Love (Szerelem) is a Hungarian drama from the early 1970s, which focuses on the relationship between a woman and her ageing mother-in-law. The woman’s husband is a political prisoner, but she keeps the truth from her mother-in-law- who believes her son is away in America making a film. It’s a felt, at times grim, at others haunting and enchanting film- which studies keeping hope alive, compassion, and the end of life. Here from Second Run- one of the key reissues of world/ arthouse film- is a blu ray release of the film, which features a new 4k scan, a commentary track, and a few other extras.

Love (Szerelem) was made in the year 1971. It was directed by Károly Makk, who was born in 1925 iBerettyóújfalu, Hungary. In total he had thirty feature-length credits to his name- these went comedy/ romance Liliomfi (1955), historic drama A harminckilences dandár (1959), looking back at the past drama/musical Cat’s Play (1974), comedy fantasy A Ver Moral Night (1977), drama based during the Hungarian revolt against Soviet in the 50’s Hungarian Requiem(1990), and period drama/biography regarding noted Russian author Dostoyevsky The Gambler (1997). Love is captured in black and white- it utilizers straight drama, with moments of jarring jump cuts- which take in flashbacks to better times, memory snapshots, battered buildings & wartime tragedy.

The film is set in the year 1953, when Hungry was besieged by Stalinian purges.  The film centres around Mother (Lili Darvas) who is bedbound in later years, and is surrounded by memories of the past. And her daughter-in-law Luca(Mari Törõcsik) who visits her mother-in-law most days- bringing flowers, and discussing her son János(Iván Darvas)- who she believes is in New York making a big film, but in reality, he is a political prisoner & Luca doesn’t know if he is alive or dead.

When we first meet the two women, we are rather led to believe that Luc just visits the old woman out of duty. But as things go on, it’s clear she very much cares for her, and will do anything she can to keep the belief that her son is a big-time film director. Luc does this while carrying on with her own less-than-easy life- working for the state and living in an apartment that has recently been sub-let by the authorities without her say so.

Both lead actresses give wonderful nuanced and subtle performances- though as we move towards the film's second half, and the mother’s health seriously failing- they bring out real emotional depth and poignancy in their portrayals. There is a very small surrounding cast- and each of these also carry their roles well. The film slides in just under the hour and a half mark, though it does feel longer due to the often-lulling pace of the film. The moments of jarring jump cuts are largely sat at the beginning and towards the end of the film- these rather effectively break the lulls, though that said when we do get down to the grimier-then-slight more hopeful last half, one is very much captured by whether mother will survive to see her son come back through the door.

This new Blu-Ray is region-free- and it features a nicely crisp and clear 4k scan of the film. We get a commentary track with director Károly Makk and professor Gábor Gelencsér. This is a very dense and detailed track, which is in Hungarian with subtitles. They begin by talking about the introduction of rapid cuts in the film’s opening credits- how the director wanted to experiment with storytelling, show time as. multi-layered, and give an emotional impact. We find out the film was based on two 1960’s novellas Love and Two Women by Tibor Déry, who seemingly severed time in prison himself. They talk about why the film wasn't made in the 60s, instead of the 70s- and how if it had, it would have started the Hungarian new wave early on. They discuss how many of the film's later rapid cuts relate to the troubles in the 50s.  Later on, they detailed the set design of the old lady's bedroom, what happened to properties during the troubles, and more. So, a certainly a track worth playing.
Otherwise, we get a few archive extras- Károly Makk on Love (21.11) which finds the director sitting in front of an ageing dresser with a glass of spirit or wine. Love’ returns to Cannes (12.27) newsreel footage of Hungarian film week in Sorrento, 1971 (3.09). An original trailer, and the reissues trailer. The release is finished off with a twenty-page glossy inlay booklet- this takes writing by Graeme Hobbs and Agnes Sajti, as well as stills.

Love (Szerelem) is a subtly powerful, at times moving drama- and the blend of experimental rapid cutting, and more formal storytelling is most effective. Another great reissue of a world cinema title from Second Run- and if you have an interest in Hungarian film, you must also check out Hungarian Masters- the three film Blu Ray boxset the company put out at the tail end of last year.