Diary for My Children

Till

Saw a trilogy named "Tagebuch für meine Lieben" on German TV in the beginning of 90s. This movie is part of that trilogy. It is full of love for freedom, and sadness about the tragedy of communism, which turned from a freedom movement to a totalitarian regime.

dionysus67

A beautifully executed and strongly autobiographical memoir of expulsion, suffering and defiance in face of authoritarian rule. The b/w cinematography captures the mood and creates some great compositions in medium close-ups that make for memorable mise-en-scène. Less successful are the newsreel footage scenes and the at points superfluous tribute to Hungarian cinema. Yet, the reminiscence shots are sculpted on film!

Kevin Matthews

A look at the creeping horror of oppression, this focuses on relationships and moments in life to show small changes that viewers can see leading to much bigger problems for the main characters. A very well done, low-key, exploration of Hungary as it was some decades ago.

Boldizsar CR

As a Hungarian I am deeply moved by this film. A true picture of the brutal communism and is a must see for everybody who wants to know the reality. Very sad that some people, actually many trying to go back to the disgusting world of the Soviet era.

redux

The film director as a sulky young member of the Stalinist establishment. She had to eat bananas in the Fifties, poor thing. Neither the thin story, nor the staggeringly unremarkable way it is told justifies the acclaim (ditto the sequels.)

Superfrog

I am pretty sure there are a bunch of metaphors in there, but the too well cut characters, and the difficulty to fell bad for self destructive people, makes it a bit of a slog. Also, the banana is peeled the *wrong* way around :)

Il secondo maestro del revolver

4.5

Elena Lazic

3.5