Abandoned (Torzók)

-- Video Business, 1/9/2003

Color, NR (mature themes, violence, profanity, sexual situations), 98 min., VHS $39.95, DVD $24.95, Hungarian with English subtitles

DVD: no extras

Available now

First Run: L, Int'l., 2001, NA

Cast: Tamás Mészáros (Chico) Szabolcs Csizmadia, László Gálffi (Sunshine)

Director: Árpád Sopsits

PICTURE THIS!

Story Line: Aron (Mészáros) is a 9-year-old boy whose father abandons him in a Hungarian orphanage in the late '50s. Under the bleak existence of sadistic instructors and aggressive peers, Aron discovers his inner strength through friendship and compassion.

Bottom Line: The film, which is based on the writer/director's childhood, is pervaded by a sense of despair, which makes for heavy viewing. The shadowy cinematography and haunting music lend themselves well to this gritty portrayal of a government orphanage, and it is through that atmosphere and a curtain of abject loneliness, pedophilic teachers and physical abuse that a memorable film emerges. Mészáros is a compelling young actor who, with his heartbreakingly enormous eyes, evolves from terrified little boy to a bright and curious student and finally into a remarkable young figure who steadfastly faces his difficult future. A friendship with his melancholic teacher (Gálffi) and a quasi-sexual relationship with young Attila (Csizmadia) offer a few illuminating moments of hope. The first release from Picture This!'s new "Tales From the Orphanage" video series featuring international coming-of-age films, Abandoned was the official Hungarian entry for the 2002 Academy Award for best foreign-language film and deserves to be seen. --Sarika Chawla