The Round Up details
| Format: | 15 DVD |
|---|---|
| Starring: | Istvan Avar, Gabor Agardi, Lajos Oze, Bela Barsi, Tibor Molnar, Janos Gorbe, Andras Kozak, Rudolf Somogyvari, Jozsef Madaras, Zoltan Latinovits, Attila Nagy, Janos Koltai |
| Director: | Miklos Jancso |
| Genres: | Action/Adventure - Westerns, Drama - Political |
| Studio: | SECONDRUN |
| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
The Round Up |
15 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 27 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | 17 Mar 2008 |
| Main languages: | Hungarian |
| Subtitles: | English |
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Most helpful review
A masterpiece of space and silence
By IanStewart (129 reviews) from Melton Mowbray , 29 Dec 2007[Highly rated reviewer]
I rate this film as an all-time classic, probably among the best dozen films ever made. In a system where five stars mean 'excellent film, I'd watch it again', this is worth about ten stars.
The story is set in mid-19th-century Hungary, where the soldiers of the Austro-Hungarian empire have crushed the revolt of Hungarian freedom fighters loyal to the legendary Sandor Rosza. The Austrians have no immediate way of distinguishing the dissidents from the rest of the population, so they round up all the men in the locality (hence the film's name) and pen them into a prison complex. Then the psychological pressure begins: using methods both subtle and brutal, the Austrians do everything they can to 'turn' individual prisoners and get them to betray their colleagues who have been members of Rosza's band.
What's so hugely impressive about this film? To me, it's first and foremost the economy of effort in the telling of the story - 'less is more'. Not a single word of dialogue is wasted; in fact there are many scenes in which hardly a word is spoken. There's one long sequence in which one of the prisoners, coming out of an interrogation session, walks through the yard among his colleagues - nobody speaks a word, but my goodness, what tension is conveyed by body language and expressions! Also, Jancso uses space to convey his story, in a way that I've never seen equalled by any other director. The entire piece is set in the endless Hungarian plains, with the wind constantly whistling round the people and buildings. Troops of horsemen circle constantly in foreground or background, and the camera circles with them, so that the entire film is choreographed almost like a ballet.
Though there's brutality and violence in the story, almost all of it happens off-screen. The Austrian interrogators and their captives communicate in a quiet, almost offhand way, even as they deal with matters of life and death. There's one sequence that does show violence, and I still find it distressing to watch even after seeing the film many times - but, again, the impact of the scene comes from the matter-of-fact way in which the lethal violence is dealt out.
As a tour-de-force of storytelling using space, image, silence and movement, this film has never been surpassed.- Was this review helpful to you?
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All reviews
(6)Expertly choreographed oppression
By a customer , 11 Aug 2011Miklos Jancso’s film The Round-Up depicts the rounding up, interrogation and punishment of Hungarian outlaws by the ruling Austrian regime in the 1860s. The director uses the context of a historical film to comment on the Hungarian uprising of 1956, which had occurred a decade before this film was made.
The outdoor scenes were filmed on the vast plains of central Europe in a style which uses very long takes, with the camera weaving in and out of the action. This method of working was very unusual at the time because of the limitations of the camera equipment. The dialogue in The Round-Up is sparse but the often oppressive atmosphere is maintained by the stark surroundings, harsh light and the expressive body language of the actors. Very little violence is shown on screen but when it does occur it is all the more shocking.
Jancso’s films are not well known outside of Hungary but his unique style and vision deserves to be experienced by a wider audience.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Another fascinating Jansco film
By Zamy (552 reviews) from London , 22 Nov 2010This is the third Miklos Jansco film that I have watched on the broad subject of man’s inhumanity to man. In this case he brings his intelligent and concentrated focus to bear on Hungary in the 1860’s and the cunning wiles of the ruling class of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to keep nationalist aspirations repressed. Once again a fascinating watch, with startling black and white pictures composed with imagination and brilliance. This is great world-class cinema, which deserves wider recognition. I have no doubt that Jansco is a master of the medium. All interested in world cinema should definitely rent.- Was this review helpful to you?
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Memorable
By a customer from Preston , 05 Dec 2008The bonus interview with director Miklós Jancsó was really good in placing this film in its context. My abiding memories of the film are the seemingly endless, featureless Hungarian plain and the almost sublimal sound of the austere chill wind blowing across it.- Was this review helpful to you?
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an understatement of dictatorship
By ovid (34 reviews) from Reading , 19 Sep 2008The film was made under communist control and was passed off as historical to get unde the censors radar. The film is stark filmed in black and white . quite chilling, and as terrible as any holocaust film. It was damning on the soviet style of control. Hungarians having been killed by soviets in the 1956 uprising . Eeverybody should be made to see it
to understand what can happen if there is no accountibility of the ruling elite It left a lasting impression on me. I was glad I perservered with it .- Was this review helpful to you?
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a film makers film
By itstinks (681 reviews) from North of Reading , 15 Apr 2008Yes the black and white photography is crisp, yes the camera movement is fluid, yes the compositions are interesting but, this is almost the worst sort of excess of surrealist film making, nothing that happens or is said is any way natural so there is no real connection for the plight of the prisoners. Because of the necessity of the longish takes the acting style is mainly reciting the script with little or no depth to the character, this means that there is no real interest in the effect of the mind games being played to extract information and betrayal. People walk in and out of rooms for no reason and say something which is taken back soon after. Not knowing the period of Hungarian history it refers to may mean that I miss some aspects of what the story is trying to say but in no way would this be considered a historical document.- Was this review helpful to you?
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