Best Hungarian history movies

A hardened mercenary in the Foreign Legion begins to find his own humanity when confronted with atrocities during the fighting in Bosnia.

The new owner of a brilliant race horse finds love while carrying out his revenge on the man who murdered his father.

Based upon the final confession of Adolf Eichmann, made before his execution in Israel, of his role in Hitler's plan for the final solution.

Set in 19th century Vienna, Ignac Semmelweis, a short-tempered but passionate doctor, delivers babies and carries out autopsies on a daily basis while looking for the cause of puerperal fever, the mysterious epidemic that decimates patients in the hospital.

In 1913, an orphaned young woman arrives in Budapest to take up employment as a milliner at the hat store that belonged to her late parents but becomes mired in a search for a brother she had never known of.

The story of three women - a famous prostitute, her housekeeper and their new maid - living in Budapest of 1910s, whose passionate, bizarre and complex relationship can only lead to one thing: murder.

The true story of an unlikely romance in a Soviet labor camp.

Budapest, Hungary, Christmas 1957. The state, insecure after the defeated revolution of 1956 and increasingly put under the influence of a renewed Stalinist atmosphere, has decreed that all security officials must pass an exam to verify their loyalty. But to be actually effective in a shadowy world where suspicion and secrets reign, the subjects must be unaware that they are being tested.

During the ill-fated Hungarian revolution of 1956, Karcsi Szabo, star player on the water polo team, is torn between his love for a revolutionary student and his training for the Melbourne Olympics.

Shortly after the end of World War II, a con man on the run finds himself in a passionate love affair that may well cost him his life.

Eighteen year old Ida returns home after being raised by nuns, but her father isn't too pleased. Determined to see her married, he publishes an ad and offers suitors a generous dowry.

The police hire a convicted bank robber to crack the Ministry of Interior's vault during the final days of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. But what they find inside is quite different from what they were expecting.

István, a király ("Stephen, the King") is a Hungarian rock opera written by Levente Szörényi (music) and János Bródy (lyrics), based on the life of Saint Stephen of Hungary. The storyline was based on the play Ezredforduló (Turn of the Millennium) by Miklós Boldizsár, who co-wrote the libretto. The opera was first staged in 1983 on an open-air stage in Budapest. This first performance was also made into a 1984 film, directed by Gábor Koltay, and its music released on an album. The musical became a smash hit and is still very popular in Hungary and among Hungarian minorities in neighboring countries.

Sibiu, December 1989. In the chaos and panic generated by the protests of the crowd against the authorities, a unit of the militia becomes the target of a violent assault that escalates into a bloody confrontation between soldiers, militiamen, security agents, and civilians. Trying to escape the siege, Captain Viorel of the militia is captured and accused of being a terrorist.

After the failure of the Kossuth's revolution of 1848, people suspected of supporting the revolution are sent to prison camps. Years later, partisans led by outlaw Sándor Rózsa still run rampant. Although the authorities do not know the identities of the partisans, they round up suspects and try to root them out by any means necessary.

World War II, occupied Soviet Union. István Semetka is a simple Hungarian farmer who serves as a Sub-Lieutenant in a special unit scouting for partisan groups. On their way to a remote village, his company falls under enemy fire. As the commander is killed, Semetka has to overcome his fears and take command of the unit as he is dragged into a chaos that he cannot control.

Jankovics's adaptation of the eponymous play is divided into multiple parts, and depicts the creation and fall of Man throughout history.

A fictional account of the 1958 attack against the Hungarian embassy in Bern. Based on a true story about the aftermath of the 1956 Hungarian revolution.

This romantic and grandiose historical film depicts the era of the constant incursions and heroic battles fought by the defenders of the castle of Eger, led by captain István Dobó, against the heavy odds of superior numbers through the lives and love of Bornemissza Gergely and Cecey Éva. Gergely is inaugurated as a fighter already at the age of 7, when he escapes the captivity of the half-eyed Turk, Jumurdzsak, with Vica and the war-booty. In thirty years' time he becomes the first assistant of captain Dobó and the brain of the castle in the defence of Eger.

During the Seven Years War, Austrian Queen Maria Theresa sends her best general, András Hadik and his Hussars to raid Berlin and humiliate the Prussian King, Frederick the Great.

Hungary, 1990s. Travel abroad is finally possible, but unaffordable. By forging international train tickets, three young people get to know the world.

