The Confrontation (1969)

Original title

Fényes szelek

Directed by

Miklós Jancsó

Genre

drama film, musical film

Country

Hungary

Runtime

1h 20m

Rating

6.5 of 10 from 11 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In 1947 Hungary, student revolutionaries take over a high school. The group's leaders clash over whether to use persuasion or terror. The police who allowed the takeover eventually remove both leaders.

politicaltensemusicallong-takeideologicalhistoricalconfrontationalgroundeddialogue-driven

What happens

The Confrontation (Hungarian: Fényes szelek,, literally "Sparkling Winds", the name of a revolutionary song) is a 1969 Hungarian drama film directed by Miklós Jancsó. Filmed in and around the Benedictine Pannonhalma Archabbey, it is set (despite its colorful modern dress) in 1947, during the Second Hungarian Republic. The plot involves tensions between leaders of a student revolutionary group (People's National Association of Colleges or NÉKOSZ) that takes over the Benedictine High School of Pannonhalma: Laci believes in befriending and convincing the high school students, but Jutka tries to resort to revolutionary terror. Both are deposed by the plainclothes police who have been complicit in the takeover. The film is shot in Jancsó's characteristic long takes and makes extensive use of song. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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