Product Description

Miklós Jancsó’s 'Silence and Cry' is set during a turbulent era of disquiet, fear, persecution and terror, which permeates every corner of post-WWI Hungarian society. In 1919, after just a few months of communist rule the Hungarian Republic of Councils falls victim to a nationalist counter-revolution. Admiral Horthy, leader of the nationalist far right movement, becomes the self-proclaimed regent of Hungary, and assumes power as the legal Head of State. Soldiers of the short-lived Hungarian Red Army are now on the run from relentless secret policemen and patrol units of the nationalist Royal Gendarme. If caught, ex-Red Army soldiers are executed without mercy or proper trial.

István Cserzi, a former soldier of the Red Army has fled to the Great Hungarian Plains and has taken refuge on a farm, which is run by two sympathetic women. Due to the generosity of these women and a former childhood pal, who is now a commandant of the local Royal Gendarme outfit, István is safely hidden from the ever-prying eyes of the secret policemen, who relentlessly roam the countryside searching for ex-Red Army men and their sympathisers. However, upon discovering that the women are secretly poisoning the mother-in-law and the husband – the legal owners of the farm – István must make the most difficult decision of his life. As a personal war is waging within his own consciousness over morality and self-preservation, István must decide whether to remain silent about the women’s devious secret and preserve his own life, or to report their heinous crime to the Royal Gendarme, which would also mean certain death for him.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26110 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-10-07
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Black & White, Letterboxed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: Hungarian
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 74 minutes

About the Director
In 'Silence & Cry', Miklós Jancsó, one of the greatest auteur directors of the 20th century, yet again delights us with his unique technique of perfectly structured long sequences composed with incessant, well-choreographed, and complicated camera movements. This acclaimed technique, which is a veritable bravura in itself, is in turn accompanied by Jancsó’s mesmerizing cinematic vision. The end result is a true cinematic masterpiece that not only depicts the perfect atmosphere of a very intense and powerful historical moment, but it also provides us with a detailed examination of interdependence in human relations – all the while enhancing our own consciousness about both subjects.

Customer Reviews

One of Jancso's best film
"Silence and Cry" is easily one of Miklos Jancso's best works. Anything from his 1960s period is great work of art, and "Silence and Cry" is no exception. The film is full of long sequences in which the choreography of both the actors' and the camera's movement is simply amazing. The DVD has rare extra features like the short documentary trilogy "The Presence". It also has a full director's filmography, listing all of Jancso's work, including early short films and television productions. It's a real bargain under $25 bucks, considering that similar DVDs from Criterion or Image cost a lot more. Highly recommended.

Great cinematography
I like the earlier works of Miklos Jancso, and I believe that this is one of his best films. This was the first Jancso movie where his traditional long takes were first developed and perfected. Jancso teemed up with a fresh-out-of-school cinematographer, who was just as eager to break with traditional filmmaking. Indeed the end result is mesmerizing cinematography. Even if you don't get the complex story at your first viewing the movie still leaves with a great impact. If you want to learn about cinema techniques you must see this film.

Silence and Cry
This, Silence and Cry, has got to be one of the stupidest movies I have ever seen. I watched the whole thing asking myself, "So, what's the point? What's the point? Where is this movie going?" And at the end of the movie, I was still asking myself, "What was the point?"

Only after I read the editorial review on Amazon.com, which provided the necessary background to understand the movie, did it make sense. Unfortunately, the movie provided none of that background. A good movie would have.