HYPEBy Eunice Ng
The Lowdown
Set in Hungary before the tumultuous World War II era, this movie is surprisingly charming and sensual. The mesmerising Ilona (Erika Marozsán) leads a blissful life with her boyfriend László (Joachim Król), co-running a high-class Jewish restaurant in Budapest. They hire a talented young pianist, András (Stefano Dionisi) to complete their picture of the perfect restaurant, but the brooding musician falls in love with Ilona in the process. She inspires András to write his lyrical composition “Gloomy Sunday”, a song so sad that it sparks off numerous suicides all over the country. Things get complicated when the danger of war looms, and the recurring appearance of a young German Hans (Ben Becker) threatens the trio.
The Love
The portrayal of a love triangle involving Ilona, László and András is peaceful beyond belief. There are no jealous battles and no underhand scheming. Instead, the two men happily share Ilona, as they seem to believe that having half of her is better than having none of her at all.
The Rest
Captivating right from the start, Gloomy Sunday moves with an easy flow, drawing the viewer more and more into the movie emotionally as it progresses. Although the strength and emphasis of the spoken German is sometimes lost in the English translation, the honest, open acting more than makes up for it.
Rating: 4/5
DVD Info
English Title: Gloomy Sunday
German Title: Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod
Language: German
Subtitles: English, Spanish and French
Movie Release Date: Oct 21, 1999 (in Germany)
DVD Release Date: Sep 2, 2006
Rating: M18
Run Time: 114 minutes
Where to get it: Amazon.com