A teacher learns goodwill can't bridge what capitalism built—Hungarian cinema's most brutal reality check.
Nagy István, the formerly poor peasant boy returns to his native village as a teacher. His conviction is that the abyss between rich and poor can be diminished by good will. The rich Böröcz Horváth Klári returns his love, and also Böröcz Horváth is willing to help the poorest family, the Bakos. Bakos Jóska, who was sent to serve the tough Böröcz Horváth as a payment, dies of an infected wound and the people in the village hold the teacher liable as well. Nagy István realises, that the abyss cannot be ceased, what is more, it is impassable. He breaks up with his fiancée and stands by the side of the poor.
Acting
Imre Sinkovits' crushing disillusionment arc.
Direction
Ranódy's unflinching gaze at systemic cruelty.
Director
László Ranódy
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during the Hungarian Revolution, its bleak socialism landed differently before Soviet tanks crushed hope—then became eerily prescient.
Ranódy and screenwriter Tibor Déry were both later censored; this survived as a 'village drama' while its systemic critique went officially unnoticed.
HU
