Confidence
Directed byIstván Szabó
Written byIstván Szabó
CinematographyLajos Koltai
Edited byZsuzsa Csákány
Release date
  • 10 January 1980 (1980-01-10)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryHungary
LanguageHungarian

Confidence (Hungarian: Bizalom) is a 1980 Hungarian film directed by István Szabó set in the final days of World War II. It follows two resistance members who must pose as husband and wife to stay safe from the Nazis, even though they are each married to other people.[1] Critically acclaimed, it won Szabó the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival[2] and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 53rd Academy Awards.[3]

Plot

Towards the end of World War II, during the siege of Budapest, Kata (Ildikó Bánsági) is intercepted on her way home from the cinema, and informed that her apartment is being searched and that her daughter and husband, who is part of the Hungarian resistance, have already fled to safety. With false papers, under the name Mrs. János Bíró, she has to hide in a house in the suburbs together with her "husband" (Péter Andorai), an important person in the resistance movement. In their shared room, János treats Kata coldly and tries to explain life in hiding, telling her she cannot leave the house without his permission nor discuss any personal details with anyone.

Gradually, the closeness, threat of discovery, and a mutual attraction lead to an affair between them; János tries to push Kata away, having been betrayed to the Gestapo by a lover in Germany ten years earlier. Over time, his defences begin to fall and he allows himself to fall in love with Kata. Later, when Kata goes to meet her real husband, she feels guilty. János begins to overcome his fear and paranoia, but by the time he accepts that he loves Kata, he has managed to destroy the relationship.

After the war ends and the siege is lifted, a car arrives for János, who leaves Kata with a promise to contact her in the next few days. Kata has to prove her identity before a verification committee, but cannot, as her original papers were destroyed when she went into hiding, and only János can vouch for her true identity. Kata reluctantly finds herself back with her husband, while János appears at the verification centre and calls for his "wife" among the people standing in line.

Cast

See also

References

  1. ↑ British Film Institute
  2. ↑ "Berlinale 1980: Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 2010-08-15.
  3. ↑ "The 53rd Academy Awards (1981) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2013-06-08.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.