On Body and Soul (2017)

When slaughterhouse workers Endre and Mária discover they share the same dreams, where they meet in a forest as deer and fall in love, they decide to make their dreams come true, but it's difficult in real life.

Director:

Ildikó Enyedi

Writer:

Ildikó Enyedi

Stars:

Alexandra Borbély, Géza Morcsányi, Réka Tenki

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 17 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Alexandra Borbély	...	Mária / Doctor
Géza Morcsányi	...	Endre / Manager (as Morcsányi Géza)
Réka Tenki	...	Klára / psychologist
Zoltán Schneider	...	Jenö / HR manager
Ervin Nagy	...	Sanyi / womanizer
Itala Békés	...	Zsóka / older worker
Tamás Jordán	...	Mária's therapist
Éva Bata	...	Jenö felesége / Jenö's wife
Pál Mácsai	...	Investigator
Zsuzsa Járó	...	Zsuzsa / Endre's daughter
Nóra Rainer-Micsinyei	...	Sári / cleaning woman
Vivien Rujder	...	CD store saleswoman
István Dankó	...	CD store salesman
László Tóth	...	Shopkeeper
Júlia Nyakó	...	Rózsi / lover (as Juli Nyakó)

Storyline

On the outskirts of Budapest, the ageing recluse and saturnine manager of a small abattoir, Endre, is used to hiding his disabled left arm along with his emotions behind a busy schedule. Then, unexpectedly, a shy and graceful newcomer in the office catches Endre's eye: Mária, the plant's cryptic and glacially beautiful quality-control inspector. Now, against the backdrop of the cold slaughterhouse and a small theft within the company's walls, an eerie and almost spiritual bond will start to develop between the tender outcasts, as, more and more, their lives become inextricably intertwined. However, are the two dreamers, Endre and Mária, ready to embrace the catharsis of love on both body and soul?

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Plot Keywords:

suicide attempt | bare breasts | female nudity | sex scene | written by director | 

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Taglines:

We meet at night. In our dreams.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The two protagonists always address each other using the more formal second person of the Hungarian language. By the year the story takes place, this form of speech has already become fairly uncommon between colleagues; it can signal both respect and distance.

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Goofs

During Endre's (Géza Morcsány) interview with the psychologist he states he dreamt he was a deer and not alone, at around the thirty four minute mark the psychologist asks him, "Was it another Stag or Doe?" She should have asked if it was another Stag or Hind? Hind being the correct mate for a Stag whilst Doe is the mate for a Buck.

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Crazy Credits

Closing credits: "Some animals were harmed during filming, but none of them for the sake of this film..."

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Connections

Referenced in Sean Bradley's First Reaction: 90th Academy Awards - Nominations (2018)

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Soundtracks

Bulibaro
Performed by Pixa X and Kis Grofo

User Reviews

Sensual and Delightful

Snowfall in a forest of firs, gentle wind, the soothing sound of flowing water and two deer nuzzling in the mist. Endre and Maria are fastidious loners and mere acquaintances, yet they share this recurring dream. Though Maria has extreme difficulty with physical contact, she strives to overcome this limitation with her vivid imagination and immense desire. The mutual and expanding dreams tug at the pair, body and soul, but so do their fears, obsessions and predilections for solitude.

I loved the sensual nature of the film and the two main characters who delight in little things such as the warmth of sunlight and the brushing of hair with a hand. Close-up photography, of faces, reflections in the water and more, adds another layer of sensuality to the film. Both Endre and Maria work in a slaughterhouse and while the story does not dwell for too long in the raw bloodshed of this, it is enough to make you vow to become a vegetarian. I appreciate the film's slant on the subject, which Endre gives voice to in telling a candidate for a job at the slaughterhouse, "if you don't feel sorry for the cows, you can't work here." The character chemistry seems a little off, as Endre appears much older and uglier than Maria, but maybe it is just me. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Details

Official Sites:

official port.hu site Official site [Germany]

Country:

Hungary

Language:

Hungarian

Release Date:

2 February 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

On Body and Soul

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$2,131,259

Company Credits

Production Co:

Inforg-M&M Film Kft., Hungarian National Film Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1