Red Psalm
Release: 1971
Runtime: 84
Language:
Hungarian with English subtitles, English, Latin
Cast:
József Madaras,
Jácint Juhász,
Gyöngyi Bürös,
Andrea Drahota,
Mārk Zala,
Erzsi Cserhalmi,
Lajos Balazsovits,
Andras Balint,
György Cserhalmi,
Tamás Cseh,
István Bujtor,
Elemér Ragályi
Writer: Gyula Hernádi
Cinematographer: János Kende
Set on the Hungarian plains of the 1890s. When a group of farm workers go on a strike, demanding basic rights from a landowner, they are met with soldiers on horseback, facing harsh reprisals and the reality of revolt, oppression, morality and violence.
Structured as a passion play. An awesome fusion of form with content, and politics with poetry. Stylized dance with collective choreography depicts the fight of those answering terror with violence. The film honors the agrarian Socialist movements of the end of the nineteenth century, while. conveying a historical philosophical critique of the Socialist ideas.
Winner of the best director prize at Cannes in 1972, and widely considered to be the greatest Hungarian film of the 60s and 70s.
Restored in 4K from its original 35mm camera negative by National Film Institute Hungary – Film Archive.
“Set in the late 19th century, when peasants demanding basic rights from a landowner are met with soldiers on horseback (the Hungarian title means ‘and the people still ask’), it’s an awesome fusion of form with content and politics with poetry. The catchy tunes range from revolutionary folk songs to ‘Charlie Is My Darlin’, and the colors are ravishing. It won Jancsó a best director prize at Cannes and may well be the greatest Hungarian film of the 60s and 70s.”
– Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
“It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons for the incredible monotony of so much vigorous activity, but surely one reason is that nothing happens in “Red Psalm” except for the benefit of the camera. That may sound like any movie, but actually, it is like no other movie and is virtually a negation of the whole, necessary relation of cinema to life.”
– Roger Greenspun, The New York Times
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“Set in the late 19th century, when peasants demanding basic rights from a landowner are met with soldiers on horseback (the Hungarian title means ‘and the people still ask’), it’s an awesome fusion of form with content and politics with poetry. The catchy tunes range from revolutionary folk songs to ‘Charlie Is My Darlin’, and the colors are ravishing. It won Jancsó a best director prize at Cannes and may well be the greatest Hungarian film of the 60s and 70s.”
– Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
-
“It is difficult to pinpoint the reasons for the incredible monotony of so much vigorous activity, but surely one reason is that nothing happens in “Red Psalm” except for the benefit of the camera. That may sound like any movie, but actually, it is like no other movie and is virtually a negation of the whole, necessary relation of cinema to life.”
– Roger Greenspun, The New York Times
Press & Exhibitors
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Technical Info
- Aspect Ratio: 1.37 : 1
- Color: Color
