Hungarian Rhapsody

The story is set in Hungary at the start of the twentieth century. The Zsadányi family holds sway in the countryside. Two of its sons are made officers. They are called István and Gábor. A celebration is held for it. An election is taking place at the same time. Standing against their father is a peasant leader. The leader’s name is Baksa András. He is killed. The two sons are the ones who kill him. The peasants rise after that. The film is about that rising. What it turns on is land and power. The film is the first half of a pair, the second being Allegro barbaro, the two together called Vitam et sanguinem. It ran in competition at Cannes in 1979. György Cserhalmi, Lajos Balázsovits and Udo Kier appear in the hundred and three minute film, a Hungarian production Miklós Jancsó finished in 1979.