Animated version of a famous Hungarian epic tale by János Arany. Through the story of Miklós Toldi, we witness a brutal young man learning to master his strength and inner struggles to become King Louis I’s most famous knight. Toldi clashes with his scheming elder brother and travels from the marshlands to 14th-century Pest, fighting every challenge to prove his honor. His journey of self-discovery and courage unfolds against the rich backdrop of the chivalric world and the Hungarian plains.

Hollywood, 1942. The US government pressures Hungarian-born film director Michael Curtiz, who is about to finish shooting Casablanca, to accentuate the film's propaganda message in order to sway public opinion in favor of the country's intervention in the European war.

Miklós Németh was one of Hungary's most popular politicians at the time of the regime change, and decades later, many encouraged him to come back and become prime minister again. But he withdrew. And not only from public life, but also from the public. However, 30 years after the declaration of the republic, he made an exception with the RTL Club and said yes to our request. He shared his personal memories in front of the camera, talked about successes and failures as well. From the interviews with him, the XXI. 20th century viewers could already see details, for example, about the dismantling of the Iron Curtain or the release of the East Germans. From the documentary 545 Days _ The Prime Minister of the Regime Change, we show from his point of view,

It is the year 2546. Corporations rule the world, and an agent is on a secret mission to explore the untold stories of the past. His journey leads him into a secret virtual reality where one corporation has recreated the 1980s, an era that witnessed the birth of video game development, an event in which a politically and economically restricted small European country, Hungary, had a significant role. He discovers a strange but exciting world, where computers were smuggled through the Iron Curtain and serious engineers started developing games. This small country was still under Soviet pressure when a group of people managed to set up one of the first game development studios in the world, and western computer stores started clearing room on their shelves for Hungarian products.

Eager to impress the Queen of Sheeba, a young Solomon accidentally releases the devil Asmodeus from his prison. With the Kingdom of Jerusalem in peril, Solomon and Princess Naama work together to find an end to Asmodeus' evil rule.

Depicts the slow decline of three individuals as they are sucked into a world of sinful existence. It is the story of a wild and voracious love triangle.

Adaptation of Mór Jókai's classic 19th century novel on Mihály Tímár, the captain of a commercial Danube ship in the 1830s, who finds unexpected fortune by meeting a Turkish aristocrat fleeing from his home country with his daughter Tímea. On their journey, they find an unknown island on the Danube, called the Senki szigete (the Island of No-one), a sort of earthly paradise, with only an old woman and her young daughter Noémi living on it.

Based on the novel of Mór Jókai. During the Hungarian independence war 1848-49 mother and her three sons trying to leave the road precisely designated by their conservative, stone-hearted father. The way-seeking and rivalry of brothers, Jókai's masterpiece, the cast, delightful scenes give an unforgettable experience.

István Pongrácz, lord of the castle of Nedec, is a strange man. He does not like his own time, so he imagines himself as a medieval lord of the castle. His surroundings also accept his whimsy, and in this way they give him a horse to ride. Like centuries before, he launches a campaign against the disobedient city of Banská Štiavnica. In their great embarrassment, the serious city fathers offer the haughty warlord a 'hostage': Apolka, the city's orphan. Her presence changes Count Pongrácz, who grows fond of the beautiful and innocent creature. But Apolka's heart belongs to another.

On the novel by Mór Jókai. The first half of the XVIII century. Several decades of life of a noble family Karpati.

On March 15, 1848, a young firebrand poet, Sándor Petöfi ignites the Hungarian Revolution with his passionate 'National Song', prompting the Austrians to dispatch a ruthless secret agent to assassinate him and suppress the uprising.

In 1585 the Turks and Vallons are looting the Látrány region.

George, Prince of Wales mingles with the crowd in Bowie Street in disguise under the pseudonym Bob. He falls in love with the poor Uncle Tom's daughter, Annie. But to save his business, the indebted Uncle Tom promised her to the usurer Plumpudding.

The untold story of a Jewish baby who was born in the death camp before the liberation and survived. An extraordinary journey of the second and third generation, breaking the cycle of trauma to free themselves from Auschwitz - forever.

The tragic medieval tale of a man of inhuman strength, fierce temper and a desire for noble knighthood. While on the run as a murderer, he finds new life as a knight, only to face disillusionment, the horrors of war and ugly human vices.

Short experimental animation by István Orosz.

