Ópium: Egy elmebeteg nö naplója (2007)

Director:

János Szász

Writers:

Géza Csáth (diaries)
András Szekér
(more)

Release Date:

29 March 2007 (Hungary)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A drug-addicted doctor (Thomsen) who works in an asylum discovers that one of his patients (Stubo) is a gifted writer. |

Awards:

7 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Ulrich Thomsen	...	Dr. Brenner
Kirsti Stubø	...	Gizella
Zsolt László	...	Professor Winter
Enikö Börcsök	...	Sister Hortenzia
Gyöngyvér Bognár	...	Gizella's Room Mate
Roland Rába
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Konstantinné Andresin	...	Patient
Ildikó Balaton	...	Patient
Krisztina Bihari	...	Patient
Bori Blaskó
Krisztina Boros	...	Patient
Krisztina Bádi	...	Patient
Lilla Csonka	...	Patient
Alexandra Dévai
Kitty Fejes
Kata Fekete
Péterné Gál	...	Patient
Józsefné Halász	...	Patient
Mária Hauer	...	Patient
Csaba Horvath		(as Csaba Horváth)
Erszébet Horváth	...	Patient
Ákos Horváth
Éva Juhász
Krisztina Karsai	...	Patient
László Kassai
Bori Kató	...	Patient
Ferencné Kovács	...	Patient
Martina Kovács
Csilla Krisár
Ibolya Lakatos	...	Patient
Árpádné Lepkó	...	Patient
Aranka Lisztes	...	Patient
István Molinar
Adrienn Molnár	...	Patient
Erika Molnár
Miklós Mádl
Áron Mátyássy
Erszébet Pallagi	...	Patient
Erszébet Pentz	...	Patient
Izabella Puporka	...	Patient
Anikó Renczés
Hajnalka Rozicska	...	Patient
Dóra Rozsnyai
Marian Saastad Ottesen
Józsefné Sudár	...	Patient
Tamásné Szegedi	...	Patient
György Szemere
Ilona Sztojka	...	Patient
Juli Széphelyi
Zoltán Szõlõsi		(as Zoltán Szõllõsi)
Géza Szöllõsi
Juli Sándor
Roland Tzafetás		(as Roland Tzafetaas)
Szilvia Tóth	...	Patient
Anna Varga	...	Patient
Hermina Varga	...	Patient
Teréz Vass
Kati Vincze
Csaba Zoltán
Éva Zorics	...	Patient
Éva Zsolnai	...	Patient

Directed by
János Szász

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Géza Csáth		diaries
András Szekér
János Szász		screenplay

Produced by
Tracy Brimm	....	co-producer
Heiko Burkardsmaier	....	executive producer
Andras Hamori	....	producer
Bernd Helthaler	....	executive producer
Lacia Kornylo	....	executive producer
Kate Myers	....	co-producer
Michael Reuter	....	co-producer
Pál Sándor	....	producer
Erika Tarr	....	line producer

Original Music by
Jóhann Jóhannsson

Cinematography by
Tibor Máthé

Film Editing by
Anna Kornis

Production Design by
Tibor Lázár

Set Decoration by
Judit Sajber

Costume Design by
János Breckl

Makeup Department
Hildegard Haide	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Zsolt Valkony	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Zsolt Dankó	....	first assistant director
Siska Ildikó	....	third assistant director
István Molnár	....	second assistant director
Áron Mátyássy	....	assistant director
Szabolcs Tariska	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Márk Hörömpöli	....	boom operator
Manuel Laval	....	supervising sound designer
Sabrina Naumann	....	sound editor
Peter Roigk	....	foley artist (as Peter Roik)
Matthias Schwab	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marcus Sujata	....	foley mixer

Visual Effects by
Linus Burghardt	....	digital compositor
Csaba Juhász	....	title design and production

Camera and Electrical Department
Edit Blaumann	....	assistant camera
Zoltán Bók	....	electrician
Miklós Hajdu	....	gaffer
Viktor Racsek	....	electrician

Editorial Department
Benedek Kabán	....	digital intermediate colorist
Erika Köcsky	....	post-production coordinator

Other crew
Szabolcs Barta	....	film grading
Mark Horowitz	....	international sales
Ágota Horváth	....	cashier
István Molnár	....	location scout
János Papp	....	health and safety advisor
Sephira Salazar	....	executive assistant: Andras Hamori
Géza Varga	....	caterer

Production Companies

• EuroArts Entertainment
• H2O Motion Pictures
• Hunnia Filmstúdió

Distributors

• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2008) (Germany) (DVD)
• Califórnia Home Vídeo (2010) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Koch Lorber Films (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Movie Bank (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)

Other Companies

• Light Odyssey  grip & lighting and camera equipment

Also Known As:

"Opium: Diary of a Madwoman" - International (English title) (long title), USA (DVD title)

Country:

Hungary | Germany | USA

Language:

Hungarian | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Mexico:C | Australia:MA (TV rating) | Portugal:M/18

Filming Locations:

Komarom, Hungary

Company:

EuroArts Entertainment

Quotes:

Dr. Brenner:[On the train, after having had sex with a young woman, whose name he doesn't even know] As many times before, I was shocked by how swiftly a girl could be ruined, and turned into a woman, at least in spirit.

A brilliant film for those who can appreciate more than the boring fluff and cheap thrills churned out by most mainstream filmmakers

This is a powerful film that had me riveted to my seat during its entire length. The acting of the entire cast - especially the two lead characters - is absolutely brilliant, the script is well- crafted & believable and the photography is both hauntingly beautiful and absolutely bone- chilling.

The film focuses on the deep and disturbing relationship that develops between the opium- addicted Dr Brenner (Ulrich Thomsen), a doctor who arrives to work in an institute for the insane in the early 1900s, and his patient Gizella (beautifully portrayed by Norwegian Kirsti Stubo). She is a long-term inmate who is obsessed with the idea that she has been possessed by the devil, and whose only release from her inner torments is to write compulsively and almost non-stop in her diaries. Brenner's professional interest in Gizella becomes complicated by his growing envy of the fact that she can write so freely and passionately, while he - an aspiring writer - struggles to put any words on paper. Their relationship is further complicated by a powerful mutual desire that develops between them, culminating in an intense sexual episode, and by the fact that Brenner begins to appropriate Gizella's writings, which he plans to pass off as his own. Gizella comes to believe that the sexual relationship between her and Brenner means that they are now "husband and wife", and her condition appears to improve. However, when Brenner repudiates & mocks her belief in front of the head of the institution (played with just the right amount of icy arrogance by Zsolt Laszlo), she becomes hysterical. Her madness returns and even increases in intensity. During the ensuing treatment - which is more like torture - Gizella begs Brenner to give her relief from her ongoing torment by "removing my brain". Brenner's subsequent actions provides the climax to this powerful film.

The depiction of the horrific treatment inflicted on psychiatric patients in the early years of last century may be deeply disturbing to many, but it is absolutely truthful. Electroshock therapy, ice-water showers, force-feeding, total confinement and even frontal lobotomies (crude brain surgery) were part of accepted medical practice of the time for those considered "insane". I absolutely disagree with those who have described this film as "exploitive' - it simply shows the situation in all its grim reality pretty much exactly as it was back then. In fact many of these forms of treatment were continued until the late 1950s, even in supposedly enlightened countries like Australia.

In summary, a riveting and beautifully crafted film that will leave you with haunting memories for years to come.