Mansfeld (2006)

Director:

Andor Szilágyi

Writers:

Andor Szilágyi (story) and
Zoltan Furedi (co-writer) (Canadian segment) ...

Release Date:

September 2006 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

At 15 he and his family became victims of state terror. At 16 he became a freedom fighter to participate...

Cast

Péter Fancsikai	...	Péter Mansfeld
Maia Morgenstern	...	Mrs. Mansfeld
Gergõ Bárdi	...	Laci Mansfeld
Zsolt Dér	...	Bóna
Dani Szabó	...	Egei
Bálint Egri	...	Holecz
Csaba Pindroch	...	Blaski
Ervin Nagy	...	Det. Fenyõ
Áron Dimény	...	Lt. Det. Szautner
Péter Blaskó	...	Dr. Gárgyán
Pál Oberfrank	...	Wüntsch
Tibor Szervét	...	Col. Bánkuti
János Bán	...	Bán
Kriszta Szorcsik	...	Mrs. Bán
Attila Magyar	...	Doctor

Runtime:

118 min

Country:

Hungary | Canada

Language:

Hungarian | English | Russian | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Filming Locations:

Brights Grove, Ontario, Canada

Company:

21st Century DreamQuest Films

Movie Connections:

References Valahol Európában (1947)

1956-2006 - Moving

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Isn't it a bit ironic that we have riots on the streets of Budapest just 50 years after 1956? This movie and the fact it's coming out in such awful times, is moving... the movie is strengthening the nationalism, I'm admitting this without getting into politics here (which I don't want to.)

The movie is a great remembrance - one of the three movies made for this year - and also something that is able to show what Fateless failed to show: that if they want to, Hungarians can produce good movies. (Fateless/Sorstalanság was good and touching in its way, just too lost in trying to be good, too much cut on the story in the book and too much "Hollywood" style.) The story of Mansfeld is haunting, heartbreaking... and it's a true story. He was 17 when 1956 happened: He fought for what he believed in, though you'll tend to believe he didn't realize what he's done and after he got caught they've waited until he turned to 18 and killed him. His mother waited for years after '56 believing he was in Siberia...

The cast and crew did an excellent job showing the situation, showing what 1956 was and what it means to Hungarians. I could barely pay attention to the acting because I got to the cinema from the Kossuth Square and had too many things in mind.

This just made me even more serious in why people - those who peacefully protest - are out on the streets. Youngsters are always those with incredible beliefs. Mansfeld is a good example and this movie will bring tears to the eyes of foreigners as well.

After this, I can't wait to see Children of Glory (Szabadság/Szerelem)... that's another incredible and true story about 1956. And these stories are just two out of many, countless stories fate's generated during that failed revolution.