Based on the Jules Verne's novel "Danube pilot." The film is set during Bulgarian people struggle against the Turkish oppressors. Bulgarian Sergei Ladko embarks on a voyage on the Danube under the guise of traditional "Danube Anglers League" competition in order to bring the rebels money to buy weapons.

1956. Three Hungarian friends hijack a plane to escape from the Iron Curtain.

Political and sexual repression in Hungary, just after the revolution of 1956. Passionate and determined, Eva gets a job as a journalist. There, she meets Livia and is attracted to her. Livia feels much the same, but as a married woman, has doubts and hesitations. In their work, they (and Eva in particular) bang up against the limits of telling political truths; in private, they confront the limits of living out sexual and emotional truth.

The royal summary court sentences Sallai Imre and Fürst Sándor to death on charges of attempting to uproot the state and the social order. The film, the story of which takes place in 1932, enlarges the moment of delivering the death-sentence. Sallai, preparing for his death, envisions the people and the events that have been decisive for his life.

An attempt to a reconstruct of a chess game between Alexander Bogdanov and Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Lenin. Capri Italy. Tuesday April 28. 1908. The Villa of Russian Author Gorki.

In the final days of the American Civil War, an emigre Hungarian military officer attempts to map the situation of the enemy. Many veterans of the 1848 War of Independence in Hungary fought on the northern side. Experienced Fiala, Boldogh who struggles with homesickness and the reckless Vereczky all experience their enforced emigration in different ways and news of impending peace elicits different reactions from them all.

Zsadányi flees from the authorities with his goddaughter, Bankós Mari, and they escape into the forest. The film then skips ahead thirty-fold years: Zsadány and Mari are now lovers, with the sound of war in the background halting their romance. The old friends of Zsadányi have joined with the Nazis, and the landowner living with his peasants in a socialist community grows distant from them. Zsadányi is held responsible for political problems in the country, and will pay with his life.

Hitler's invasion of Russia was one of the landmark events of World War II. This documentary reveals the lead-up to the offensive, its impact on the war and the brinksmanship that resulted from the battle for Moscow. Rare footage from both German and Russian archives and detailed maps illustrate the conflict, while award-winning historian and author John Erickson provides insight into the pivotal maneuvers on the eastern front.

On the novel by Mór Jókai. The first half of the XVIII century. Several decades of life of a noble family Karpati.

1708 János Bornemissza became the master of stras of Blind Bottyán from a raiding Kuruk. His weapon is driven by patriotism and love for Anna Bíró, the most beautiful girl in réthe. The captured Count Starhemberg takes the Labanc general to the Prince himself, and thus becomes Rákóczi's lieutenant. In the meantime, Réthe falls into the hands of a Laban for treason, and Anna is sent to the stocks. Suhajda, the lecherous hajdú, now thinks he can get the girl for himself. Anna sends a message to John with her brother, and at the call of the prisoners, Rákóczi's army marches. They encounter the enemy along the Váh. The Kuruks celebrate their victory with the wedding of Anna and János.

This lavishly spectacular film focuses on the character of Lőrinc Parcen Nagy from the 1200-page Tibor Déry novel interwoven with numerous autobiographical elements. Lőrinc Parcen Nagy is the offspring of an upper middle class family, whose life is marked by two violent deaths: the suicide of his father and the slaughter of an innocent worker. He breaks with his family and his mother in disgust; she is of weak character, a person who abandoned her own husband. He is also unable to discover the right tone with his colleagues and his lover who is an illegal party worker.

János Arany was nineteen years old when he left the Reformed College in Debrecen and became a travelling actor. He is stubbornly silent about this period in his memoirs, and he is already over fifty by the time he first puts his acting adventure on paper in his unfinished poem novel, Foolish Gods, calling himself Istók.The film by Gábor Rohonyi and Georgina Hegedűs, starring Ágoston Liber, depicts the lesser-known but all the more adventurous early years of one of the most important figures in Hungarian literature, mixing the story of his growing up with romantic elements and the road movie genre.

The seeming hopelessness of combatting an all-powerful government that will not tolerate political dissension is the focus of this excellent historical drama set in the mid-19th century in Hungary. In the opening scenes, Hungary has just lost its bid for independence from Austria and a Magyar officer, unable to bear the tragedy of defeat and what it means, says an affectionate good-bye to his beloved horse and then shoots the animal and himself. Two years later, Ferenc (Gyorgy Cserhalmi) is trying to eke out a living for his wife and her family -- and at the same time avoid any hint of sympathy for Hungarian independence because the Secret Police are everywhere. Just as life seems to be going well, Ferenc's former commanding officer (Lajos Oze) arrives and begins discussing revolution again -- a futile pursuit at this point in time. The next day, Ferenc is thrown into an insane asylum and everyone else is arrested as well.

