Description: Nine-year-old Aron finds himself abandoned at a bleak orphanage by his recently divorced and despondent father. The ultra-strict nature of the institution comes as a complete shock to the boy, and he must frequently endure beatings both from the staff and the other boys. He finds solace in a special relationship with his young classmate Attila. And that sexual awakening gives him the courage to lead his peers in revolt. In Hungarian with English subtitles.
Awards / Festivals: Best Foreign Language Film - Official Academy Awards entry from Hungary, Grand Prize - Montreal World Film Festival, Alfred Bauer Award - Berlin International Film Festival - Official Selections: Chicago, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney International Film Festivals (among many others)
Like voyeurism I had been waiting a long time to see this movie. I guess it never could live up to the anticipation.
I felt horrible throughout the whole film. The acting and cinematography were lovely, I have no complaints there. But the story was hard to take, not to mention unbelievable.
I didn't know enough about the history of Hungary to understand the political turmoil with as much information as is provided. There's really no explained reason for the headmaster to be so cruel. I can't really even figure out the conflict of the film - no big epiphany. I was disappointed.
and I felt like a voyeur watching the lives of little boys (there are subtle sexual suggestions which I was very relieved didn't go anywhere)
Love Foreign Films As a border-line autistic and mentally abused child, I just watched my childhood pass-by. I was never in my own life, just followed what happened to me, like watching a movie. My childhood was like boot-camp. Now that I'm older, I'm breaking out by reconstructing my new, more happy life thru understanding movies like this. Excellent movie, showing decisions/choices through logic that I am beginning to understand, versus instant obedience. Abandoned helped me understand childrens thought-process as it should have been for me. Good photopgraphy, color and direction. I would recommend to anyone, but you need to watch it closely without distractions. I have watched it 3 times already, and each time I understand the film and myself better.
A Profoundly Disturbing, Resonant Film 'Torzók' ('Abandoned') is a brilliant Hungarian film written and directed by Árpád Sopsits that takes us back to Hungary of 1960 when the oppressive Communist rule altered the lives of everyone, especially children. The quality of the film is absolutely first rate from story to acting to filming to scoring. It may be a tough film to absorb and certainly not for the easily offended, but it is a perfectly honed gem of a film that deserves wide audience exposure.
Áron (Tamás Mészáros) is a young lad whose life seems warm at first until suddenly a disease of vision impairment attacks his mother and his parents divorce: the mother is somewhere in a hospital and the father (Sándor Gáspár) beats the boy and eventually turns him over to a rigid orphanage for boys run by cruel taskmasters. Áron undergoes initiation tactics by his fellow orphans but despite the beatings he is strong enough to survive. He is befriended when he has his nightmares about his mother's blindness by his friend Atilla (Szabolcs Csizmadia) and the two bond emotionally and physically. In this bleak atmosphere a little light comes from the beautiful young housekeeper Anya (Krisztina Somogyi) but even her contributions are compromised by the cruelty of the staff. There is one 'teacher' in the orphanage school, Nyitrai (László Gálffi) who has been reduced to his position as an 'imprisoned one' by the government and his sadness is offset by his playing his cello and studying his beloved astronomy. Nyitrai offers Áron solace and introduces his 'fellow traveler' to the glory of the stars, giving Áron a map of the heavens that Áron cherishes - his window to a world beyond the dark confines of his prison-like orphanage. He gradually wins over his fellow orphans and when Nyitrai, in the pit of depression for his life situation and the cruelty of the orphanage and the government, hangs himself. This horrid incident drives Áron to organize an escape from the orphanage, an event that is ultimately fractured with a death for which Áron feels responsible. And the end of the film fades into the many possibilities that event could trigger.
The atmosphere created by the stunning cinematography by Péter Szatmári defines the darkness that represents the orphanage well but also suggests the darkness in Hungary of that period. The musical score by Péter Fejcsik, Tamás Görgényi, Ferenc Toma, and Balázs Winkler is some of the most beautiful composed for the screen, making tremendously effective use of the cello and lower strings. In all, this is a brilliant piece of filmmaking, acted with depth in every role, and unveiling a portion of history and tragedy too often pushed to the background of our books. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06
Abandoned A fun little movie, but not really what I was really expecting. I was expecting more bed time from the main boy with the other boy that he was suppose to be fooling around with. I wasn't expecting any of the other kids to die on their escape from the orphanage.
Truely Abandoned A new boy (Aron) has arrived at the orphanage. At first they pick on him but after awhile they decided he was one of them. The teachers inflict great abuse onto these children. Children who already have suffered and lost so much. Aron and Attila become close friends. When Aron has a bad dream, Attila lets him sleep in his bed. There seems to be more then just friendship between these two boys, but when you are young and have no one really to love, you often get close to those who have been kind to you. It was not what I thought it would be but I found it touching. So sad to see how unlucky so many children are and to see children who have so much and not appreciate all that they have. It is truely sad.
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