The Witness (1969 Hungarian film)

A tanú
DVD cover of the film
Directed by	Péter Bacsó
Written by	Péter Bacsó, János Újhegyi
Starring	Ferenc Kállai, Lajos Őze, Béla Both
Music by	György Vukán
Distributed by	Mafilm
Release date(s)	Filmed 1969, release about 10 years later
Running time	103 min.
Country	Hungary
Language	Hungarian

The Witness (Hungarian: A tanú, also known as Without A Trace), is a 1969 Hungarian satire film, directed by Péter Bacsó. The film was created in a tense political climate at a time when talking about the 1950s and the 1956 Revolution was still taboo. Although it was financed and allowed to be made by the communist authorities, it was subsequently banned from release. The film was popular as soon as it was released and went on to become a cult film. As a result of its screening in foreign countries, the communist authorities eventually relented and allowed it to be released in Hungary. It was screened at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. A sequel was made in 1994 named "Megint tanú" (English: Witness Again).

Plot

The film features József Pelikán as a single father who previously participated in the WW2 communist movement of Hungary, but is now working at a dyke. He meets an old friend from the underground communist movement, Zoltán Dániel, now a government official who fishes at the Danube, near the dyke. Dániel falls in the river, and Pelikán rescues him and invites him to his home. The ÁVH receive a report stating Pelikán committed an illegal act of slaughtering a pig for food. Dániel tries to save him, but accidentally opens a hidden door to the basement, where all the pork had been hidden. Pelikán is taken to prison and later released, due to the "will of the higher command". Comrade Virág gives various assignments to Pelikán such as being the CEO of a swimming pool, an amusement park, and an orange-research facility; all to cause Pelikán to be the witness in a show trial against Zoltán Dániel. Before the trial they present Pelikán with testimony he must memorize, but Pelikán decides to tell the truth. He is thrown back in prison as a reprisal. While awaiting hanging, the political climate changes and he is released and meets Comrade Virág who has lost all his former power and influence.

Cast

• Ferenc Kállai - József Pelikán, Dive Keeper
• Lajos Öze - Árpád Virág
• Béla Both - Comrade Bástya
• Zoltán Fábri - Zoltán Dániel
• Lili Monori - Gizi
• Károly Bicskey - Elemér Gulyás
• György Kézdi - Virág's Detective
• József Horváth - Railwayman
• Róbert Rátonyi - Operetta Actor

Notes

• Janet Maslin, New York Times review, September 26, 1981

External links

• PORT.hu
• A tanú at the Internet Movie Database