An animated collage of the battle between Napoleon and Kutuzov, set to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture.

Filmed in commemoration of Hungary's 1100th anniversary and on the sites of the actual events, a cast of thousands authentically recreates the 896 AD arrival of the Magyar chief Arpad (Nero) and his seven tribes into the Carpathian basin from the steppes.

During the freedom fight led by Rákóczi, Schwartzenau carries the wages of the Emperor's soldiers to Tokaj. A small group of freedom-fighters, led by Captain Árvay, attack the major's escort, then hide in the local inn. Árvay introduces himself to the entering Schartzenau as a Hungarian aristocrat, while Simon Pali rushes to get help. The major has a passion for games, they start throwing dice.

The spring of 1919. Karikás Frigyes reorganises brigade 39 at the Tisza. His most devoted soldiers are Korbély János and his followers, who remain faithful to the political commissioner under all circumstances.

In 1849, the liberation war against the Habsburg Empire is close to its end in Hungary. Having hidden from military draft, Barnabás leaves his hometown and walks across the country to find and save his wounded brother who has been hiding with a guerilla group deep in the forest. Despite their exhaustion, lack of food or information, they are still fighting for their cause. Barnabás finds his brother alienated and distrustful. The tension between the boys further increases when they turn out to be attracted to the same nurse in the camp. Hoping he can earn his brother's trust and take him home, Barnabás decides to stay and lie about his past. In the meantime, he has to face the cruelty of war.

The young Valkó wants to plan a block of apartments that will still be modern fifty years from now. His ambitious plans are continuously rejected by his manipulative and careless superiors. So instead of the modern block of flats he only plans a bachelor apartment.

The hero of the story that takes place at the beginning of the nineteenth century and recalls real historical personages is Akli Miklós, the court jester of Emperor Ferenc.

On one hot summer night, the residents of a Hungarian apartment house slated for demolition restlessly revisit their haunted pasts as they face an uncertain future. In a gently turning kaleidoscope of dream imagery, regret-laden nostalgia and painstakingly intimate detail, the looming wrecking ball pales in significance to the accumulated experiences each dreamer revisits. Pre-war prejudice, occupying Nazis and Stalinist deprivations all come and go as each tenant’s backward glance yields moments of aching sensuality, infectious exuberance and catastrophic loss.

Sacra Corona is a historical feature film released to commemorate the millennium of the state's founding. The story deals with the 11th-century throne struggles of the House of Árpád.

This essay-film is a historical crash-course which spans the millennia from the stone age to the conquest of space in the 1960s.

Our story takes place in a small frontier town that is a real cross-section of the dreaded terror of the 1950s. On October 23, 1956, the ÁVÓ is throwing a ball for the birthday of the daughter of the local Russian commander. At this ball, the young people plan a clash with the local armed forces. The plan is foiled when the ball is interrupted by news of the outbreak of the Budapest revolution. By this time, Juli, the daughter of the local caretaker commander, and Robi, the son of an actor who has been deported from the capital, are in love. In this revolutionary situation, can the two opposing hearts of love be for each other?

March 15, 1848; the revolution breaks out in the town of Pest. Yet at café Pilvax, in among he revolutionary youth, there is the informer of the imperial court as well. Hearing the news of the attack led by Jellasics, the inhabitants of the villages pour into the national army, and Hajdú Gyurka also escapes from his landlord. Petőfi is there at the camp of the revolutionaries, raising them to enthusiasm with his poetry.

Allegory of the suppression of the 1919 revolution and the advent of fascism in Hungary; in the countryside, a unit of the revolutionary army spares the life of father Vargha, a fanatical priest. He comes back and leads massacres. A new force, represented by Feher, apparently avenges the people, but only to impose a different, more refined and effective kind of repression.

Budapest, 1948. Gyula Molnár, interpreter to the Supervisory Committee of the Allied Powers, is carried away from a party by plain-cloth police investigators. Recsk, 1950. Molnár, having attempted an escape and with a wound made by a bullet in his neck - is doggedly trying to get into the brigade of brick-layers, as escape is easiest from there.