"The Witness"*** 1\2 (out of ****)
On March 12th I wrote on this blog about the sad news of Hungarian filmmaker, Peter Bacso, who had died at the age of 81. Despite my brief blog entry, I stated I was going to include, what many consider his greatest work, "The Witness (A Tanu)" as part of my "Masterpiece Film Series".
I always intended to include this film as part of the series but I probably would have waited a bit longer, so I could have written about other titles sooner. But after Bacso passed away now seemed like the appropriate time to do so.
Peter Bacso got his start in films not as a director, he directed his first film in 1960, but as a crew assistant, eventually working as a screenwriter in 1949. One of his major early credits came in 1958 adapting the novel "Edes Anna" into a film of the same title, directed by another great Hungarian filmmaker, Zoltan Fabri. The movie starred perhaps the greatest Hungarian actress of all time Ms. Mari Torocsik. Later scripts included "Szerelem (Love)" directed by Karoly Makk, considered his greatest film and the comedy "Egy Erkolcsos ejszaka (A Very Moral Night)" also directed by Makk.
Bacso was a very political writer/director. If you are unfamiliar with the previous mentioned titles all of them, in one way or another, deal with politics. "Edes Anna" (which I have reviewed on here) with the class system, a sort of commentary on life after the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and "Szerelem" another look at life under Communist rule, though much more poetic.
He was also friends with former Prime Minister Imre Nagy, who was put back in power after the revolution only to be killed two years later. Nagy was a kind of protection for Bacso and after Nagy's death, Bacso was banned from filmmaking for four years. But he wouldn't avoid controversy after the ban.
As I have already said "The Witness" is considered his masterpiece. It earned a cult status even before it was released. Originally made in 1969, the Communist government banned the film, only to be released ten years later, in 1979. What had changed in ten years? I cannot answer that. Certainly the movie hadn't. Bacso never edited it seeking the government's approval. But word of mouth grew concerning the film. It was even released in America in 1981.
What made "The Witness" so controversial was it was an attack on the Communist Party. Bacso and his film argued the party was inept and corrupt (go figure!). But did so not with moral preaching but satirical humor. It remains, as far as I'm concerned, one of the all time great political satires.
The film centers around a poor dike-keeper, Jozsef Pelikan (Ferenc Kallai), father of seven children left alone after his wife left him. Jozsef gets into trouble when he is caught slaughtering a hog. The family ran out of food and couldn't get more. Communism, supposedly, meant all are equal. One shouldn't have more than the other. So when it is found out that Jozsef has pork, the police come to arrest him.
Describing that scene sounds pretty serious perhaps. But what I left out, makes the scene a charming comedic sequence. Before being discovered Jozsef runs into a friend, Zoltan Daniel (played by director Zoltan Fabri) who is fishing. After fighting with a fish on his reel, Zoltan falls into the water. Jozsef tells him he can dry off at his place. Zoltan is a very important man in the Communist Party. So when the police come looking for the extra pork they believe Jozsef has, he feels he has some protection on his side and merely shrugs off the officers. When Zoltan hears what is going on he informs the men who Jozsef is. Jozsef was tortured during WW2, protecting Zoltan and other Communist from the Fascist. After giving his heroic speech on Jozsef, the police find the pork. And thus begins Jozsef bizarre journey.
He is jailed and told me may get the ultimate punishment, death. But he is soon released and put into the hands of Arpad Virag (Lajos Oze), a high ranking comrade. Virag wants to give Jozsef a high positioned job in the hopes one day he will do a favor for the party. Jozsef continually fails each job he is given only to be promoted to a higher one.
Finally it is revealed what they party wants, for Jozsef to serve as a witness against Zoltan, who is said to be a spy against the party.
Though Americans may sometimes find it hard to relate to foreign comedies "The Witness" finds humor in the universal, corrupt politicians. You don't have to be Hungarian to see the humor in that. The film has one outrageous situation after another constantly building on a level of absurdity established in the previous scene.
Two standout sequences are, Jozsef is told he grow the first Hungarian orange. He is put in charge of a research team to do so. A major celebration is planned as the top leader, Comrade Bastya (Bela Baoth) will be present. But something happens to the orange, I will not reveal what. In a state of panic Jozsef informs Virag, who immediately hands him a lemon. They hope to fool everyone into thinking the lemon is actually an orange. When Bastya tastes it, he isn't sure it tastes like an orange, Jozsef informs him it is a new Hungarian orange.
The other famous scene involves the preparation for the trial. A screenwriter is brought in to type Jozsef's statement. An argument happens when Jozsef tells them they are making things up. Comrade Bastya is also mad to find out his name is not mentioned. In order to appear important he insist an assassination plot be added.
Maybe now you can tell why the government wouldn't want this film released to the public. The party is shown to be run by fools. This is probably what made the film such a hit with audiences. It even brought about a new catchphrase. Virag is constantly telling Jozsef "the international situation is intensifying." This became a popular saying. Mention it to Hungarians and they will laugh and recall this film.
The performances in the film get, what I feel is the first rule of comedy, correct. Never reveal you are in a comedy. The more serious you act, the funnier the situation. You have to believe in what you are doing and not tip your hat you are in a comedy. Ferenc Kallai's performance reminds me of an innocent baby. He has a child-like quality to him. He is placed in situations beyond his control. Lajos Oze slightly seems to be acting it up but given his character it isn't distracting. The Virag character is so full of neurotic tics any embellish action seems plausible.
If after watching "The Witness" you decide you want to see more Bacso films other works include "Te Rongyos Elet (Oh, Bloody Life)", "Sztalin Menyasszonya (Stalin's Girlfriend)" and his most recent film, released just before his death, "Majdnem Szuz (Virtually a Virgin)". Unfortunately not many of Mr. Bacso's films have been released in this country. Most of his later films have not been shown in theatres here. He never had the cross over appeal of Istvan Szabo or Miklos Jancso but if you are a serious film lover, you owe it to yourself to check out some of his work.
"The Witness" is one of the masterpieces of cinema.
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