Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Gloomy Sunday - Ein Lied von Liebe und Tod" is a German film from soon 20 years ago written and directed by Rolf Schübel. I have to say I am not really familiar with him, but I see that this one here is really his only famous work, even if he is still working in the industry today. The film runs for slightly under 2 hours, but never really drags which is a decent achievement. The cast includes Joachim Król, Ben Becker, Sebastian Koch, Denis Moschitto and Oscar nominee Ulrike Grote. I am not familiar with the female lead, even if she is really stunning or the third male lead actor. The film is set in Hungary, so it should not come as a surprise that many of the actors for smaller characters are Hungarian themselves.The movie is about a young woman who is torn between 2, maybe even 3, men, but this is just the side-plot. It's not about whom she will pick as her beloved, it really is a lot more about the political circumstances of that era, especially in the second half of the film when Becker shows up again as a decorated soldier and Hungarian Jews are constantly killed in Nazi gas chambers. So it is a bit a mix of relationship drama and war-themed contents and I liked it. I think Schübel found a good balance between love and death in his film here, as the title already suggests. There are no moments of true greatness, but it is a very watchable film and I was entertained from start to finish. I also like it when characters are fairly unclear if they are good or bad and have shades of character. Becker's is the perfect example for this and even if he probably never reached his father popularity, he is one of the best things about this movie here. I recommend watching it. Thumbs up.

Frederick Regenold Gloomy Sunday-IMDb A great movie experience. I'm 82 and have been watching movies since I was five years old. This is an unforgettable film. Every facet is superb. The acting is flawless, the cinematography is breathtaking, and the gripping story has every human emotion imaginable. It's hypnotic from start to finish, but keep in mind, you have to be attentive. There are some subtle touches that can go unnoticed if you're not carefully observing and listening, and missing them can possibly deprive you of fully understanding and enjoying the fantastic ending. The skilled director doesn't use a heavy hand, and that's admirable. Every single actor gives a perfect performance. Having studied acting for five years, I must mention that they don't act, they behave. Erika Marozsán's portrayal is colossal! I've fallen in love with her. Even if I were five years old now, there's a scene with Joachim Król I'd remember the rest of my life. I've viewed that particular scene about eight times. Gut-wrenching, yet inspirational. Never in my life have a watched any movie four times, and I just saw this one again for the fourth time… in one week! If not for IMDb and Netflix, I would never have heard of it. And it received no nominations for the Academy Awards. Ridiculous! This is truly a masterpiece! I've never written a review for IMDb, but for this film I had to do it. I cannot praise this movie enough!

kwangsmom I've never seen a fantastic movie like this before. I saw this movie about ten years ago, just before the trip to Budapest. It was enough to bring a strong desire for the trip there. The plot is little bit stereotypical, however the photography and the music is terrific. I bet a Hollywood movie couldn't arouse a deep impression like this.The setting of this movie is a beautiful restaurant in Budapest, and there is a nice Jewish Hungarian guy, named Lasio Szabo and an attractive lady, named Ilona. They run the restaurant together and they love each other. One day they decide to hire a pianist for their customers, and Ilona chooses a poor guy, named Andras, as a pianist. He is very handsome and talented, thus she falls in love with him day by day.Their uncomfortable relationship continues until the beginning of the World War two. By Nazis invading, these three people fall into serious difficulties because of a German guy who loved Ilona before.Many scenes of this movie were took on the beautiful streets of Budapest, the 'Donau' river and the 'Chain bridge'. It makes me feel romantic. The street that is filled with a lot of beautiful historical buildings and the night view of the 'Donau' river still remain with me.One interesting thing in this movie is the song "Gloomy Sunday", one of the fascinating songs. It is actually composed by Andras for Ilona in the story, meanwhile it became very famous for suicide. This song is temporarily prohibited in Europe because many European people committed a suicide due to this gloomy song.There are so many movies related to the Jews in World War Two, and most of them are based on the exposure of Nazis' brutality. In contrast, this movie is romantic and female oriented. Even the movie title is "Gloomy Sunday", but this movie is not gloomy, it is brilliant.

CountZero313 Wartime Europe provides the backdrop to this tale of three star-crossed Hungarians blessed and cursed by the attractions of the superlative-defying Ilona. While male suitors László and Andras are the plot's most obvious victims, Ilona herself falls prey to her own powers, and the musical piece they inspire.In these IMDb days it is so difficult to come to a film completely cold, and I always feel a little sorry for audiences who do not get to experience films like Gloomy Sunday completely unencumbered. The blurb for the film tells you it is in one sense a menage-a-trois story, but that is already giving away too much for my taste. There are truly surprising and dramatic moments in this film: László dares to tell a joke that could cost him his life, Ilona makes an ill-fated decision to seduce Andras, and a moment of wonderful pathos climaxes the film as László is about to board a train. This is the film's cathartic climax, the resolution of the wartime tale being told in flashback. The actual 'resolution' of the film that takes place in the present time is just a shade formulaic and overcooks an otherwise superbly balanced and nuanced film. Excellent performances, a seductive musical theme, and extra plaudits for employment of a too-often neglected technique these days - leaving off-screen action to the viewers' imagination. Two suicide attempts and a character's ageing by 50 years are all conveyed through clever editing rather than expensive stunts, CGI or prosthetics. Maybe it was a budgetary rather than aesthetic decision to do so, but bravo nonetheless. Gloomy Sunday is a quality film with images and sounds that will remain with you long afterwards. Tragic but uplifting, my estimation of it grows with each subsequent viewing.