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In a dramatic story about the history of the Russian occupation in that period. The story began on August 12, 1945, at 11 am, when two mysterious strangers dressed in black clothes appeared in a railway station in a Hungarian village mysteriously and without reason. That period was under the Russian occupation, as the villagers prepare to attend the wedding of the writer's son. After a short time, the former bride's fiancé returned from captivity for a long time. Perhaps the man will be able to turn things in a few hours towards another turning point of secrets, sins, calculation, love and betrayal.
The darkness of wartime reaches not only into one day in August. In this muted but powerful film, Török is also commenting, obliquely but effectively, on the rise of far-right nationalism and anti-Semitism in present-day Hungary.
It's a good bet that the director had High Noon in mind when he made this film, but the comparison ends there. As a compact study of wartime guilt, the film has the look and feel of a waking nightmare.
Marvellously directed and acted, 1945 shows how those who practice deception for their own ends are likely to pay the price and in ways they may not foresee.
The film's straightforward but effective narrative holds few surprises while the talented cast strengthens the storytelling especially Péter Rudolf who makes a smooth transition from comedy to drama.
Torok juggles plenty of characters and themes - guilt, greed, Russian meddling, the Holocaust, justice - but he always remains firmly in control of his story. Every frame is meticulously crafted.
Set in a specific time and place, 1945 also resonates as a story of people doing terrible things to other people in the name of opportunity and getting ahead. It hits home at a time when the idea of loving thy neighbor feels sadly passé.
This film adds to a growing list of Holocaust dramas and documentaries that move past the guilt of Nazi Germany to ponder the complicity of smaller communities in eastern Europe.
Features an intrusive sound design, including Tibor Szemzö's jarringly contemporary score and sound effects that include the ringing of a clock tower, buzzing flies, rumbling thunder and noisy birds...