by Eleanor Mannikka
synopsis
This simple (though visually flawed) story of human tragedy is set around 1900 in Hungary and involves the life of a young farmhand. Before landowner Jozef Banffy (Jan Nowicki) kills himself, he leaves his holdings to a young peasant, Imre Tanyir (Peter Andorai) instead of his own family. Much later, Imre joins up with others who want to educate the peasant class and make them more aware of their rights -- a dangerous activity that quickly puts Imre at odds with the state and does not bode well for his future on the land. Someone has already been killed in a demonstration on the farm, and it is clear that the military is not above torturing the dissidents. Without a doubt, Imre is heading for trouble.
