Winner of a Special Jury Prize at Cannes, Hungarian director Karoly Makk's Love is a beautifully lensed film about an interesting triangle. "Mama" (Lili Darvas), on old woman who is mostly bedridden and believes she is dying is visited daily by her daughter-in-law Luca (Mari Torocsik), who brings the old woman flowers and news about her son Janos. When "Mama" reads a new letter from Janos aloud to Luca, we hear some strange things: Janos is currently completing a film in Manhattan where, from his 20-room top floor suite he's able to look out over half of America. The cinema that will premiere Janos's film is nearly finished, and will house some 30,000 people, including Eleanor Roosevelt and the Queen of Holland who are eager to attend the opening. As one absurd detail follows another, we see pictorial flashes in Mama's mind as she tries to imagine some of what her son is telling her. Soon enough, we find out that Janos is actually a political prisoner serving an indefinite sentence, and Luca is, of course, the author of the fantastic letters. The chemistry between Darvas and Torocsik is perfect: Darvas whines and complains, rings the bell for her housekeeper, and looks for constant reassurances from Torocsik; Torocsik, on the other hand, is frustrated by the truth of the situation, and spurred on by her frustration (which is partly sexual, partly from loneliness), she tells ever more grandiose lies, taking out her repressed rage on her mother-in-law. A sudden series of events brings this fascinating portrait of a relationship to a quietly revelatory and quite satisfying close. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman) [DVD Review—Oct. 4, 2005—Facets, 109 min., not rated, $29.95—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1973's Love sports a passable transfer, but no DVD extras beyond trailers. Bottom line: a disappointing extra package for a great film.]
Love
b&w. 92 min. In Hungarian w/English subtitles. Connoisseur Video Collection. (1971). $59.95. Not rated Library Journal
Love
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