Description
A Tanú / The Witness (1969)
Product Information
- Title: A Tanú / The Witness
- Also Known As: Without A Trace
- Director: Péter Bacsó
- Actors: Kallai Ferenc, Monori Lili, Őze Lajos, Both Béla
- Language: Hungarian
- Subtitles: English
- DVD Format: Region FREE PAL
- Made in: Hungary
Overview
English Description
"The Witness" (Hungarian: A tanú) is a 1969 Hungarian satire film directed by Péter Bacsó. Set against a tense political backdrop, the film addresses the taboo subjects of the early 1950s and the 1956 Revolution. Although it was financed and permitted by the communist authorities, it was initially banned from release. Following screenings in foreign countries, the authorities eventually allowed it to be shown in Hungary. The film was featured in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival. A sequel titled "Megint tanú" (English: Witness Again) was released in 1994.
Hungarian Description
"A Tanú" (angolul: The Witness) egy 1969-as magyar szatirikus film, amelyet Bacsó Péter rendezett. A film feszültséggel teli politikai háttérben készült, és a 1950-es évek elejének, valamint az 1956-os forradalomnak a tabutémáit dolgozza fel. Bár a kommunista hatóságok finanszírozták és engedélyezték a készítését, a filmet kezdetben betiltották. Külföldi vetítések után a hatóságok végül engedélyezték a bemutatását Magyarországon. A filmet az 1981-es Cannes-i Filmfesztivál Un Certain Regard szekciójában is vetítették. 1994-ben készült egy folytatás "Megint tanú" címmel.
Interesting Facts
Cultural Significance: The film cleverly critiques the absurdities of life under a totalitarian regime, using humor to address serious themes.Legacy: "The Witness" has become a classic in Hungarian cinema, often referenced in discussions about the era's political climate and artistic expression.
Érdekességek
Kulturális jelentőség: A film ügyesen bírálja az élet abszurditásait egy totalitárius rendszer alatt, humor segítségével dolgozva fel komoly társadalmi témákat.
Örökség: A tanú a magyar filmtörténet klasszikusává vált, gyakran emlegetik az adott korszak politikai légkörével és művészi kifejezésmódjával kapcsolatos vitákban.
Publishers
Distributed by BIBLE IN MY LANGUAGE, known for its extensive language selection in diverse media.
We value your feedback! Share your experience with this product to help others make informed decisions. Your review is important to us!
Hashtags
English:
#TheWitness #HungarianCinema #PéterBacsó #SatireFilm #CannesFilmFestival #PoliticalSatire
Hungarian:
#ATanu #MagyarMozi #BacsóPéter #SzatirikusFilm #CannesFilmfesztivál #PolitikaiSzatíra
European DVD Region FREE
Run Time : 103 minutes
# of Discs : 1
Studio : Mokep
Release Year : 1969
UPC 5999887816079
Description
A filmszatíra a személyi kultusz idején játszódik. Pelikán József gátőr munkája végzése közben egy orvhorgászra akad, aki nem más, mint régi harcostársa: Dániel Zoltán, jelenleg miniszter. Véletlenül éppen ő buktatja le a naiv Pelikánt, amikor feketevágás miatt megjelenik az ÁVO. Pelikánt a börtönből titokzatos fekete autó szállítja a vidámpark, az uszoda, a narancstermelő gazdaság igazgatói irodáiba, hogy Virág elvtárs támogató közreműködésével végül is ellássa a kulcsfeladatot: koronatanú legyen a barátja, Dániel Zoltán elleni koholt perben.
PLOT
The film features József Pelikán as a single father who previously participated in the WW2 communist movement of Hungary, but is now working as a dike-reeve. He meets an old friend from the underground communist movement, Zoltán Dániel, now a government official who fishes at the Danube, near the dike. Dániel falls in the river, and Pelikán rescues him and invites him to his home. While the two reminisce old times at Pelikán's home, the ÁVH suddenly appears. They received a "serious anonymous report" stating Pelikán committed an illegal act of slaughtering a pig for food. Dániel tries to save him by demonstrating to the ÁVH thugs how the loyal Pelikán hid him during the purgings years before, but he unknowingly reveals the basement, where all the pork had been hidden. Pelikán is taken to prison though later released, on "higher command". Comrade Virág, being unnecessarily benevolent, gives various assignments to Pelikán such as being the CEO of a swimming pool, an amusement park, and an orange research institute. Pelikán, being "ideologically under-educated", fails magnificently in all his assignments, visiting the prison regularly, until they ultimately succeed with the orange research institute and are awarded. As it turns out, all this was arranged to force Pelikán to be the witness in a show trial against his old friend, Zoltán Dániel, who fell out of the favour of the communist regime. Pelikán is meticulously reshaped to fit the expected image of the archetypical "Hungarian worker, 1950" to be the perfect witness. Before the trial they present Pelikán with a pre-written testimony he must memorize, but at the end, before the judge, accused, Comrade Virág, and top communist leaders, Pelikán decides to tell the truth instead. He is thrown back in prison as a reprisal. While awaiting hanging, the political climate changes due to Stalin's death and he is released and he meets once again with Comrade Virág on the tram who has lost all his former power and influence.
Cast
- Ferenc Kállai - József Pelikán, dike-reeve
- Lajos Őze - Árpád Virág
- Béla Both - Comrade Bástya
- Zoltán Fábri - Zoltán Dániel
- Lili Monori - Gizi
- Károly Bicskey - Elemér Gulyás
- György Kézdi - Virág's detective
- József Horváth - Railwayman
- Róbert Rátonyi - Operetta actor
2017 EDITION EXTRAS:
BETILTVA 1969 – 1979!!! A tanu (DVD) The Witness - Magyar Filmtörténeti Sorozat / Bacsó Péter Filmje / The Witness - Director: Bacso Peter / Audio: Hungarian / Subtitle: English / RUNTIME 103 minutes
Extra Features: Bacso Peter and Hirsch Tibor Commentary
Cenzurazott jelenetek 7 minutes
Tanuhirado kulonkiadas 25 perc
