Kamondy
János Kovács
Vilmos Kun	...	Vándor elvtárs
Sándor Makay
Csaba Oszkay
Sándor Pál
Judit Pogány	...	Magda
Gábor Reviczky	...	Fiala, újságíró
Miklós Székely B.
Ádám Szirtes	...	Blindics õrnagy
Dénes Ujlaky	...	Téeszelnök (as Dénes Ujlaki)

Also Known As:

Another Way (USA)
Olelkezo tekintetek

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

Hungary

Language:

Hungarian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16

Company:

Mafilm Dialog Filmstudio

"Poor Wretches!"

In Budapest in 1958, the population is cowed by the oppressive, intrusive, ubiquitous presence of Stalinism. Two young women embark on a love affair in defiance of the social pressures ranged against them.

Eva (Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieslak) is an intellectual and a journalist. Born a peasant, and with her roots still very much in village life, her version of Magyar nationalism is the very antithesis of Stalinism. Unconventional in all things, Eva is a confirmed lesbian.

Livia is the voluptuous blonde who shares an office with Eva at "The Truth", the Budapest magazine for which they both work. Livia (Grazyna Szopolowska) is utterly unlike Eva. Big and sexy where Eva is small and wiry, she has an easy, unthinking physicality. She plays water-polo better than the men, and dances the night away at the Selznok party. Married to Denci, the army officer, she leads a life of bland sexual and political conformity.

Though she has not realised it up to now, Livia is dissatisfied with her dull urban existence. Life and work in Stalinist Budapest is a drab, joyless grind. Eva, the brash intellectual with heretical ideas and peasant common sense disrupts editorial meetings. She is a breath of fresh air. Livia becomes interested.

The culmination of the story is both a triumph and a tragedy. The ending cannot be revealed here, but it is both fitting and lamentable.

Karoly Makk directs with quiet flair. The speech of the Selznok chairman is a moving 'history of Hungary in the 20th century', seen through the eyes of one peasant. Winter imagery surrounds the characters, representing the iron-hard clutch of sterile Stalinism. In perfect keeping with the period, the film has a classy jazz score.

Verdict - First-rate politico-sexual parable.